Martin Luther King Jr.

Born Michael King Jr. in Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and earned a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University. In 1955, at age 26, King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day nonviolent protest against racial segregation. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, King led a series of nonviolent campaigns including the Birmingham Campaign, the March on Washington, and the Selma to Montgomery marches. His leadership was instrumental in the passage of landmark legislation: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis while supporting a sanitation workers' strike.

Martin Luther King Jr. remains the most influential figure in American civil rights history. His philosophy of nonviolence provided a moral framework for social change. King's vision has influenced movements worldwide. His call for a 'beloved community' transcending racial divisions remains relevant as America continues to grapple with systemic racism and social injustice.