50 Years After MLK

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to hear what is now considered one of the most powerful speeches in history. 

A young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the crowd, assembled that day for the March on Washington, a protest rally he helped organize.

“I have a dream,” King said, “that one day this nation will rise up [and] live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. They heard what is now considered one of the most powerful speeches in history.

A young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the crowd. They were assembled that day for the March on Washington, a protest rally that King helped organize.

“I have a dream,” King said, “that one day this nation will rise up [and] live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

His words were an impassioned call for racial equality for African Americans. At the time, in parts of the country—especially in the South—Black people couldn’t eat at certain restaurants, continued to attend segregated schools (though the practice had been outlawed years earlier), and were unemployed at a rate nearly twice that of white people.

The march—a prime example of the nonviolent protest King advocated—helped secure passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That landmark legislation outlawed racial segregation in schools, the workplace, and at public facilities. The act was one of many civil rights milestones in which King played a key role (see timeline, below).

But just a few years later, as King was shifting his attention toward poverty issues and housing rights for African Americans, his life was tragically cut short. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39. 

Millions around the nation mourned King. “The heart of America grieves today,” said President Lyndon B. Johnson.“A leader of his people—a teacher of all people—has fallen.”

Today, as the United States marks the 50th anniversary of King’s death, important strides have been made toward achieving civil rights for all Americans. But the nation continues to struggle with racial discrimination. Even as King’s legacy has influenced a new generation of activists, his long-ago dream of equality has yet to be fully realized, says Hasan Jeffries, a professor of African American history at Ohio State University.

“The very same issues that people are wrestling with now—police violence and unarmed African Americans being killed, people taking to the streets for affordable housing—are the same issues King was wrestling with then.”

His words were a moving call for racial equality for African Americans. In parts of the country, especially in the South during this time, Black people could not eat at certain restaurants. They still had to attend segregated schools, even though the practice had been outlawed years earlier. Black people were also unemployed at a rate nearly twice that of white people.

That march was a prime example of the nonviolent protest King advocated. It helped secure passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That important law made racial segregation in schools, the workplace, and at public facilities illegal. The act was one of many civil rights milestones in which King played a key role. (See the timeline, below.)

A few years later, King was shifting his attention toward poverty issues and housing rights for African Americans. But just then, his life was tragically cut short. On April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He died at the age of 39.

Millions of people around the nation mourned King. “The heart of America grieves today,” said President Lyndon B. Johnson. “A leader of his people—a teacher of all people—has fallen.”

This year, the United States marks the 50th anniversary of King’s death. Important strides have been made toward achieving civil rights for all Americans. But the nation continues to struggle with racial discrimination. King’s legacy has influenced a new generation of activists. But his long-ago dream of equality has yet to fully come true, says Hasan Jeffries. He is a professor of African American history at Ohio State University.

“The very same issues that people are wrestling with now—police violence and unarmed African Americans being killed, people taking to the streets for affordable housing—are the same issues King was wrestling with then.”

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, King never intended to be the face of the civil rights movement. He started out as a minister in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954. At the time, the Civil War—which resulted in the end of slavery—had been over for nearly a century. Yet throughout the South, where Jim Crow laws and racist customs prevailed, segregation was a way of life.

Though he had little experience in activism, King—who had a doctorate in theology from Boston University—was known as a brilliant public speaker. In 1955, community leaders recruited him to be the spokesperson for the Montgomery bus boycott, one of the first major protests of the civil rights era. The boycott lasted for more than a year and resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court declaring racial segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

King’s role in that boycott transformed him into a national figure. In 1957, he co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to help encourage other communities to take up the crusade for civil rights.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, King never meant to be the face of the civil rights movement. He started out as a minister in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954. At the time, the Civil War had been over for nearly a century. That war resulted in the end of slavery. Yet throughout the South, Jim Crow laws and racist customs still existed. Segregation was a way of life.

King had a doctorate in theology from Boston University. He had little experience in activism, but he was known as a great public speaker. In 1955, community leaders called on him to be the spokesperson for the Montgomery bus boycott. That was one of the first major protests of the civil rights period. The boycott lasted for more than a year and resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court declaring racial segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

His role in that boycott turned King into a national figure. In 1957, he co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. That organization was formed to help encourage other communities to take up the fight for civil rights.

In addition to helping achieve passage of the Civil Rights Act, King played a pivotal role in securing voting rights for African Americans. In 1965, he helped organize a high-profile march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. This protest and others led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That law made literacy tests and other measures that had prevented many Black people from voting illegal.

As one of the most recognizable faces of the civil rights era, King was a target of those who opposed the movement. He was beaten and jailed, and his home was bombed.  He received frequent death threats. Yet even in the face of such violence, King remained peaceful, says biographer David Garrow.

“King was first and foremost a preacher,” Garrow says. “He would always insist upon distinguishing between the evil deed and the evil doer. He was incapable of hating.”

King helped to achieve passage of the Civil Rights Act. He also played a pivotal role in securing voting rights for African Americans. In 1965, he helped organize a high-profile march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. That protest and others led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law made literacy tests and other measures that had prevented many Black people from voting illegal.

Being one of the most recognizable faces of the civil rights era made King a target of people who opposed the movement. He was beaten and jailed. His home was bombed. He received frequent death threats. Yet even in the face of such violence, King remained peaceful, says biographer David Garrow.

“King was first and foremost a preacher,” Garrow says. “He would always insist upon distinguishing between the evil deed and the evil doer. He was incapable of hating.”