MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

History. People. Facts. Events. Today’s Society.

Let’s learn about one of America’s newest holidays!

Introduction

Several events led up to the creation of Martin Luther King Day. Today we are going to learn a little bit about the Civil Rights Movement, a few individuals who greatly contributed to it, facts about Martin Luther King Day, and the impact these events and people have on today’s society.

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People

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Thurgood Marshall

Thurgood Marshall was a civil right lawyer during the time when America was still segregated. He tried to bring about change though the legal system.

Thurgood Marshall

Between 1938 and 1961, he was presented with 30 civil rights cases and won 29 of them. The most important case was Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka in 1954.

Thurgood Marshall

Brown vs. Board of Education Topeka was the case that made it possible for blacks and whites to go to the same school. Thurgood Marshall made this possible.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks is known as “The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” She got this name from the bold action she took on her way home from work in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955

Rosa Parks

At this time the buses were segregated; whites in the front, blacks in the back. On this particular day, the bus Parks was riding on became crowded. Since she was near the front of the bus, the driver commanded her to give up her seat for the white passenger.

Rosa Parks

Instead of doing as she was told, she remained seated and refused to give up her seat. This action caused her to be arrested and it launched a boycott of the Montgomery buses for the blacks in the area. After a year of this boycott, the supreme court declared that the bus systems must now be integrated.

Martin Luther King Jr.

When Rosa Parks got arrested, Martin Luther King Jr. was the individual who started the boycott of the Montgomery bus system. He became the leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The thing that made him so well known and praised was not the fact that he led so many boycotts, but how he led them. Instead of using violence, he kept everything peaceful even though the opposing side was not doing the same.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The thing that he is most famous for is his “I Have a Dream” speech [watch part of it] on August 28, 1963 in front of the Lincoln Monument.

Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4, 1968, almost 5 years after his famous speech, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. His legacy will always live on in American history.

Facts

Four days after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the idea for creating a holiday after him was brought up. It took fifteen years for this to actually happen. The president who signed this holiday into law was Ronald Reagan.

Facts

The original holiday was going to be on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, but it was decided that that is too close to Christmas and New Years. To overcome opposition to the law, it was moved to the third Monday in January.

Facts

Several states resisted giving him his own holiday and instead called it Civil Rights Movement Day. After several boycotts, eventually each state accepted the holiday of Martin Luther King Day. The very first state to do so was Illinois in 1973 and the last was Utah in 200 after renaming its Human Rights Day.

Present Day

Take a minute to look around the classroom and notice the differences in race between yourself, your classmates, and even your teacher. Also consider the difference between the word you live in now and what it was like before the Civil Rights Movement.

Present Day

Now, take out a sheet of paper and write down at least three differences you notice that were made possible because of the three people you just learned about. Turn this in to the teacher after you have completed it.

Quiz

Quiz time! Answer the questions about the people, events, and facts you just learned about. In order to pass, you must answer 8/10 questions correctly.

Quiz

1. Who was known as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement?

Rosa Parks

Martin Luther King Jr.

Thurgood Wilson

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Answer!!

Quiz

2. In which city did Rosa Parks refuse to get off the bus?

New York

Little Rock

Montgomery

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Answer!!

Quiz

3. Which was the first state to name Martin Luther King Day a holiday?

Illinois

Utah

South Carolina

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Answer!!

Quiz

4. How long did it take Martin Luther King Day to become a recognized holiday?

27 years

4 days

15 years

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Answer!!

Quiz

5. How long after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination was it requested to name a holiday after him?

4 days

15 years

6 months

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Answer!!

Quiz

6. What was the original date the holiday was supposed to fall on?

Third Monday of April

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday

January 2nd

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Answer!!

Quiz

7. Which individual fought to make it possible for schools to be integrated?

Thurgood Marshall

Martin Luther King Jr.

Rosa Parks

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Answer!!

Quiz

8. Which state was last to name the holiday Martin Luther King Day?

Illinois

Utah

Alabama

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Answer!!

Quiz

9. What did several of the states originally name the holiday?

Unification Day

Human Rights Day

Civil Rights Movement Day

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Quiz

10. Who was known as the mother of the Civil Rights Movement?

Thurgood Marshall

Rosa Parks

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Great

Answer!!

Finished

Awesome job! Now you are finished with the lesson, and know all about one of America’s newest holidays!

Resources

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmheroes1.html

http://www.infoplease.com.spot/mlkhistory1.html