| Dr Martin Luther King Jr A Celebration | | | | King became so important to them he had |
| Of His LIfe Martin Luther King Jr. rose | | | | his own FBI task force. Everywhere he |
| to national fame in December 1955 when | | | | went the FBI palace wire taps on his |
| he joined the efforts of The Montgomery | | | | phones and bugged the rooms he was in. |
| Alabama Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks, a black | | | | Eventually with no cause or evidence the |
| women refused to give up her buss seat | | | | FBI classified him a threat with ties to |
| to a white man. Dr King joined the cause | | | | communism, and started a campaign of |
| and organized marches and sit ins. It | | | | harassment with several unsuccessful |
| took almost a year for the boycott to | | | | attempts to discredit him. The FBI used |
| end with success. A Supreme Court ruling | | | | several harassment methods such as |
| declared the segregation laws Montgomery | | | | sending him threatening letters and |
| Alabama unconstitutional. The boycott | | | | releasing false or sensitive information |
| was the catalysts that started the | | | | to the press. They also sent agents to |
| modern civil rights movement in the USA, | | | | meet with important people that Dr. King |
| and elevated Dr. King as the movements | | | | was supposed to meet with to try to |
| leader. Dr. King became a Baptist | | | | spread lies about him. Dr Kings final |
| preacher following in the footsteps of | | | | mission before his brutal assassination |
| his father and grandfather. He together | | | | was to aid the Memphis Tennessee |
| with his wife Coretta Scott King reared | | | | Sanitation Workers (local 173) strike. |
| four children. Dr King led the founding | | | | He joined with the Sanitation Workers, |
| of The Southern Christian Leadership | | | | the Memphis Interdenominational |
| Conference (SCLC). The SCLC is currently | | | | Ministerial Alliance and several other |
| a national organization with affiliate | | | | local black power groups in a march |
| chapters in almost every major US city. | | | | through Memphis Tennessee. High tensions |
| Dr. King's children are stil active in | | | | and other factors caused the march to |
| the SCLC. The SCLC promotes brotherhood | | | | become violent Dr King left the march |
| and sisterhood, peace, and community and | | | | and returned to his hotel. While |
| is open to people of all races, | | | | violence ran through the streets police |
| religions and backgrounds. The basic | | | | mace multiple arrests. A restraining |
| principals of the SCLC stem from Dr. | | | | order was issued banning Dr King from |
| Kings greatest ability to bring together | | | | further marches in Memphis. On the |
| all types of people to promote the cause | | | | evening of April 4, 1968 (while under |
| of peace, brotherhood, and sisterhood. | | | | surveillance by the Memphis Police |
| Dr. Kings life was filled with highs and | | | | Department) Dr. King was brutally gunned |
| lows. In 1964 he was the youngest | | | | down while standing on the balcony of |
| recipient of The Nobel Peace Prize. He | | | | his hotel. The assassination |
| authored several books, and delivered | | | | investigation was conducted by the FBI. |
| hundreds of speeches all over the | | | | I believe that this was a poor choice of |
| country. Non-violent civil disobedience | | | | agencies because of the negative history |
| is the primary tactic to overcome the | | | | between the FBI and Dr. King. In no way |
| enemy of oppression. Dr King was not the | | | | could the FBI be able to conduct an |
| first to use these methods , he learned | | | | impartial investigation. I am also |
| these principals from another famous man | | | | forced to ask myself with all to the |
| whom he admired greatly, Mahatma Gandi. | | | | harassment, rumor spreading and attempts |
| Mohatma Gandi of India, developed the | | | | to discredit Dr. King if the FBI had an |
| philosophy of Satyagraha. Satyagraha is | | | | influence on the assignation. James Earl |
| the search of the truth. The three | | | | Ray was arrested and charged with the |
| aspects are a) Satya - the truth, b) | | | | murder of Dr King. James Ray confessed |
| Ahimsa - physical and mental, non | | | | to the crime in open court and waved his |
| violence civil disobedience, non | | | | rite to a trial, and was convicted. The |
| cooperation, c) Tapasya - self sacrifice | | | | lack of a trial, no witnesses testimony, |
| . The goal is to acquire the cooperation | | | | no evidence review no court records |
| of and opponent by changing a | | | | leads me to wonder if James Ray acted |
| destructive relationship to a | | | | alone or if he was part of a conspiracy. |
| constructive relationship. this is | | | | Today January 15, 2007 we celebrate Dr. |
| accomplished by using a moral power | | | | King his life and legacy. Dr. King |
| (God) instead of a physical power | | | | preacher of peace and equality, should |
| (violence). Controversy enveloped the | | | | best be remembered for his message of |
| life of Dr. King. His practice of civil | | | | brotherhood and sisterhood "I have a |
| disobedience lead to several arrests. | | | | dream that my four little children will |
| His status as the leader of the civil | | | | one day live in a nation where they will |
| rights movement attracted the attention | | | | not be judged by the color of their skin |
| of president Kennedy who directed the | | | | but by the content of their character. |
| FBI to start surveillance on him. Dr. | | | | |