8
When M.L. was young, he played with all the children who
lived in his Atlanta neighborhood.
But when they reached school
age, the white children went to
a school for white children
only, and M.L. was sent to a
school for black children.
After the first day of school,
M.L. and his white friends
were never allowed to play
together again.
The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped to change the world. His words still inspire people
today. He was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was the minister of the
Ebenezer Baptist Church, as was his father before him. Because Martin and his father had the same
name, the family called him M.L.
"When the history books are written,
someone will say there lived black
people who had the courage to stand
up for their rights."
M.L. was very sad when his friends
would no longer play with him. He
asked his mother why they couldn't.
She talked about why the family
didn't ride streetcars, why there was
a WHITES ONLY sign on the
elevator at City Hall, why there were
restaurants that refused to serve black
people, and theaters that allowed
blacks to sit only in the balcony. She
said that it was simply because some
white people didn't understand that
we all deserve equal treatment.
M.L. decided right then and there
that someday he would try to change
the world. He wanted to make it a
place where white children and black
children could play together and
enjoy the same rights.
As M.L. grew up, he saw more and
more examples of segregation. He also
saw his father and others speak out
against hatred and segregation. These
people taught M.L. about the power of
words. He learned that words could
heal or hurt.
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– Dr. Martin Luther King
Standards Link: History: Students identify the
people honored in commemorative holidays.
Standards Link: History: Students understand the importance of individual action.
Standards Link: Mathematical
Reasoning: Students use
strategies, skills and concepts
in finding solutions.
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Official Kids Mag www.kidscoop.comVicki Whiting January 2021
