. Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr.

Every January we celebrate the life of a great man. Martin Luther King, Junior fought for civil rights. He believed all American should be treated fairly, no matter what their skin color.
Dr. King was born in 1929 in Georgia. Since he was black, he could not go to the same schools as white children. Black Americans also to use separate restrooms, restaurants, theaters, and swimming pools in some states.

Dr. King thought this was wrong. He was a Christian minister who worked for equal rights for black people. He helped lead peaceful protests to change those unfair laws.
It was a hard fight. Dr. King was attacked and arrested many times. But more and more Americans grew to understand that it was wrong to treat black people differently from white people.

In 1963, Dr. King led a quarter million people in a march to Washington, D.C. While there, Dr. King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. He spoke about his hopes for America. He said people should be judged by their hearts, not by their skin color. His efforts helped bring about new laws to create equal rights for all Americans.

         The third Monday of January is a holyday to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King to honor his courage in working to improve the lives of so many people.