Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Leader and a Hero

Dr. King a leader and a hero. Do you recognize this man? People all over the world know his face. They know his name. Now you will too. This is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he was an American hero. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th 1929. That was more than 90 years ago. Here's a picture of Martin when he was 6 years old. He loved riding his bike, playing baseball, and eating ice cream. Martin's best friend was a boy who lived nearby but that changed one day when his friend told him they couldn't play together anymore. His friend was white and Martin was black. His friend's father didn't want his son playing with a black child. This made Martin sad and angry. He didn't understand why he couldn't play with his friend. During that time there were laws in parts of our country that kept white people and black people apart. Keeping people apart like this is called segregation. The law said that black people and white people had to go to different schools, parks, and restaurants. The schools and parks for black people were often old and run down. The schools and parks for white people had newer books and better playgrounds. In some states black and white people were not allowed to use the same water fountains and bathrooms. Buses were segregated too. When Martin was all grown up the laws hadn't changed. He and many other people knew these laws were unfair and the laws made him very angry. But he was a peaceful man. He did not want to use violence to change the laws. So what did he do? Dr. King used his words. He wrote letters, newspaper articles, and even books. He wanted to persuade people to end segregation. He organized marches. He led big groups of people as they walked through streets. They all thought the laws were wrong. Other people saw these marches and began to ask themselves, are these laws really fair? Dr. King also gave speeches. He spoke in front of thousands of people. In 1963 Dr. King gave his most famous speech at a big march in Washington DC. He talked about his dreams for the future. He said he believed that someday the world would be a better place. My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. Dr. King's words made people feel hopeful. When he spoke the crowd cheered and clapped. Some people cried and hugged each other. They also believed the time had come for things to change. His dream helped other people dare to dream too. There were still some people who didn't want the laws to change. They were angry with Dr. King for trying to change them. They tried to hurt him and his family. That was scary. But Dr. King was brave. He didn't let those people stop him. He kept working. He knew he was doing what was right. Dr. King was a great leader He inspired many people. He made them feel brave and strong. He made them believe that together they could make a change. It can be hard for one person to change the world on his or her own. But when thousands of people work together they can make a big difference. And they did. It took a long time but the laws of segregation did finally change. Dr. King's leadership and hard work helped make the world a better place. Dr. King is no longer with us. Still people remember him and continue his good work. We celebrate him every year in January on his birthday. On this day we take time to think about his life and what he did for our country. But you can celebrate him every day. You can spread his message of love, peace, and fairness by treating others with kindness and respect.