Martin Luther King

            
            
             If you were here with us today I think you would be very pleased with the progress of the civil rights movement and the status of today's society. There have been many great changes in the past 40 years, since your tragic death. I think you would smile upon all of these developments. First off, they caught the man that shot you. His name was James Earl Ray. He was caught two months after your death and sentenced to 99 years in prison. He died 30 years later of liver failure while he was still in prison. I just thought you"d like to know.
             The speech you gave in 1963 has since become the most famous and one of most read speeches in American history. The most famous part of the speech is the part you improvised; your "I have a dream" section. That part is so well known, that the speech is now known as the "I Have a Dream Speech." Phrases from your famous speech are written everywhere and people speak of you constantly and that glorious day all the time.
             You have made such an enormous impact on the lives of millions that there is a street named after you in almost every major city in the United States of America. Martin Luther King Boulevard is a staple in many black communities throughout the country. Many people have made you their hero. Almost everyday, I see people walking around with your face on a t-shirt.
             There is now a national holiday every year on January 15th to celebrate your birthday and all the commitments you have made to modern society in your glorious and tragically cut short life. Thanks to your efforts, young African American children do not have to struggle to get a good education and to get a good chance at life. You have made, by far, the biggest impact on today's world. Because of you, the world is a much better place. .
             Many kids have taken your words and actions and put them to use in their lives. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a person who means a lot of things to people. I think he represents everyone's struggle in life," said Amphay Thiraphouth, a high school student when asked how she felt about Dr.