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Unit7SectionB–MartinLutherKingSlaveryintheUnitedStateswasabolishedin1863andthebloodyCivilWarfoughtovertheissueoffreedomforslavesendedinatreatyofsurrenderin1865.ButthefightforequalrightsforblackAmericanswasjustbeginning.Theircivilrightswouldnotbecomelawuntil1964andrightsforblackscameespeciallyslowinsouthernstateswheremanyblacksoftenturnedviolentinthe100yearsthatfollowedtheCivilWar.This,however,couldneitherstopthemovementnorturnitsgreatestleader,MartinLutherKing,toviolentmeanstoreachthegoalofequality.Neitherjailingnorbeatingnorbribingcouldchangehiscourseofaction,earninghimtheNobelPeacePrizeforhisefforts.In1968,thebulletofanevilman,whowantedtosilencetheleader,endedhislife,buthisdreamandthefightforjusticeandequalityliveon.Themid-twentieth-centurycivilrightsmovementbloomedintheyearsafterWorldWarIIundertheleadershipofMartinLutherKing.Hispowerofpersuasiongavethemovementaninjectionofforcethatcouldneitherbestoppednorsloweddown.In1954KingacceptedaministryattheDexterAvenueBaptistChurchinMontgomery,Alabama.Heorganizedcommitteesforavarietyofsocial-actionprogramsincludingwinningcivilrightsforblacks.Earlyachievementsincludedthe1954decisionBrownvs.BoardofEducationofTopeka,wheretheSupremeCourtreverseddecadesofsegregatingschools,declaringthesystemwasinherentlyunequalandthereforewentagainsttheFourteenthAmendment.AfterRosaParkswasarrestedforrefusingtoyieldherseatonabustoawhitepassengerinDecember1955,theMontgomeryImprovementAssociationwasorganized,withKingaspresident.HewasnotsurethatpursuingaboycottofthebussystemwasmorallycorrectuntilherememberedastatementbyThoreau:“Wecannolongerlendourcooperationtoanevilsystem.”OntheeveningofDecember,5Kingmadewhathelaterconsideredthemostpowerfulspeechofhislife.Heissuedwhatwasacalltoallofthosewhobelievedinequalitythatthetimehadcomeforresistancetoracistpolices.Newspaperandtelevisionreportersissuedbulletinsonthisevent.Underhisdirection,theblacksofMontgomeryboycottedthebussystemfor382days.InNovember1956theUnitedStatesSupremeCourtshotanarrowintotheheartofracialdiscriminationdeclaringthatAlabamalawsthatsupportedthepracticeofsegregationdidnotaccordwiththeconstitution.InDecemberblacksandwhitesrodeMontgomerybusestogetherforthefirsttime.TheMontgomerybusboycottestablishedKingasaheroforthenation’sblackcommunity.Hiscourageandpublicspeakingabilitieshadmadehimthemostrespectedleaderofthecivilrightsmovement.Kingproposedaseriesofcivilrightscampaignsaimedatregulatinghiringpracticesandeliminatingsegregationinallpublicfacilities.Heorganizedprotestsandtraveledandlecturedwidelyandwasarrestedmorethanfifteentimes.DuringMarchandAprilof1963,heledamassprotestinBirmingham,toappealforfairhiringpracticesandanendtosegregation.Afterdefyingcourtordersbarringpublicdemonstrations,Kingwasjailedforfivedays.Atthistimehewrotehis“LettersfromaBirminghamJail”andhadthemcirculatedamongstthecity’swhitereligiousleaderswhohadcriticizedhimfor“unwiseanduntimely”action.“Actually,timeitselfisneutral,”hewrote.“Humanprogressneverrollsinonwheelsofinevitability…andwithouthardwork,timeitselfbecomesanallyoftheforcesthatwouldhavesocietyremainwithoutneededchange.”In1963KingworkedwithRalphAbernathy,hisdeputyandlatertheonewhoreplacedhimaspresidentoftheSCLC,andotherleaders,toorganizethelargestcivilrightsdemonstrationintheUnitedStateshistory.Onaugust23,approximately250,000civiliansstagedamarchonthecapital,Washington,D.C.,forfreedom.Itwasalmostlikeamilitaryinvasion.They–blackandwhiteaswellasallotherraces–stretchedovera10-acreareaandactedaswitnessestocivilrightslawsthatwerebeingvotedoninCongress,puttingpressureonthoseintheSenatewhowouldotherwisevoteagainstthoselaws,likeRepublicansrepresentingsouthernstates.Onthatday,Kinggavehisgloriousspeechtotelltheworldofhisfaithinthebrotherhoodofman.Inhisspeech,knownbytheslogan,IhaveaDream,heexpressedhishopethatfreedomwouldbecomearealityforwhatpeopleinGod’sgreatkingdom.InJulyofthefollowingyear,hewasinvitedtotheWhiteHousebyPresidentLyndonB.JohnsontowitnessthesigningoftheCivilRightsActof1964.Thelegislationmadesegregatingblacksandwhitesinpublicfacilities,aswellasdiscriminatinginhiringpractices,workingconditions,andwages,againstthelaw.Laterthatyear,Kingwasawardedinthe1964NobelPeacePrizeforpeace.“MartinLutherKingisamessengerwithacalltoalltoallwhoworkforpeace…HehasshowntheWesternworldthatastrugglecanbewagedwithoutviolence,”statedGunnarJahnoftheNorwegianNobelCommittee.InhisNobellecturekingssaid:“ThemovementdoesnotseektoliberateNegroesattheexpenseof,theembarrassmentofnortheenslavementofwhites.Itseeksnovictoryoveranyone.ItseekstoliberateAmericansocietyandtoshareintheself-liberationofallthepeople.OnApril4,1968,Kingwasshotandkilledashestoodonthebalconyofhissecond-floorroomattheLorrainHotelinMemphis.In1983CongresssetasidethethirdMondayinJanuarytohonorKing’sbirthday.Unit7B马丁·路德·金1863年，美国废除了黑奴制，黑奴自由问题引生的血腥内战也于1865年以签订投降协议而结束，但是，为美国黑人平等权利而战的斗争却刚刚开始。黑人的民权直到1964年才受到法律保护。许多黑人在美国南部的种植园劳动，这里黑人的权利来得尤其缓慢。内战后的100年间，对黑人平等权利的抵制常常充满暴力。然而，这既不能终止黑人要求平等权利的运动，也不能使这场运动最伟大的领袖马丁·路德·金求助于暴力手段来达到获得平等的目的。坐牢、拷打和贿赂，都不能让他停止奋斗，因为他的努力，他获得了诺贝尔和平奖。1968年，一个邪恶的人想让这位领