“One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.”

American civil rights activist and Baptist minister

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, active in the United States from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. He became a central figure in the civil rights movement and is known for his leadership in the struggle against segregation and discrimination. King advanced civil rights through nonviolent action and, at times, civil disobedience. His public voice was shaped by opposition to Jim Crow laws and other forms of legalized discrimination that most often targeted African Americans.