Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The third monday
in January is a National Holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
One of the best ways to understand any historical figure is to study them
in terms of the culture and society in which they lived. Historians
study the writings of historical figures, the writings of contemporaries,
and contemporary reports of events important to their lives. Another important
aspect to consider are those who influenced their lives. Dr. King lived
in a society where unjust laws made segregation an institution. He
firmly believed that nonviolence was the most powerful and the right way
to create a better, just society.
Do you know who is the figure pictured on the wall behind Dr. King? His
name is Mohandas Gandhi, also known by the title "Mahatma", meaning "great
soul". Gandhi led a nonviolent struggle to free India from British rule,
while working to reconcile all classes and religious sects. He was
a great influence on Dr. King's life. There have been many other thinkers
and leaders who dedicated their lives to Peace and Non-Violence.
Learn more about Dr. King's his life and accomplishments, and
how he changed the world with the following Web resources.
Click here for the Seattle Times:
Martin Luther King Jr. Web Site.
Click here for the Martin Luther
King Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University.
Click here for
an archive of Speeches on the struggle for Civil Rights from the Martin Luther
King National Historic Site.
Click
here for a timeline of Martin Luther King's life produced by the Room 100
Second Grade Class at the Buckman School in Portland, Oregon.
Click here for a link to the Martin
Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
Click here for a Web Site
tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. created by Stephanie R., a 23 year old
student from France.
Click here
for the Mohandas Gandhi Homepage created by the Norfolk Academy in Norfolk,
Virginia..
Click here for a link
to the Mahatma Gandhi Album, a collection of images, text, and a rare recording
of Mohandas Gandhi's voice. This site is sponsored by the Kamat
family.
Click here for information
on the life of Henry David Thoreau.
Click here for
more information on the life and works of Henry David Thoreau.
This site provides copies of Thoreau's 1849 essay "Civil Disobedience"
in several popular formats, as well as several other Thoreau works.
Back to the Student Resource Page.