In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’d like to share this infographic highlighting his life and work.
If you prefer, you can read the text version of the infographic.
Courtesy of OnlineCollegeCourses.com (Wayback Machine).
A Lifetime of Change: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Lasting Legacy
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1929: Martin Luther King Jr. is born January 15 in Atlanta, GA.
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1944: After skipping both the 9th and 11th grades, he enters Morehouse College in Atlanta at age 15
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1953: Marries his wife Coretta Scott
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1955: Receives his PhD from Boston University in June.
Becomes a leader of the Montgomery Bus boycott, which helps to end bus segregation.
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1957: Helps to establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Its principles are based on Gandhi’s teachings of nonviolence and civil disobedience.
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1963: MLK Jr. is arrested and jailed during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham.
He writes “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which says citizens have the moral duty to disobey unjust laws.
That’s 1 of the more than 20 times he was arrested.
A few months later, about 200,000 people join the March on Washington; MLK Jr. delivers legendary “I Have a Dream Speech.”
The most famous of the 2,500 speeches he delivered.
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1964: President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
Later that year, MLK Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
And is the first African American to be named Time’s “Person of the Year.”
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1965: On March 21, he successfully leads thousands of protesters in a 50 mile peaceful protest from Selma to Montgomery.
That’s just a fraction of the 6 million miles he traveled during the course of his activism.
A few months later, President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, officially giving African Americans the right to vote.
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1968: April 4th, Martin Luther King Jr. is shot and killed at age 39.
Even though he’s gone, the whole nation continues to honor him.
1 in 3 Americans surveyed named Martin Luther King Jr. as “the most admired person of the 20th century,” placing him second only to Mother Teresa.
More than 900 U.S. cities in 40 states have streets named after King.
And of the 3 U.S. federal holidays that commemorate individuals, one of those is Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday.
When it comes to racial equality, nothing is perfect still.
But the life of Martin Luther King Jr. inspired unprecedented equality in:
- Education
- The economy
- And in the White House
Even after an untimely death, Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy will continue to live on.
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