Martin Luther King Jr Day

Born in Georgia in 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped transform lives not just in the United States, but around the world.

Martin Luther King Jr, an influential activist and Christian minister, led the Civil Rights Movement to fight for the rights of African Americans through the 1950s and 60s. He believed in non-violent protest and his work helped to tear down racial segregation and inspire generations of activists seeking Civil Rights and a more equal society.

Let's take a look at Martin Luther King Junior’s tireless work in the peaceful fight for justice.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the biggest protest America had ever seen. It culminated in Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. But the man who made it all possible, chief organiser Bayard Rustin, was almost written out of history not because he was black, but because he was gay.

In 1963, school children from Birmingham, Alabama skipped class to demonstrate for racial equality. Met with police violence, they helped to bring about significant change. The Birmingham Children's Crusade, as it was known, has gone down in history as a turning point in the fight for Civil Rights.

When Black residents moved into one neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, White supremacists unleashed a wave of terror against the community.

The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as Black Woodstock, was a watershed moment for Black culture in America - that history almost forgot.

In 1960, four Black students staged a sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina to protest against racial segregation in the United States. The stools they sat on are the most visited artifacts at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

The fight for Civil Rights in America has been fought by many groups of diverse peoples, all striving for equality.

Thurgood Marshall, the most successful civil rights lawyer of all time and America’s first Supreme court Justice, was instrumental in the fight for equality in the United States.

The Selma to Montgomery March was one of the most important actions of the Civil Rights Movement – but what were the connections between Black Americans and Hawaiians and why did the leaders wear Hawaiian necklaces?

Explore the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader who championed equality and changed American history through peaceful activism.

MLK Day takes place every year on the third Monday of January. It's a time to celebrate the life and work of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who brought Americans together in the name of racial equality.