BCNC Foundations 3

 The 3 rd Monday in January  President Ronald Reagan (40 th president) made it a national holiday in 1983  First celebrated in 1986  Honors Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most important people who fought for black civil rights. Right (n): something that you are morally, legally, or officially allowed to do or have Civil rights (n): the rights that every person should have (such as being treated fairly by the law)

 America has a history of racism against black people.  They were originally brought to the US from Africa as slaves. Slave (n): someone who is forced to work for no money or benefits.  In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves.  Black people continued to gain more rights, but still were not equal.

 In the mid-1900s, people began to fight against segregation.  Segregation is the separation of races.  Whites and blacks went to separate schools, restaurants, and even rode different buses

White and black schools in the 1950s

 MLK Jr. was a reverend (church leader)  He became a leader in the fight for civil rights  He was peaceful and did not use violence  He and other civil rights activists created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed.”

 The Montgomery Bus Boycott Boycott (n, v): when you don’t use a service or give money to a business because you disagree with something about it  King and others boycotted the Montgomery bus system for 381 days. This created big financial problems for businesses  1956: segregation on buses becomes illegal

Here are some quotes:

 August 28 th, 1963  The biggest demonstration in American history 300,000 people came to Washington DC  King gave his most famous speech (“I have a dream”)  This demonstration helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964

 On the evening of April 4, 1968, King was shot and killed while standing on the balcony of a hotel  The killer was James Earl Ray, a convict and known racist  Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison and died in 1998

 Racism is still a problem in the world and in America.  However, thanks to people like MLK Jr., the problem is getting smaller.