=MartinLutherKingJr was one of =America's great leaders. He was a powerful speaker, and he spoke out against laws which kept black people out of many schools and jobs. He led protests and marches demanding fair laws for all people. =MartinLutherKingJr was born on January 15, 1929 in =Atlanta, =Georgia. =Martin's father was a pastor. His mother had been a teacher. =Martin had an older sister, =WillieChristine, and a younger brother, =AlfredDaniel. Young =Martin liked to play baseball, football and basketball. He liked to ride his bicycle and to sing. He often san in his father's church. Young =Martin played in his backyard with his friends. One day he was told that two of his friends would no longer play with him, because they were white and he was black. =Martin cried. He didn't understand why the color of his skin should matter to anyone. =Martin's mother told him that many years ago black people were brought in chains to American and sold as slaves. She told him that long before =Martin was born the slaves had been set free. However, there were still some people who did not treat black people fairly. In =Atlanta, where =Martin lived, and elsewhere in the =UnitedStates, there where "White Only" signs. Black people were not allowed in some parks, pools, hotels, restaurants and even schools. Blacks were kept out of many jobs. =Martin learned to read at home before he was old enough to start school. All through his childhood, he read books about black leaders. =Martin was a good student. He finished high school two years early and was just fifteen when he entered =Morehouse College in =Atlanta. At college =Martin decided to become a minister. After =Martin was graduated from =Morehouse, he studied for a doctorate at =Boston University. While he was there he met =CorettaScott. She was studying music. They fell in love and married. In 1954 =MartinLutherKingJr began his first job as a pastor in =Montgomery, =Alabama. The next year =RosaParks, a black woman, was arrested in =Montgomery for sitting in the "White Only" section of a bus. Dr =MartinLutherKingJr led a protest. Blacks throughout the city refused to ride the buses. Dr =King said, "There comes a time when people get tired of being kicked about." One night, while Dr =King was at a meeting, someone threw a bomb into his house. =Martin's followers were angry. They wanted to fight. =Martin told them to go home peacefully. "We must love our white brothers," he said. "We must meet hate with love." The bus protest lasted almost a year. When it ended there were no more "White Only" sections on buses. Dr =King decided to move back to =Atlanta in 1960. There, he continued to lead peaceful protests against "White Only" waiting rooms, lunch counters and rest rooms. He led many marches for freedom. In 1963 Dr King led the biggest march of all -- the March on =Washington. More than two hundred thousand black and white people followed him. "I have a dream," he said in his speech. "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." The next year in 1964, Dr =King was awarded one of the greatest honors any man can win, the =NobelPeacePrize. The country was changing. New laws were passed. Blacks could go to the same schools as whites. They could go to the same stores, restaurants and hotels. "White Only" signs were against the law. Dr =King told his followers to protest peacefully. But there were some riots and violence. Then, in April 1968 Dr =King went to =Memphis, =Tennessee. He planned to march so black and white garbage workers would get the same pay for the same work. On April 4 in =Memphis, Dr =King stood outside his motel room. Another man, =JamesEarlRay, was hiding nearby. He pointed a rifle at Dr =King. He fired the gun. An hour later Dr =King was dead. =MartinLutherKingJr dreamed of a world free of hate, prejudice and violence. Carved on the stone which marks his grave are the words, "I'm free at last."