Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-1968) was a minister who helped bring about the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. He concentrated his efforts on working for equal rights of African Americans, using speeches and marches to deliver his message. He supported only non-violent demonstrations, but in return the police beat the demonstrators and sprayed them with fire hoses, making blacks out to be a threat to society.

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African-Americans won their legal rights, but de facto discrimination toward them still exists. King was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, working with both African and Euro-Americans during the civil rights movement and seeking an end to racist laws and actions sanctioned by the U.S. government. He sought to further understanding and unity between the many different racial groups in America. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

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Click here to see a sketch of Martin Luther King by Roosevelt Middle School 8th grader Ila Kriegh.

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