MARTIN LUTHER KING

Intelligent, dedicated, and talented, Martin Luther King had what it took to inspire and instill a sense of rightness in the hearts and minds of those who heard him speak. On 28 August 1963 Martin Luther King organized an unforgettable March to Washington and delivered one of the most powerful speeches against racism. This speech renowned as "I Have a Dream" is a moving speech about racial equality and peace.

Martin Luther King was a champion of peace and an American clergyman who struggled for the rights of African Americans and freedom for all people. He is renowned for his leadership in the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. He is also well known to have led a protest against the way African Americans were treated unfairly on buses. At that time, the African Americans had to sit at the back of the bus separated from white people. The 382- day bus boycott campaign launched by King led the bus company to change its regulations, and the U.S. Supreme court declared the bus company's discriminating seating policy unconstitutional.

King visited India in1959 and was inspired by the nonviolent methods used by Mahatma Gandhi against the British in India. He became convinced that such methods would be of great significance to the American civil rights movement. In his autobiography king said, "As a result of my visit to India, my understanding of non-violence became greater and my commitment deeper. He opposed discrimination against African Americans by organizing nonviolent resistance and peaceful mass demonstrations. Soon he became a famed international figure who stood for equality among people of all races and creeds. For his fearless faith in unarmed struggle, the king was awarded the Nobel peace prize for the year 1964.