African-American Civil Rights Activist. Born "Micheal King Jr."
Led the American civil rights movement in the 1950s, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Civil Disobedience. Today he is revered for sparking legal pushback against Jim Crow laws, legallized systemic racism against African-Americans, in the 1960s and 1970s, but at the time he was viewed unfavorably as a racial agitator, mostly by White Americans.
Notable for his famout "I Have A Dream" speech. Also notable for "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", where he criticizes the "White moderate" for what he perceived as their inaction and complacency, which only further enabled blatant racists.
He was assassinated in 1968. Leading up to his assasination, King was targeted by the FBI in a Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), leading many conspiracy theorists, as well as King's family, to believe King was assassinated by the FBI.
The third monday of January is a federal holiday, named "Martin Luther King Day"
