Martin Luther King, Jr.

This passage discusses the famous civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lexile Level: 530L

Categories: History People & Places

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights leader. Civil rights are the rights people have as citizens. Civil rights protect citizens' freedoms. Some groups have not always had the same freedoms and rights. African Americans did not always have the same rights as others. They couldn't eat in the same restaurants as whites. They had to ride in the back of public buses. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought against this. He spoke out for African Americans and led demonstrations for their rights. He gave a famous speech in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. King spoke in front of 200,000 people. The people gathered in Washington to raise awareness for African Americans' civil rights. King's speech is known today as the "I have a dream" speech. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born in 1929. He became a minister. He had a church in Montgomery, Alabama. King was killed in 1968. Today Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a holiday in the United States.