Martin Luther King Jr. Marches. Dr. King gives a speech to a crowd. Yolanda King speaks at a podium

Photo illustration: AFP via Getty Images (Martin Luther King Jr.); Colorization by Paul Kerestes; Ben Martin/Getty Images (march); Rue des Archives/The GRANGER Collection (middle Martin Luther King Jr.); Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Yolanda Renee King)

King’s Dream Lives On

Martin Luther King Jr. helped change the nation. Today, his fight for equal rights continues.

He worked tirelessly for racial equality. He inspired others to take a stand. And he spread a message of peace and justice. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leading voice of the civil rights movement, the long struggle to gain equal rights for Black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. 

King grew up at a time when forced segregation was a way of life throughout the South. Black children had to attend run-down schools, and their families were refused service at whites-only restaurants. Many states also had racist laws to prevent Black people from voting in elections. King dedicated his life to changing those unjust laws.

Sadly, King was killed in 1968, but his message lives on. On January 18, people across the country will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are three things you may not know about one of America’s most inspiring leaders.

King was arrested many times for standing up for what he believed in.

Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo

King thought the best way to bring about change was through a nonviolent type of protest called civil disobedience. That included holding peaceful marches and taking part in sit-ins at restaurants and other places that wouldn’t serve Black people. Part of this strategy of standing up for equal rights included accepting the consequences. For King, that meant being arrested nearly 30 times. 

One arrest happened in April 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. King and other civil rights leaders had organized a series of peaceful protests in the city. Those actions landed King in jail for eight days. While behind bars, he wrote an essay that explained why he was willing to be jailed for his beliefs.

“One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws,” he wrote.

He almost didn’t share his famous “dream” with the world. 

On August 28, 1963, King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It was part of the March on Washington, a protest rally he had helped organize. The speech was shown on all the major TV networks, and it was the first time many Americans had seen King give a speech.

The version of the speech he brought onstage with him didn’t mention his “dream.” King had included the idea in earlier speeches, but it hadn’t gotten a big reaction, so he left it out. But as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the crowd of more than 250,000 people, he changed his mind. King pushed his notes aside and went on to deliver some of the most memorable lines in U.S. history.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

—from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech 

Countless people continue to try to fulfill King’s dream—including his granddaughter. 

Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Yolanda Renee King

King’s powerful words and actions led to important strides toward achieving equal rights for all Americans. More than 50 years after his death, King continues to inspire peaceful protesters around the world who want to end racial injustice. That includes his only grandchild, 12-year-old Yolanda Renee King (right)

On August 28 last year, she was one of thousands of people who took part in a march in Washington, D.C. Standing in the same spot where her grandfather gave his famous speech 57 years earlier, Yolanda promised that she and other kids would continue his work. 

“We are the great gems of our grandparents, great-grandparents, and all our ancestors,” she told the crowd. “We stand and march for love, and we will fulfill my grandfather’s dream.”

1. Based on the article, what is segregation?

2. What is one adjective you would use to describe Dr. King? What evidence from the article supports your choice?

3. How does Yolanda Renee King carry on her grandfather’s work?

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