Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister who gained recognition as a humanitarian activist and as a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Using the practice of nonviolent civil disobedience and organized protests, King led marches around the nation. He delivered his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts in fighting racial inequality. During his later years he expanded his focus to include poverty and speaking out against the Vietnam War. King was assassinated in 1968, but his message for equality in America remains relevant to this day.