Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Biography for Children, American History for Kids - FreeSchool

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was a famous Civil Rights leader, pastor, and humanitarian. He is best known for his peaceful, nonviolent protests and speeches calling for change! This kid-friendly video is filled with facts and information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his life. MLK changed history, and so every January we celebrate him near his birthday.

It also introduces and briefly explains the issue of segregation at a child's level, and briefly touches on Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

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Music: Jaunty Gumption, Dirt Rhodes, Whiskey on the Mississippi, Lost Time - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

You're watching FreeSchool!

Today we're going to learn
about the civil rights leader,

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr, best known for his
non-violent protests and speeches calling

for equality for all people, was born
on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.

He was the second of three children,
born to a Baptist preacher.

At the time, less than 70 years
after slavery was made illegal

in the United States, things were
still hard for black Americans.

Many people were unhappy
when slavery was ended,

and lawmakers in some places,
especially southern states,

made special rules to keep white
people and black people apart.

People of different races had
to use different drinking fountains,

different bathrooms, and even
had to go to different schools.

The Supreme Court
ruled that it was legal

as long as things were
'separate but equal.'

This separation between people of
different colors was called 'segregation.'

This was the atmosphere that
young Martin Luther King grew up in.

He attended a segregated school,
where he did so well

that he was able to skip two grades
and graduate at the age of 15.

Shortly after graduating he began
studying at Morehouse College,

and he graduated with
a degree in sociology in 1948.

He had decided to become
a minister, like his father,

and so he enrolled in
a seminary to study religion.

In 1951, Martin Luther King, Jr. graduated
from the seminary, the top in his class.

On June 18, 1953,
King married Coretta Scott,

with whom he would
have four children.

He continued his education by studying
for his doctorate at Boston College,

and in 1954 he became
the pastor of a Baptist church

in Montgomery,
Alabama.

In 1955, he recieved his Ph.D.
when he was only 25 years old.

In December of 1955, Rosa Parks
refused to give up her seat on the bus

to a white man, for which she was
arrested and spent the night in jail.

Martin Luther King
and other civil rights leaders

organized a boycott
of the bus system.

This meant that the people
who wanted things to change

would stop
riding the bus.

The Montgomery bus
boycott lasted over a year,

and so many people
refused to ride the busses

that the bus companies
lost a lot of money.

In December of 1956,
the Supreme Court ruled that

segregated busses
were unconstitutional.

This was a major victory for
the Civil Rights movement

and it proved that peaceful
methods could create change.

However, many people were upset
by the changes that were happening,

and Martin Luther King
was nationally recognized

after his part
in the bus boycott.

He was jailed
over 20 times, stabbed,

his house was bombed,
and he was frequently threatened

- but he never stopped
calling for equality.

Between 1957 and 1968, King worked
tirelessly to promote civil rights.

He traveled all over,
giving thousands of speeches,

writing five books,
and many articles.

His hard work and speaking
ability earned him respect

and a personal meeting with
President John F. Kennedy.

Of all his speeches, his most memorable
was the "I Have a Dream" speech,

delivered on the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial in 1963

to a listening crowd
of 250,000 people.

"I have a dream...

That year, Martin Luther King was
named Time magazine's man of the year,

and in 1964 he received
the Nobel Peace Prize.

Around the same time,
partially as a result of his efforts,

Congress passed
the Civil Rights Act,

which made segregation
and discrimination based on race,

color, religion, sex,
or national origin illegal.

King gave his final
speech on April 3, 1968.

And I've seen
the Promised Land.

The next day, while he was standing
on his hotel balcony,

Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot
and killed. He was 39 years old.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan
signed a bill creating a national holiday

to remember King's life
and accomplishments.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
is celebrated on the third Monday

every January
in honor of the man

whose dream of peace and equality
helped change a nation.

I hope you enjoyed learning about
Martin Luther King, Jr. today.

Goodbye
till next time!