Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. Today, people around the world still remember all he did in his fight for equality.
After Martin’s death, Coretta carried on her husband’s fight. She traveled around the world and talked about peace. She fought to end apartheid, which was a system of segregation in South Africa. Coretta fought for civil rights until her death in 2006.
Martin’s children carried on their father’s message, too. In 1997, Martin Luther King III was elected to head the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He stayed with the SCLC until 2004. And Martin’s youngest daughter, Bernice, is a minister. She travels around the world speaking about civil rights.
Martin’s youngest son, Dexter, attended Morehouse College. In 1997, Dexter visited James Earl Ray in prison. After speaking with Ray, Dexter was convinced that this man had not shot his father.
Martin’s oldest child, Yolanda, was an actress, author, and peace advocate. Yoki appeared in several films, including a miniseries about her father called King. She died on May 16, 2007. She was fifty-one years old.
In 1980, Martin’s boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta and other buildings nearby were turned into a National Historic Site. Today, visitors can go to the museum to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s role in the civil rights movement.
And in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to create a federal holiday to honor Martin. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, near the time of his birthday.
In his very last sermon on April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., talked about his own death. He hoped that people would remember him as a man who “tried to give his life serving others.” He wanted to be remembered for helping “to feed the hungry” and for loving people. Forty years later, people remember Martin Luther King, Jr., and honor him for all this and more. |