Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and a pivotal leader of the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He championed nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience inspired by Christian principles and Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings to combat racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans

. Key actions and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. include:

• Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956): King emerged as a leader during this 382-day boycott protesting racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. The boycott ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses unconstitutional

• Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC): In 1957, King became the first president of the SCLC, an organization that coordinated nonviolent protests across the South to challenge Jim Crow laws

• Birmingham Campaign (1963): King led nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, against segregation. The violent police response, widely televised, generated national outrage and helped spur civil rights legislation

• March on Washington (1963): King was a principal organizer of this massive peaceful rally where he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech advocating racial equality and freedom. The event helped build momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Selma to Montgomery Marches (1965): King led marches demanding voting rights for African Americans. The violent attacks on marchers, especially on “Bloody Sunday,” galvanized public support and contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

• Nobel Peace Prize (1964): King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle against racial inequality, becoming the youngest recipient at age 35

• Later activism: In the late 1960s, King expanded his focus to economic justice and opposition to the Vietnam War, leading campaigns such as the Poor People’s Campaign

King’s leadership and advocacy led to significant legal and social advances in civil rights, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was assassinated in 1968 but remains a symbol of nonviolent resistance and the fight for racial equality in the United States