Martin Luther King

             played a key role in our nation's civil rights movement. Martin was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th, 1925. His father, Martin Luther King was the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Martin attended Morehouse College an all black college in Atlanta. He graduated Morehouse College in 1948. After graduation Martian enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. He graduated Crozer Theological Seminary first in his class. Martin married Coretta Scott in 1953. He met her at the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston University. The next year, he became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was illegal in all pubic schools because the white schools always seemed to get the better materials and facilities. Of course, some schools did not desegregate, but most did. Martin was very happy because his goal to stop segregation had begun. In 1955 Martin graduated from Boston University earning his doctoral degree. The same year Martin and Coretta Scott had their first child, Yolanda King, in the fall. .
             In the year 1955 Rosa Parks, an elderly black woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat, on a bus ride, to a white person. Martin is infuriated about the bus incident. On December 21, 1956, Martin shared the first desegregated bus ride in Montgomery with other blacks. In 1957 Martin organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This program was designed to help churches fight segregation. .
             While signing books at a New York City department store in 1958 Martin was stabbed and hospitalized, but not seriously injured. This event did not make him want to stop work, but made him want to work harder to desegregate the nation. In 1960 Martin moved to Atlanta, Georgia and continued work with the SCLC. Also that year, Martin got arrested for trespassing while supporting students at a sit-in.