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2 0 0 3 s p e c t a / e o i h 'o n .
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Biography
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan.
15, 1929, in Atlanta. He graduated from
Morehouse College in 1948 and was or­
dained as a Baptist minister.
While studying theology at Crozer Semi­
nary in Chester, Pennsylvania, King at­
tended a lecture on Mahatma G andhi's
nonviolent struggle for freedom for the
people of India. G andhi's teachings of civil
disobedience, along with the teachings of
Christianity and Henry T horeau's social
writings, had a profound effect on the young
Baptist minister.
Upon graduation, King received aschol-
arship to pursue a doctoral degree at Bos­
ton University. There he met Coretta Scott,
who was studying voice at the Boston
Conservatory o f Music. The two were mar­
ried in 1953. They had four children.
King’s involvement in nonviolent pro­
test began in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala.,
where he led a successful boycott of the
city’s buses. Over the next 13 years, he
promoted nonviolence as a means for A fri­
can Americans to achieve their civil rights
King and his wife,
Coretta, celebrate the
news that he has
recieved the 1964
Nobel Peace Prize.
King was in a hospital
in Atlanta recovering
from illness brought
on by his travel and
work for the peace
movement.
through boycotts, sit-ins, demonstrations
and voter rights marches. He was jailed
several times.
King also helped found the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference in 1957.
On Aug. 28, 1963, King captured the
spirit of the Civil Rights Movement with his
“1 Have a Dream” speech to 250,000 people
assembled in W ashington, D C., at a rally
forequality. This was the largest civil rights
demonstration in history.
Internationally, he was viewed as an
eloquent and forceful proponent o f non­
violence. Among other prizes and awards
given to him. King was honored with the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his leadership
in attempting to bring about social, politi­
cal, and economic equality for blacks through
nonviolent means. Four years later, at the
age o f 39, he was assassinated in Memphis,
Tenn.
Today, King’s birthday, Jan. 15 is cel­
ebrated on the third Monday in January as
a national holiday.
The Gifford Pinchot:
An Urban National Forest at Work
•Urban Youth Programs
• Teachers in the Woods
January IS, 2001
His Life and Times
continued
from B12
- 1966 July 10: King initiated a campaign to end discrimination in
housing, employment and schools in Chicago.
- 1967: The Supreme Court ruled to uphold a conviction of MLK by a
Birmingham court for demonstrating without a permit. King spent four
days in Birmingham jail.
- 1967 Nov. 27: King announced the inception of the Poor People’s
Campaign focusing on jobs and freedom for the poor of all races.
-1968: King announced that the Poor People's Campaign will culminate
in a March on Washington demanding a $12 billion Economic Bill of
Rights guaranteeing employment to the able-bodied, incomes to those
unable to work and an end to housing discrimination.
1968 March 28: King lead a march that turned violent. This was the
first time one of his events had turned violent. He delivered 'I ’ve Been
to the Mountaintop’ speech.
_
1968 April 4: Martin Luther
King Jr. was fatally shot while
standing on the balcony of the
Lorraine Motel at sunset in Mem­
phis, Tenn.. There were riots
and disturbances in 130 Ameri­
can cities and more than twenty
thousand arrests.
1968 April 19: King’s funeral was an international event. Within a
week of the assassination, Congress passed the Open Housing Act.
— 1986 Nov. 2: A national holiday is proclaimed in King’s honor.
MNMNMMI
Living the Dream
•Fishing Clinics
•Environmental Education
WE SALUTE THE DREAM AND THE DREAMER
For more information about Gifford Pinchot Urban Forest programs, contact Terry Durazo, Civil Rights
Program Manager, at 360-891-5000, or Earl Ford, Natural Resources Staff Officer. Gifford Pinchot
National Forest, 10600 NE 51s1 Circle, Vancouver, WA 98682. www.fs.fed.us/gpnf
Students look up at their school's namesake, Martin Luther King Jr.
continued
USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer
from BI
special education. Her experience
working with at-risk schools has
prepared Craemer for King Elemen-
safety m atters
Stay, live w ire. Stay!
Live power lines almost always stay on
power poles where they belong, delivering
the power we depend upon and expect. But
sometimes the weather, trees or accidents
interfere and knock them down. That's
when it gets dangerous. A downed line
can look harmless, but it can still be a live
wire - powerful enough to kill and even
energize the ground around it. Please
remember these words of caution:
■ Never touch or go near a fallen power line.
■ Do not touch anything on which the wire
is resting.
■ Use extreme caution and explain the
danger to your children.
■ If you see a downed line, call us
immediately, and we'll take care of it.
Or call 911.
Your safety matters to us.
tary, where all students qualify for
the free and reduced lunch pro­
gram.
“With our demographics comes
opportunity,” Craemer said. “I was
blown away by the support from
the community for the students of
King."
Several local businesses and
non-profit organizations support
King Elementary’s fund-raisers,
and often provide food, clothing
and counseling for students and
their families.
And while the state, district and
community are taking care of King
Elementary ’ s basic needs, the staff
works to carry on King’s rich
tradition of being a school com­
prised of minority students. Mar­
tin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is
recognized with musical perfor­
mances, speakers and traditional
costumes. Cinco de Mayo is also
a festive day at King Elementary.
“There’s an awareness of cul­
ture at King, and the staff is very
cognizant of representing all,”
Craemer said.
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