The Life for Equality - Martin Luther King

　　Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was the minister of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, as was his father before him "M. L," as he was called, lived with his parents, his sister and brother in Atlanta, Ga. Their home was not far from the church his father preached and father taught their children what would become an important part of M. L.' s life - to treat all people with respect.

　　Martin's father worked hard to break down the barriers between the races. His father believed African-Americans should register their complaints by voting. As M.L. grew up he found that not everyone followed his parents' principles. He noticed that "black" people and white people were treated differently. He saw that he and his white friends could not drink from the same water fountains and could not use the same restrooms.

　　M.L.'s best friend as a child was a white boy and as children they played happily together. But when they reached school age the friends found that even though they lived in the same neighborhood, they could not go to the same school. M.L.'s friend would go to a school for white children only and M.L. was sent to a school for "black" children. After the first day of school M. L. and his friend were never allowed to play together again.

　　When M.L. was ready for college he decided to follow his father and become a minister. While attending the Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania he became familiar with Mahatma Gandhi, who had struggled to free the people of India from British rule by "peaceful revolution".

　　M. L. was also inspired by the work of Henry David Thoreau, particularly his essay called Civil Disobedience. It stated that if enough people would follow their conscience and disobey unjust laws. They could bring about a peaceful revolution.

It was also at college that M. L. met a young woman named Coretta Scott and they would eventually marry. In 1954 M. L. received his ph. D. and accepted the job of pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.