The book is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of his famous "I have a dream" speech.

Martin Luther King Jr.

After the Civil War, Reconstruction brought changes that suggested newfound freedom for former slaves could lead to prosperity. Federal legislation, including Civil Rights Acts, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Fifteenth Amendment, enabled some black Americans to achieve economic independence and win local offices. The political landscape also saw black Americans elected to Congress, marking a significant shift in the nation's history.

After Reconstruction ended in the mid-1870s and federal troops withdrew from the South, progressive changes were reversed. "Jim Crow" laws enforced racial segregation, including voting qualifications that prevented black individuals from voting. In 1896, the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld "separate but equal" services and facilities for African Americans, perpetuating economic subjugation and effectively replacing legal slavery with a new form of economic slavery.

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A. Philip Randolph, a labor leader and longtime civil rights activist, called for a massive march on Washington to dramatize the issue. He welcomed the participation of white groups as well as black in order to demonstrate the multiracial backing for civil rights. The various elements of the civil rights movement, many of which had been wary of one another, agreed to participate. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and the Urban League all managed to bury their differences and work together. The leaders even agreed to tone down the rhetoric of some of the more militant activists for the sake of unity, and they worked closely with the Kennedy administration, which hoped the march would, in fact, lead to passage of the civil rights bill.

On August 28, 1963, some 100 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves, a young man named Martin Luther King climbed the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to describe his vision of America. More than 200,000 people-black and white-came to listen. They came by plane, by car, by bus, by train, and by foot. They came to Washington to demand equal rights for black people. And the dream that they heard on the steps of the Monument became the dream of a generation. As far as black Americans were concerned, the nation’s response to Brown was agonizingly slow, and neither state legislatures nor the Congress seemed willing to help their cause along. Finally, President John F. Kennedy recognized that only a strong civil rights bill would put teeth into the drive to secure equal protection of the laws for African Americans. On June 11, 1963, he proposed such a bill to Congress, asking for legislation that would provide “the kind of equality of treatment which we would want for ourselves.” Southern representatives in Congress managed to block the bill in committee, and civil rights leaders sought some way to build political momentum behind the measure.

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This book was written by 3a and 3b grades of Pavao Ritter Vitezović High School in Senj, Croatia. The project manager was an English and Italian teacher, Nina Novak. The students who participated are Nikol Škunca, Dorian Katalinić, Dina Selak, Matea Nekić, Barbara Devčić and Ivano Gorski. The students were encouraged to do research on African-American fight for human rights, thus raising their awareness of racial discrimination and segregation throughout American history. Martin Luther King Jr., as one of the most inspiring figures in the fight for equality, became the subject of their first book. The book is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of his famous "I have a dream" speech.

During the Great Depression, African Americans were particularly vulnerable, with many losing their jobs and struggling to find new sources of income while facing continued discrimination in various social aspects. However, President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program, which aimed to increase state intervention in economic issues, brought some positive changes to the African American community. Despite these improvements, discrimination persisted in areas such as employment, education, and housing, leading some to feel that the New Deal did not do enough to promote equality. The post-World War II era saw an increase in awareness of racial inequalities, and the civil rights movement gained momentum. After a long struggle led by African Americans and their allies, civil rights were eventually achieved. Although progress was made, the fight for equality continued in the decades that followed.

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 His speech will unite black people and start the civil rights movement for American blacks. However, racists caused him great problems. Firs of all they insulted him, threw a bomb at his house and burned the church on Dexter Avenue. In addition to all that, the police detained him several times for no reason. In 1957 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was founded and Martin Luther King Jr. became its president.

On August 28, 1963, under a nearly cloudless sky, more than 250,000 people, a fifth of them white, gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to rally for “jobs and freedom.” The roster of speakers included speakers from nearly every segment of society — labor leaders like Walter Reuther, clergy, film stars such as Sidney Poitier and Marlon Brando and folksingers such as Joan Baez. Each of the speakers was allotted fifteen minutes, but the day belonged to the young and charismatic leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had originally prepared a short and somewhat formal recitation of the sufferings of African Americans attempting to realize their freedom in a society chained by discrimination. He was about to sit down when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about your dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!” Encouraged by shouts from the audience, King drew upon some of his past talks, and the result became the landmark statement of civil rights in America — a dream of all people, of all races and colors and backgrounds, sharing in an America marked by freedom and democracy.

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CAPTION friends and family of Martin Luther King at his funeral service

On April 4, 1968, 39 years old Marthin Luther King Jr. is shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike. On his way to dinner bullet struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. King was pronounced dead after his arrival at hospital. There was several situations that lead to his assassination. In the months before, he was concerned with the problem of economic inequality in America. He organized a Poor People's Campaign to focus on that problem and in March 1968 he traveled to Memphis to support the aforementioned poorly treated African-American sanitation workers.

Historic context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The March on Washington . . . . . . . . . . . The Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Assassination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conspiracies behind the murder . . . The Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About the author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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“I Have a Dream” is one of the most famous speeches in history delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. The founding fathers signed a promissory note that granted freedom and opportunities (“‘I Have a Dream Speech”). “Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’” (King qt. in “‘I Have a Dream Speech”). King stated that the country had not carried out what they agreed to by treating the African Americans with less respect than other white people. Mahalia Jackson's cry to tell them about his dream led him to repeat the phrase “I have a dream” throughout the rest of the speech. King stated during the speech, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. King believed that one day there could be enough peace that his children would be able to have the same opportunities given to white children.

On March 28, a workers' protest led by King ended in violence and the death of an African American teenager. King then left the city but later returned to lead another demonstration. He came back on April 3, when he gave his last sermon: "We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop... And He is allowed to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land." One day after these words are told, King was shot and killed by a sniper. After the news of the death of this human rights fighter spread, riots broke out in cities all across the USA. The matter escalated to the point that National Guard troops were deployed in Memphis and Washington D.C.

On April 9, King was laid to rest in his hometown of Atlanta. The King's coffin in a wooden cart pulled by two mules was honored by ten thousand people gathered in the streets.

CAPTION a crowd of people pay their respects

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois emerged as the most prominent African American leaders during this era. Washington argued for self-improvement through manual work before specializing in professions, which some embraced while others dubbed it the "Atlanta Compromise." DuBois advocated for faster change and attacked Washington's approach. This leadership style division foreshadowed a similar division between pacifist and militant leaders in the 1960s.

I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King .Jr HD (subtitled)

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During his studies he met his future wife Coretta Scott, who was studying  music at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Martin's father married them in Marion. In 1955 they had the first of four children

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Tragically, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. However, his legacy has endured and continues to inspire generations. His commitment to nonviolent resistance, his emphasis on love and equality, and his unwavering pursuit of justice have left a lasting impact on American society.

In recognition of his contributions, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated annually on the third Monday in January in the United States. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and the need to work towards a more inclusive and just society. King's speeches, writings, and activism remain influential, and his teachings on peaceful protest and equality continue to resonate with people around the world.

<a href="https://www.sparknotes.com/biography/mlk/context">https://www.sparknotes.com/biography/mlk/context</a> <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment">https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment</a> <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment">https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/reconstruction-amendments/</a> <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim-Crow-laws">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim-Crow-laws</a> <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Compromise">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Compromise</a> <a href="http://thetimes.co.uk">thetimes.co.uk</a> <a href="http://wwno.org">wwno.org</a> <a href="http://blackpast.org">blackpast.org</a> <a href="https://enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?ID=31510">https://enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?ID=31510</a> <a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.">https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.</a> <a href="https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/martin-luther-king-jr">https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/martin-luther-king-jr</a> <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/5-things-know-surprising-facts-about-martin-luther-king-jr">https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/5-things-know-surprising-facts-about-martin-luther-king-jr</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/01/21/martin-luther-king-jr-stabbed-by-deranged-woman-he-almost-died/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/01/21/martin-luther-king-jr-stabbed-by-deranged-woman-he-almost-died/</a> <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/">https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s</a> <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dr-king-is-assassinated">Martin Luther King, Jr. Is Assassinated (history.com)</a> <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/mourning-death-martin-luther-king-jr">Mourning the Death of Martin Luther King Jr. | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Ray">James Earl Ray - Wikipedia</a> <a href="https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/dr-kings-legacy">https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/dr-kings-legacy</a> <a href="https://pixabay.com/">Pixabay</a>

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CAPTION King's body lies at the funeral home in Memphis

In the 1990s, King's family publicly defended Ray and his claims. Namely, they believed that he was innocent and speculated about an assassination plot behind the US government and military. Because the FBI director was obsessed with King, believing him to be under communist influence, King was the victim of wiretapping and harassment by the FBI for 6 years. Before his death he was even monitored by U.S. military intelligence. King also called for radical economic reforms. That earned him a few new friends in the Cold War-era U.S. government. Over the years, the assassination has been reexamined several times. All the investigations had the same conclusion: James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King. It is acknowledged that there may have been a low-level conspiracy, but due to a lack of evidence, this has not been proven. Ray's motive for the assassination was hatred. According to his relatives, Ray was a racist who informed them of his intention to kill King. Ray died in 1998.

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. is one of immense importance and influence in the fight for civil rights and equality in the United States. King was a prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement, advocating for nonviolent resistance against racial segregation and discrimination.

One of King's most significant contributions was his role in organizing and leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. This successful protest against segregated seating on buses brought national attention to the issue of racial segregation and established King as a prominent civil rights leader.

King's leadership continued to grow, and he became the face of the civil rights movement. He was a driving force behind many pivotal events, including the March on Washington in 1963, where he delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. This speech called for an end to racism and became a defining moment in American history.

King's advocacy for civil rights was not limited to racial equality. He also spoke out against poverty and economic inequality. In 1968, he organized the Poor People's Campaign to address economic injustice and to advocate for economic opportunities and better living conditions for all Americans.

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"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

Stride Toward Freedom, 1958

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

From the "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963

The main suspect in his murder was escaped convict James Earl Ray, since all the evidence pointed to him. Namely, not far from the scene of the murder, a Remington .30-06 hunting rifle with Ray's prints on it was found. In addition, there were also eyewitness reports. In May 1968, a large search for the suspect began. The&nbsp;FBI determined that he had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity, which at the time was easy. On June 8, Scotland Yard investigators arrested Ray at a London airport. He was trying to fly to Belgium, with the eventual goal, he later admitted, of reaching Rhodesia (today's Zimbabwe). Ray pleaded guilty to murder in March 1969 to avoid the electric chair. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Three days later he tried to withdraw his confession, claiming that he was innocent and that the whole thing was set up against him in a conspiracy. In his defense he stated that in 1967 he was approached by a mysterious man named "Raoul" who recruited him into a gunrunning enterprise. On April 4, 1968 he realized that he was to be the fall guy for the King assassination and fled to Canada. His motion was denied.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964.

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In 1958 he quit the baptist church on Dexter Avenue and moved with his family to Atlanta where he became a pastor alongside his father. King was one of the leaders of the March on Washington in 1963 when he uttered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.

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Martin was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta as the second child of Michael King and Alberta King. He was a very smart child which is confirmed by the fact that he finished high school at 15 and started college 3 years earlier then his colleagues. He attended one of the best colleges  for black people in the USA.  At 19 he graduated in sociology and started studying theology in Crozier. Martin graduated as the best student and kept studying at Boston University. Furthermore, he enrolled in the philosophy of religion course, studying hinduism, shinto, islam and christianity.

The NAACP is a civil rights organization in the United States focused on promoting justice for African Americans. It was founded on February 12, 1909 as an interracial effort to thank President Abraham Lincoln for his role in abolishing slavery and advancing civil rights. The Brownsville Affair and the Scottsboro Boys case are notable incidents that highlight racial tensions and injustices faced by African Americans. The Scottsboro Boys collectively served over 100 years in prison despite a series of retrials and reconvictions. Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born leader of the Pan-Africanism movement, was a notable black activist who fought for civil rights and founded the Negro World newspaper, the Black Star Line shipping company, and the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

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The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery after the Civil War and freed four million African Americans held as property. The influx of uneducated and unemployed individuals posed a challenge for Southern states, and control over these states was a subject of ongoing debate. The federal government deployed troops and passed civil rights laws, but faced resistance from white Southerners who passed discriminatory laws and formed groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

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On September 20, 1958 Martin Luther King Jr. was autographing  the book "Stride Toward Freedom" when a well dressed woman asked him: "Is this Martin Luther King?".  King responded to her : " Yes, it is:".  Immediately after, the woman named Izola Ware Curry pulled a letter opener and swung at King. He tried to block the attack but failed. She sliced his hand and stabbed him with a seven inch blade in the chest.

After World War II, civil rights became a crucial national issue due to emerging discrimination. Key moments in the fight for equality were the Brown v. Board of Education case and the Montgomery bus boycott, which led to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerging as the leader of the civil rights movement. His nonviolent activism led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, or national origin in education, employment, and more, significantly improving the position of minority groups in society.

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