Who Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was the preacher of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

2. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was a child, black people faced great discrimination in America. Martin wasn’t allowed to play with white children. Many times when he and his family went to restaurants or businesses, they were asked to give up their seats or use separate and less-quality facilities than white people used. These events left a deep impression on Martin.

3. Martin always did well in school and he was able to go to college early. He graduated from Morehouse University when he was 19 years old. He then went to graduate school at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD. at Boston University. He met his wife, Coretta Scott, while he was in Boston. They had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

4. Dr. King’s first job after graduation was as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Blacks were segregated from whites all over the South and Montgomery was the city where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white person on a bus. When Dr. King was in college, he had learned about the teachings of Ghandi and “passive resistance”. Dr. King helped organize peaceful protests such as boycotts and sit-ins. Dr. King became a leader of the Civil Rights movement and gave his “I Have A Dream” Speech in 1963 in Washington, DC. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

5. Dr. King’s prominence in the Civil Rights Movement caused him to have many enemies. One of his enemies, a white supremacist, killed Dr. King in Memphis in 1968.

6. In 1986, Martin Luther King Day was established as a national holiday. Martin Luther King Day is always celebrated on the 3rd Monday in January.

Quotes From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. I Have A Dream Speech:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
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.
I have a dream today.

Other Quotes:

2. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

3. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

4. We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

5. A man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.

6. A man who won’t die for something isn’t fit to live.

7. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

8. At the center of non-violence is the principle of love.

9. I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too big of a burden to bear.

Idioms X

1. fair and square—honestly and straightforwardly—Susan won the singing contest fair and square because she was the best singer.

2. fall from grace—do something to lose the respect and support of other people—The Senator fell from grace because he accepted bribes.

3. few and far between—not many around—Good men are few and far between. So, if you get one you need to take good care of him!

4. fight a losing battle—keep trying in an impossible situation—Women do a lot things to try to stay young, but in the end it is a losing battle.

5. fight fire with fire—use the same methods or “weapons” as your opponent—Both politicians promised to run positive campaigns. Unfortunately, the first one ran a negative ad, so the second one decided to fight fire with fire and started running negative ads, too.

6. fill somebody’s shoes—try to replace another person—It would be hard to fill Rie’s shoes if I had to find another translator.

7. fly off the handle—get mad and pitch a fit—The lady embarrassed her husband because she flew off the handle and walked out of the restaurant.

8. for a song—really cheap—In some rural areas, you can buy a house for a song.

9. for my money—means the same as “in my opinion”—For my money, Cracker Barrel has the best salads in town.

Knock Knock Jokes

1. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Wendy. Wendy who? Wendy last time you took a bath? (When’s the last time you took a bath?)

2. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Ken. Ken who? Ken I come in? It’s freezing out here! (Can I come in? It’s freezing out here!)

3. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Sherlock. Sherlock who? Sherlock your door or somebody will break in. ((You) Should lock your door or somebody will break in.)

4. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Formosa. Formosa who? Formosa summer, I was away on vacation. (For most of the summer, I was away on vacation.)

5. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Venice. Venice who? Venice your mother coming home? (When is your mother coming home?)

6. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Adore. Adore who? Adore is between us. Please open it. (A door is between us. Please open it.)

7. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Beezer. Beezer who? Beezer black and yellow. (Bees are black and yellow.)

8. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Voodoo. Voodoo who? Voodoo you think you are? (Who do you think you are?)

9. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Butter. Butter who? Butter open quick! I need to use the restroom. (Better open quick! I need to use the restroom.)