Short biography of martin luther

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. is set to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon.

Cadet maxim biography of martin luther king Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time in that part of the country, segregation—or the separation of races in places like schools, buses, and restaurants—was the law. He experienced racial predjudice from the time he was very young, which inspired him to dedicate his life to achieving equality and justice for Americans of all colors. King believed that peaceful refusal to obey unjust law was the best way to bring about social change. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, lead demonstrators on the fourth day of a historic five-day march in

But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday is also Robert E. Lee Day in honor of the Confederate general.

The two states recognize King and Lee on the third Monday in January. Their state governments created holidays more than a century ago to honor Lee and later combined the day with the federal holiday established in the s to honor King.

The strange juxtaposition of honoring men from vastly different legacies has persisted for decades.

How it happened

Both men have January birthdays.

Lee was born Jan. 19, King was born Jan. 15,

In the years after the Civil War, white politicians in southern states created multiple holidays to honor Confederate leaders and dead Confederate soldiers. Alabama lawmakers in named a January state holiday for Lee. Mississippi did the same in

President Ronald Reagan in signed legislation naming the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr.

Day to honor the slain civil rights leader.

Cadet maxim biography of martin luther king jr

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, —April 4, was the charismatic leader of the U. He directed the year-long Montgomery bus boycott , which attracted scrutiny by a wary, divided nation, but his leadership and the resulting Supreme Court ruling against bus segregation brought him fame. He formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to coordinate nonviolent protests and delivered over 2, speeches addressing racial injustice, but his life was cut short by an assassin in

States slowly added the day to their roster of state holidays. Alabama and Mississippi in the s adopted Martin Luther King Day as a state holiday, adding it to their existing day honoring Lee.

Some other southern states at one time also had a joint holiday, but have ended that practice, leaving only Alabama and Mississippi with a single day honoring both King and Lee.

Efforts to separate

Black lawmakers in Alabama and Mississippi have made multiple attempts in recent years to separate the holidays.

But they have so far been unsuccessful.

Rep. Kenyatté Hassell said he wants to try again in Alabama in the legislative session begining next month.

Biography of john knox We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Day, the national holiday has never coincided with the inauguration of a non-incumbent president. That changes this year. Martin Luther King Jr. In , the holiday falls on January 20, the same day typically set aside for Inauguration Day every four years.

It is disrespectful to King’s memory and the struggle of the civil rights movement to celebrate him alongside a Confederate general, Hassell, said Hassell, a Democrat from Montgomery.

“There are fundamental difference between General Lee and Dr. King. The Confederate general, he fought the preserve slavery and uphold the whole institution of white supremacy.

Dr. King was a civil rights leader who fought for equality and justice for all people,” Hassell said.

The holiday celebrating Lee and King together comes in states where Black residents account for more than a quarter of the population. Black citizens make up 36% of the population in Mississippi and 27% in Alabama.

King first rose to prominence in the s as the leader of the boycott against the segregated bus system in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hassell in introduced legislation, co-sponsored with more than a dozen other lawmakers, that would remove the reference to Lee on the January holiday.

Cadet maxim biography of martin luther king day 2025 Meet the civil rights leader in our Martin Luther King facts and discover how he changed history for millions of African-American people during the Civil Rights Movement…. Occupation: Minister and activist. Died: 4 April Best known for: Campaigning for the rights of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the s and s. Black people had different schools, toilets and even sections of the bus to white people.

Another bill would have moved the Lee holiday to Columbus Day in October, which coincides with the month of his death. Neither bill made it to a floor vote.

In Mississippi, Rep. Kabir Karriem, a Democrat from Columbus, introduced legislation this session that would remove the recognition of Lee from the holiday. The bill states the purpose is to “reflect the transformative power of Mississippi from its past to its present by celebrating holidays that wholly reflect the remarkable strides made by all citizens.”

Fewer Confederate holidays across South

Many states in the South have opted to abolish or rename Confederate-related holidays.

Louisiana in struck Robert E.

Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day from the list of official state holidays.

Virginia in scrapped a holiday honoring Lee and Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, both natives of the state, to make Election Day a state holiday.

Georgia in changed Confederate Memorial Day to the neutrally titled “State Holiday.” Arkansas in ended the state’s practice of commemorating Lee on the same day as King, leaving only Alabama and Mississippi remaining.

Alabama and Mississippi have three Confederate-related state holidays.

Both states mark Confederate Memorial Day in April and mark the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. South Carolina marks Confederate Memorial Day in May.

Other states have Confederate-related holidays on the books, but they are not full holidays when state offices close.