What Did Martin Luther King Do?

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist and pastor who promoted and organized non-violent protests. He played a pivotal role in advancing civil rights in America and has won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to fight racial inequality in a non-violent matter.

Martin Luther King’s Activities

• Brought publicity to major civil rights efforts
• Promoted non-violence during protests
• Contributed in founding the African-American Civil Rights Movement
• Leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955
• Was one of the founders of the South Christian Leadership Conference and its first president
• Fought against segregation in Albany, Georgia
• Helped organize non-violent protest actions in Birmingham Alabama
• Was one of the organizers of the March of Washington in 1963 where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech
• Helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965
• Worked on segregated housing in Chicago
• Fought against poverty in America
• Fought against America’s involvement in the Vietnam War
• Planned the “Poor People’s Campaign,” a national occupation of Washington D.C., but was assassinated before this could happen.