Martin Luther King, Jr. studied at Boston University and was awarded a doctorate in systematic theology in 1955. He received the degree by completing a dissertation on “A Comparison of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman”. King’s dissertation was published as his first book, “Stride toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story” (1958).
In 1959, he returned to Atlanta to become co-pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. There, he continued his activism by participating in numerous marches, sit-ins and boycotts until 1963 when he became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1964, Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent efforts toward civil rights reform in America.
Dr. King became famous for his “I Have a Dream” speech delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held on August 28, 1963. The march was organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin to pressure President Kennedy into signing an Executive Order banning discrimination in federal hiring practices based on race or religion. It was also intended as a show of strength demonstrating mass opposition to discrimination against African Americans and other minorities who were still legally barred from many aspects of American life including employment opportunities, voting rights and access to public accommodations such as restaurants, hotels and theaters.
