Martin Luther King

But it wasn't just King's ideas which made him such a prominent spokesperson of his time, it was also his style of leadership, his undying religious faith and his incredible courage right up to his assassination which all made him the icon for racial equality for which he is known today. .
             Martin Luther King was born Michael Luther King, Jr., January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to parents Michael (later Martin) Luther King, Sr., and Alberta Williams. His later life as a vocal person did not happen by mere chance but was instilled into him at a very young age through a whole family line of preachers: "Of course I was religious. I grew up in the church. My father is a preacher, my grandfather was a preacher, my great-grandfather was a preacher, my only brother is a preacher, my daddy's brother is a preacher. So I didn't have much choice." His families church, the Ebenezer Baptist, would prove to be of consistent importance even throughout his inspirational years of leadership. He grew up in the middle of the Great Depression, and from a very young age it became a great concern to him, particularly when he saw the people standing in the breadlines. Perhaps this was the first sign of a boy who would indeed grow to become the incredible man his was known as these many years following his death. The Bible was the most important book in their house but there were many other books as well. Both Martin King Sr., and his wife Alberta Williams stressed the importance of education. It had been a way out of poverty for Martin Sr. and as a schoolteacher it was equally important . In terms of his education his schooling consisted of the Atlanta Public school system followed by the Atlanta University Laboratory High School, and the Booker T. Washington High School His mother and father were very important figures in his life. King talks of his mother as being the strong silent type. She was the daughter of a minister, so was also highly religious.