Martin Luther King

Question 1

Who was Martin Luther King?

Answer 1

Martin Luther King was an African American who became one of the world’s most famous civil rights campaigners. In 1964 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Question 2

What did Martin Luther King do before he campaigned for civil rights?

Answer 2

Martin Luther King Junior was born into a middle-class family in 1929. He was a Baptist minister and gained a doctorate at university.

Question 3

Why was Martin Luther King committed to a non-violent approach?

Answer 3

He was influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi who led India’s battle for independence using a non-violent approach. He was also a committed Christian, following Jesus’s message of non-violence.

Question 4

What events in the civil right movement did Martin Luther King organise?

Answer 4

❖The creation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1955.
❖The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955.
❖Campaign C in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963.
❖The March on Washington in August 1963.
❖The Selma to Montgomery March in March 1965.

Question 5

How did Martin Luther King die?

Answer 5

Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on 4th April, 1968.