Martin Luther King, Jr

Children's Literature

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of America's greatest men. Though his family was better off financially than most Black families in the South, King nevertheless fought tirelessly to gain the equality, dignity, and respect that are due to all mankind. He was greatly influenced by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent confrontation that ultimately won independence for India from Great Britain. King adapted Gandhi's principles, as well as those of Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" message, and applied them to the struggle for civil rights in the United States. He helped organize the Alabama bus boycott and many other peaceful marches that energized the Civil Rights movement. His "I Have a Dream" speech—given from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., will forever rank as one of the most inspired speeches of our time. His assassination, on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not a surprise, even to King himself. In his last speech, he said, "Like anybody I would like to live a long life...I may not get there with you." Part of World Almanac Library's "Trailblazers of the Modern World" series, a timeline, glossary, list of further resources, and index are included. A great introduction to the life of a great American. 2004, World Almanac Library, Ages 10 to 14.
— Christopher Moning