Martin Luther King Jr. embraced nonviolent resistance, influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, to champion civil rights for people of color in the U.S., including voting and labour rights
Like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. met a tragic end through assassination. He died on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, marking a profound loss in the civil rights movement
Born on January 15, 1929, King emerged as a central figure in the civil rights movement, notably as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
King's leadership peaked during the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered the historic "I Have a Dream" speech, envisioning a future of racial harmony and equality
His activism was instrumental in the passage of key legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968
In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end racial discrimination through nonviolent means
King's assassination occurred in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had gone to support striking sanitation workers, shortly after delivering his "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop" address
On April 4, 1968, King was shot at the Lorraine Motel. The bullet caused severe injuries, leading to his death an hour later after emergency surgery
Initially, James Earl Ray was convicted for King's murder in 1969, sentenced to 99 years in prison. He claimed to be a scapegoat, a narrative supported by some, including King’s family