1929
1968
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who championed racial equality, and an end to racial segregation through peaceful protests, civil disobedience, and grassroots mobilizing. His leadership during events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Birmingham campaign, and the March on Washington, where he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, made him a symbol of hope and resilience against systemic oppression. Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by his Baptist Christian faith, the theology of Walter Rauschenbusch, and the nonviolent resistance teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.