Fact about Martin Luther King Jr.: Both Martin Luther King Jr. and his father Martin Luther King, got their names form the German Monk who lead the Protestant Reformation in 16th century who's name was Martin Luther

Flamefrost

Jan 15, 2018

The point of the holiday isn't getting off school, it's standing up for equal rights. I did an essay responding to an article about MLK Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr., or M.L., as he was known when he was young, had several experiences that changed his beliefs and actions later in life. Most of these experiences were from his parents. His parents stood up for themselves and wanted him to do the same. He used their awareness and input to shape his life as a preacher, public speaker, and leader for civil rights.

One of the first experiences was that his mother ‘told him to remember that “you are as good as anyone.”’ This had an effect on M.L. in that his goodness, or worth, was tested by several encounters later in his life. He had some experiences in which white people thought less of him simply because his skin was darker than theirs. His mother’s words told him that even with these experiences, he was just as capable and worthy as any white person. Later in life, he acted on this belief by speaking up, speaking out, and encouraging other African Americans to believe this as well.

One of M. L.’s role models was his father. There were undoubtedly several experiences that enforced this, but there was only one mentioned in Heeding the Call. M.L. and his father were intending to buy shoes, but the store worker indicated that they should move to the colored section of the store. ‘Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr., replied, ‘We’ll either buy shoes sitting here or we won’t buy shoes at all.’ Then he took his son’s hand and walked out.’ This changed M.L. in that if he sees his parents standing up for themselves, he will too. As an adult, he spoke up for himself, his rights, and those of all African Americans.

It is undoubtable that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life path was influenced in his childhood, mostly by his parents. His parents stood up for themselves and wanted him to do the same. He used their experience and advice to shape his life as a civil activist. His parents must be quite proud of him!