Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. Through his thought-provoking speeches, he made a huge impact on the world in support of equality for all races. Throughout his life, King showed everyone how he believed equality should be achieved. With his peaceful protests and amazing speeches, he influenced people both during his tenure and after his passing. Many believe that King's work in the civil rights movement was the final push America needed to finally respect people, regardless of the color of their skin. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and humanitarian. He was born on January 25, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, as Michael King, Jr. He and his father later adopted the name of German Protestant leader Martin Luther in his honor. King thrived at Booker T. Washington High School, graduating at age 15 before transferring to Morehouse College. For years he questioned religion, but during his third year of college he took a Bible class that renewed his faith. King then studied at Crozer Theological Seminary for three years. He met his future wife during his final year of seminary and received his doctorate in 1955, at the age of 25. In late 1955, Dr. King was elected to lead his first peaceful public demonstration. For the rest of the year and throughout 1956, African Americans decided to boycott the Montgomery bus system in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks. After 382 days of protest, the city of Montgomery was forced to lift the law mandating segregation of public transportation due to the significant financial losses it suffered during the protest. King began receiving national notices in 1960. By October...... middle of paper ...... reached. The first African-American president was elected in 2008. A black man could never have dreamed of holding such a high office in the 1960s. It is illegal to segregate in America. Every man enjoys the same rights. Works Cited Aziwike, Abayomi. “The Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King: Carrying On the Legacy of the Great March to Freedom of 1963.” World Search. Np, March 25, 2013. Web. November 21, 2013.Brunner, Borgna. “Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.” Info please. Info please, 2007. Web. November 24, 2013. Garrow, David J. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” History Net: Where History Comes Alive. Np, August 2013. Web. November 25, 2013. Kennedy, Robert F. “RFK on MLK.” Martin Luther King Jr. [ushistory.org]. NP, 2013. Web. November 25, 2013. “Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighting for Equal Rights in America.” »Tavaana. Np, and Web. November 21. 2013.