Dr. King's Memorial

Dr. King's Memorial

Introduction Each year, people of all ages visit the memorial that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington, D. C. A large sculpture of Dr. King and some of his famous words inspire visitors.

Who was Dr. King, and why do we remember him? Dr. King was a civil rights leader. He worked throughout his lifetime for equal rights for all people.

The South Dr. King grew up in Georgia in the 1930s. During his childhood in the South, he faced racism and laws that were unfair to black people.

Laws in the United States kept black people and white people segregated, or separate, from one another. Not all states followed these laws. However, many states in the South enforced them. In the South, black people and white people were not allowed to marry each other. Black children could not attend the same schools as white children. Black people had to use different drinking fountains from white people.

Black people had to sit at the backs of city buses. The front seats were reserved only for white people. Black people were not allowed to ride in the same railroad cars as white people. Black people and white people had to use different public restrooms. The laws said that everything would be “ separate but equal. " However, many facilities for black people were not as nice, clean, or well kept as those for white people.