Martin Luther King Jr

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Martin Luther King Jr
Biographical History
Martin Luther King Jr was born in January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia (Herbert 4). He was the son of Martin Luther King Sr (a reverend and senior Atlanta minister) and Alberta Williams King, and brother to Christine King Farris, and Alfred Daniel Williams King (Jackson 26). His grandparents were Reverend Adam Daniel Williams, James Albert, Jenny Parks Williams and Delis King. Martin Luther King Jr married Coretta Scott in 1953, in a ceremony conducted by his father and hugely attended by his family. The couple gave birth to four children, Yolanda Denise in November 1955, Martin Luther III in October 1957, Dexter Scott in January 1961 and Bernice Albertine in March 1963 (Jackson 31; Herbert 4).
Like most individuals, Martin Luther King Jr experienced various events, which shaped not only his childhood but also his adulthood. Community events had a considerable impact on this icon’s early life. The Atlanta community had numerous successful business and social events, which supported the diverse backgrounds of people. This society encouraged individuals to live in harmony irrespective of their education, wealth or success levels (Jackson 32). Dr. King also engaged in various activities as a young individual, such as playing baseball, attending the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Auburn Avenue, and participating in dances (Jackson 32). Consequently, Dr. King grew into an active person, who was well aware of his rights.

Education was also a critical factor in Dr. King Jr’s life. His education started at Atlanta’s Yonge Street Elementary School, before he joined David T. Howard Elementary School, Atlanta University Laboratory School and then Washington’s Booker T. High School (Herbert 6). King later enrolled in Morehouse College when he was fifteen as he did not have to graduate from Washington’s Booker T. High School since he scored highly in the college entrance examinations. Afterward, Dr. King graduated from same college with a Sociology degree and joined Chester’s Crozer Theological Seminary and later the University of Pennsylvania (Herbert 6). During this period, Dr. King held prominent positions, such as the senior class president, won the most outstanding student award and ultimately received a Bachelors in Divinity before commencing on his doctoral degree in September 1951, with had a focus on Systematic Theology at the University of Boston. He was also a Harvard University student and attained his PhD degree from Boston University in June 1955 (Herbert 7). Besides that, Dr. King received honorary degrees from the many US and foreign colleges and universities. Education was, therefore, a key priority for Dr. King, which helped him become knowledgeable and influential among the masses (Herbert 7).
Dr. King later became a Christian in February 1948. He was first an assistant pastor, then a pastor of Dexter Avenue between 1954 and 1954, and finally a director, co-pastor and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president. Religion thus also shaped Dr. King’s character to become an individual who championed other people’s rights (Herbert 9).
Another event that considerably impacted Dr. King’s character was the Montgomery bus incident, where Rosa Parks refused to stand up for a white man. This incidence paved the way for the Montgomery bus boycott, and subsequently the establishment of the Montgomery Improvement Association (Herbert 10). Afterward, Dr. King became the president of the association, and this officially signaled his reign as a civil rights activist. Dr. King was pivotal in the abolishment of bus segregation laws in 1956, but he was not short of challenges. For example, while in a meeting in January 1956, ill-minded individuals bombed his house, but his family was not injured (Herbert 9). Other events that made Dr. King prominent include an arrest, which occurred in April 1963, when he was leading a rights movement, and the Washington March for jobs and liberty, where he presented his celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech. Before his assassination in April 1968, Dr. King had engaged in crucial events, which defined his character as a man of the people, including the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, where he became the victor (Herbert 12).
Impact on Popular Culture
Dr. King impacted popular culture in numerous ways, before and after his death. He had a positive effect on civil rights activism. Dr. King inspired other activists to fight for civil rights in a non-violent manner (Herbert 11). He began his non-violent campaign by creating the SCLC in 1957, as an institution that organized non-violent protests. Subsequently, other activists followed suit. For example, drawing inspiration from Gandhi, who took a non-violent approach in calling for the end of British colonialism in India, Dr. King influenced millions of people, including President John F. Kennedy. Dr. King’s philosophy was that activists only had to choose between non-violence and non-existence (Herbert 11). This philosophy was influential in other activists’ efforts (including Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid) to improve their societies. The non-violent approach has also made today’s movements gain traction in their efforts to change the world (Herbert 11). Therefore, Dr. King revolutionized protests worldwide.
Further, Dr. King also made civil rights movements and their efforts popular across the world. Notably, his insistence on peace and equality gained respect and recognition for civil rights movements in and outside the United States. People gradually began to recognize that Dr. King’s approach was making significant contributions to the world. For example, Dr. King’s fight against discrimination made people appreciate the need to live together and in harmony (Herbert 12). As a result, people welcomed the idea of peacefully protesting whenever they felt there was an infringement of their rights. This trend has now become popular in both developed and developing countries.
Dr. King was also pivotal to instituting and making the African American civil rights movements relevant. He began showing the world that black people could successfully champion for civil rights by taking the leadership role of the Montgomery bus boycott (Harris 15). Dr. King later founded the SCLC, proving that a minority could be a hero (Herbert 11). His movements were mostly successful as they led to favorable legislation, such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which gave hope to the black people. Besides these events, Dr. King made himself available when African Americans faced discrimination. Case in point, in 1968, when over one thousand African American sanitation employees in Memphis felt that they were mistreated, Dr. King traveled to their workplace to show them support (Harris 16). Such an effort gave the African American community hope that one of them could fight for their rights without fear. This trend has continued with individuals like Reverend Al Sharpton organizing peaceful protests to fight social ills.
Dr. King’s works also continue to help other social activists perform their duties. For instance, after the establishment of his research and education center at the University of Stanford, people now have access to his documents, speeches, and other works (Harris 25). These works have proved to be essential in spreading Dr. King’s ideas and thoughts of what the world should entail. Besides that, they have helped to connect various activists across the globe, whose aim is to improve human rights. Similarly, Dr. King’s national memorial also helps to remind social activists that his dream is still alive. This site allows activists and other individuals to reflect upon his life and legacy, and have hope that they can achieve what he had envisioned for the world (Harris 25).
Another positive effect that Dr. King had on popular culture was in the form of his approach to fighting prejudice. King maintained that no one should face judgment because of their skin color, but rather due to their character (Herbert 11). This statement has changed how people evaluate others in various professions, including jobs, education rights movements and so forth. Nowadays, the society focuses more on people’s character, instead of their race. Racism is no longer a critical factor in most communities because of Dr. King’s work (Herbert 12). For this reason, Dr. King has been pivotal in the fight against racism among other kinds of discrimination across different professions.
Impact on American Culture
Dr. King also has a significant effect on American culture. He has transformed education into a tool that people can use to improve the society. Growing up, Dr. King emphasized that education is a core component to achieving equality. Not only did he study in numerous schools but also spread awareness on the value of education. For instance, as a college student in 1947, Dr. King wrote an article to help people understand the essence of education. In this article, he held that school must provide utility and develop a culture for people (Herbert 7). Consequently, Americans, especially the African Americans acknowledge the importance of education, considering the benefits it brought on Dr. King. Dr. King made the black community hopeful that they can achieve similar accomplishments.
This icon has also transformed American culture by providing individuals time to reflect and think of critical issues. Dr. King’s legacy has led to a public holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). Instead of staying indoors and engaging in unproductive activities, American citizens now have an opportunity to participate in essential festivals and parades. These events allow them to recall Dr. King’s actions and works, and ask themselves this crucial question, “What value are you adding to other people’s lives?” (Ntelamo 11). Furthermore, they provide a chance for Americans to reflect on peace and equality, some of the core values that Dr. King dedicated his life to achieve (Ntelamo 11). Therefore, Dr. King has succeeded in transforming American culture into one that reflects on others’ work and attempts to improve their environment.
Dr. King’s work has additionally changed American culture by raising severe race issues, which have hurt the American people before. In particular, Dr. King’s speech “I Have a Dream,” was an eye-opener to one of the critical issues that faced the nation. Dr. King used this speech to correct racial discrimination and give hope to minority groups (Ntelamo 12). While “his dream” is yet to become a reality, this speech has transformed the lives of people within and beyond the US. Case in point, because of this speech, the American culture is friendlier to everyone. A young person can now see the American society as a place where he or she can make their dreams come true.
Furthermore, he has influenced American culture by increasing the popularity of African American art. This icon gradually transformed from an unknown individual to a prominent person in the world. This prominence emerged as a result of his civil rights efforts and made him a favorite target among the masses, particularly after his death. As a result, various pieces of art feature Dr. King. For example, The Wall of Respect is a painting that includes Dr. King as one of the African American heroes (Flanagan and Concannon 646). This art has been popular since its inception as millions of people have gone to view it. Most artists prefer using Dr. King’s images and work because of his struggle and role in changing the world, and as a way to honor him or mark crucial historical moments. Moreover, other artists make products in comparison to Dr. King (Flanagan and Concannon 648). All these King-related artworks have made people acknowledge African American culture more.
Dr. King’s efforts have also influenced the American job culture. For example, anyone who is familiar with Dr. King understands that passion is crucial to any activity (Ntelamo 12). Dr. King was passionate in his fight for civil rights, and this made the difference between him and other activists. As a result of passion, Dr. King succeeded in creating a discussion about race. Other lessons that Americans have acquired from Dr. King to change their work culture include having a plan and focusing on a legacy (Ntelamo 12).

Works Cited
Flanagan, Alison, and Kevin Concannon. “Depictions of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Public Art from 1967 to the Present.” Sociology and Anthropology, vol. 5, no. 8, 2017, pp. 645-650.
Harris, Trudier. Martin Luther King Jr., Heroism, and African American Literature. University of Alabama Press, 2014.
Herbert, Angela. Martin Luther King: “Now is the time”-His Dream to Influence Education Today. Springer, 2016.
Jackson, Thomas F. From Civil Rights to Human Rights: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Struggle for Economic Justice. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.
Ntelamo, Ntelamo. Anchor to Success. Xlibris Corporation, 2013.