Martin Luther King Jr.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. Was an American clergyman, activist and leader in the African- American Civil Rights Movement. He was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout his life, he organized and led many non-violent protests in the struggle against segregation, including the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. He delivered his “I Have A Dream” Speech during the 1963 March on Washington, establishing his reputation as one America’s greatest orators.

2. Equality Through Nonviolence! • NOBEL PEACE PRIZE • On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequity through nonviolence. • He also focused on the elimination of poverty and ending America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

3. “Shots Rang Out in the Memphis Sky” • On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on the balcony of his hotel room. The day after he had delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” Speech. • Initially, an ex-convict named James Earl Ray was charged with shooting King, but many years later, it was revealed by a man named LoydJowers that a larger conspiracy involving the Mafia and the U.S. Government were responsible for King’s death.

4. The Legacy Of Dr. King • Just days after King’s passing, Congress passed The Civil Rights Act of 1968. • In 1983, President Reagan created a National Holiday in memory of King. • King’s teachings have been monumental in advancing civil rights around the world.

5. Anne Frank Was a Jewish teenager, who gained international fame posthumously after her diary documenting her hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands, was published. She was born June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, though her family moved to Amsterdam in 1933, the year Hitler rose to power in Germany. By the early 1940s her and her family were in danger as persecutions of the Jewish population increased.

6. A Life in Hiding… • In July of 1942, Anne and her family went into hiding in a small apartment known as the “annex” above her father’s place of business. • They were joined by the van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer.

7. Discovery and Arrest • Though the hidden Jews had “helper” friends to conceal their whereabouts, on the morning of August 4, 1944, an informer tipped off the S.S. as to their location. • Anne, her sister Margot, their parents, Mr., Mrs., and Peter van Pels, along with Pfeffer were arrested and two days later were transported to the Westerbork Transit Camp en route to the last deportation of Jews to Auschwitz. • Anne was spared from immediate gassing as she was 15 years old, but was stripped, and disinfected, having her head shaved and a number stamped to her arm. Her sister remained by her side, her mother died during this process and they were separated from their father.

8. The Legacy of the Young Diarist • After being transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, a typhus epidemic broke out, killing Anne and Margot Frank in early 1945, months before the camp was liberated by British troops. • Otto Frank was the only one of the 8 to survive. He devoted his life to sharing his daughter’s message with people all over the world.

9. Your Task... Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank– Compare and Contrast Work with a partner if you like and we will discuss the results as a class. • Though these two historical figures may initially seem to have little in common, there are many similarities they share. • Complete a detailed Venn diagram, comparing and contrasting the two. • Be sure to consider how each embody some of the key themes of our course: • Prejudice / Discrimination • Identity/ Self Discovery • Being True to One’s Self