lergymen. His “Letter for Birmingham City Jail,” argues that individuals had the moral right to disobey unjust laws. This led white leaders to negotiate some aspects of segregation (MLK,153). King and other black leaders organized the 1963 March on Washington. This was a massive protest for jobs and civil rights. In 1963, King expressed a speech that included the hopes of the civil rights movement. His “I Have A Dream” speech included King’s thoughts of how he wanted children in the nation to live with equal rights, just as all white Americans did. This speech resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations, as well as equal education and employment opportunities. It is sad to say that King was assassinated in Memphis by a sniper on April 4th, 1968. As of today, King represents black courage and achievement, high moral leadership, and the ability of Americans to overcome racial segregation. I feel that this is what made Martin Luther King Jr. an influential person in society.Martin Luther King Jr., was not the only influential “King” in the past. Elvis Presley, “king” of rock and roll, was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century. He is considered to be one the greatest performers of all times. Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he attended church and sang in several choirs. He started singing gospel music and eventually moved to blues, country, and western music. He won a talent contest at the age of ten of his superior singing ability (Encyclopedia, CD-ROM). After high school, Elvis worked as a truck driver. In 1953, while recording some songs as a birthday gift for his mother, Elvis impressed a studio manager with his unique vocal style. At age 21, Elvis recorded his first songs for a major record label. These songs consisted of the original and popular ...
