Black History Month: 8 influential African American Christian leaders

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Twitter

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the Aug. 28, 1963, march on Washington, D.C.
Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the Aug. 28, 1963, march on Washington, D.C. | Public Domain

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a renowned civil rights activist who, years after his death, got a federal holiday in his honor.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, King oversaw marches and demonstrations against racial inequality, leading an organization known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

King is credited with playing a crucial role in the fight against institutional racial segregation and was a major figurehead of the civil rights cause until his assassination in 1968.

“Through his activism and inspirational speeches he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the United States, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” noted Biography.com.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

$25/month$50/quarter$100/yearOne-time

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.