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The Wiregrass Farmer, January 13,2016- Page 9
A LEGACY
TO CELEBRATE
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
This month the nation takes time to honor the
memory of a humanitarian and civil rights legend.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stirred a generation of
people to speak up for their rights, solidifying his
standing as one of the most notable and influential
activists of the modern age.
Dr. King was born at his family's Georgia home to
parents Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and
Alberta King on January 15, 1929. At a young age,
King was identified as a scholar and would go on to
become a highly educated and awarded individual.
He skipped both the 9th and 12th grades of high
school and entered Morehouse College at age 15
with very high college entrance exam grades.
He subsequently graduated Morehouse with a
B.A. in Sociology and enrolled in Crozer Theological
Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, following in the
theological footsteps of his father and maternal
grandfather who were also men of God. King was
awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozer
in 1951. He later earned a Ph.D. from Boston
University and studied at Harvard University during
his schooling. He holds several honorary degrees
from notable schools across the country.
Apart from his extensive educational background,
King took pride in his theological work. He was
ordained in February 1948 and became assistant pas
tor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and later pastor at
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery,
Alabama. From 1960 until his assassination, he was
co-pastor with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church
and President of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference.
Dr. King was an influential part of the civil rights
movement, participating in many rallies and non-vio
lent protests. He was actually arrested more than 30
times in conjunction with his activist work.
The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was cut
short when he was shot while standing on the bal
cony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
on April 4,1968. He had been in the area to lead san
itation workers in a protest against low wages and
poor conditions. His shooter was James Earl Ray,
who was arrested in London, England on June 8,
1968 and returned to Memphis, Tennessee to stand
trial for the assassination.
King's wife, Coretta Scott King, passed away in
2006 and both are survived by four children. Despite
his passing nearly 40 years ago, his words and mem
ory live on.
Shipp’s
Funeral Home
137 Toombs St., Ashburn
567-3101
Closed Jan. 18 for MLK Day
th&Prmm
and
Appliance Repair & Service
Ashburn • 566-0144 or 916-402-8149
The City of
Sycamore
We will be closed
Monday, Jan. 18
567-3431
GOLDEN
PEANUT AND TREE NUTS
304 W. Washington Ave.
567-3311
I Turner County
567-9696
An
CARRY
HIS LEGACY,
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Celebrating a Hero,
Realizing a Dream,
ft South Georgia
Banking Company
Member FDIC w' JL ~
We will be closed
Monday, Jan. 18
