Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to a large crowd at the Washington Monument.

Photo illustration: AFP via Getty Images (Martin Luther King Jr.); Colorization by Paul Kerestes

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King’s Dream Lives On

Martin Luther King Jr. helped change the nation. Today, his fight for equal rights continues.

He fought for racial equality. He inspired others to take a stand. And he showed America his dream for a more just country. In the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the civil rights movement, the long struggle to gain equal rights for Black Americans.

When King was growing up, segregation, or the forced separation of Black people and White people, was often the law, especially in many Southern states. King questioned these laws. Why should Black people be forced to attend schools or go to hospitals that were inferior to the ones White people used? He dedicated his life to changing the unfair laws.

Sadly, King was killed in 1968, but his message lives on. This month, people across the country will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are three things you may not know about King.

King was arrested many times for standing up for what he believed in.

King demanded equal rights for African Americans by organizing nonviolent marches and protests. One type of protest was called a sit-in. At these events, Black people would sit in Whites-only restaurants and refuse to leave until they were served. King was arrested nearly 30 times.

One arrest happened in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. King and other leaders organized a series of protests. But a court had ruled earlier that King could not hold any type of protests in Birmingham, so he was arrested and jailed for eight days.

While behind bars, King wrote an essay that explained why he was willing to go to jail for his beliefs and practices.

“One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws,” he wrote.

Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo

Martin Luther King Jr. in a Birmingham, Alabama, jail in 1963

He almost didn’t share his powerful “dream.”

King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington, a huge civil rights demonstration in our nation’s capital. But he almost didn’t share his dream that day.

King had mentioned the idea of his “dream” in earlier speeches, but it never got much reaction. So King left it out of his speechthat day— the draft he brought up onstage with him did not include it. But as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the crowd of more than 250,000 people, he changed his mind. King pushed his notes aside and went on to deliver some of the most famous lines in U.S. history.

Countless people carry on King’s work. One of them is his granddaughter. 

Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Yolanda Renee King speaking in Washington, D.C.

More than 50 years after King’s death, his powerful words and actions inspire people to continue to fight for justice. That includes his only grandchild, Yolanda Renee King. The 12-year-old never met her grandfather, but she is following in his brave footsteps. Yolanda gives speeches about issues she cares about, like racism, gun violence, and poverty.

Last summer, Yolanda spoke at a march in Washington, D.C. She stood in the same spot where her grandfather gave his famous speech almost 58 years ago and promised that she and other kids would keep fighting to make America better.

“We will fulfill my grandfather’s dream,” she said. “Papa King, we won’t forget.”

1. Based on the article, what is segregation?

2. What is one adjective you would use to describe Dr. King? What evidence from the article supports your choice.

3. How does Yolanda Renee King carry on her grandfather’s work?

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