King believed in the non violent, direct action, methods used by Gandhi in the 1940’s to demand the British give India its independence.

He was one of the leaders of the Southern Leadership Christian Conference, which was formed to co-ordinate protests against discrimination.

Although there were several large Civil Rights groups that advocated peaceful protest, King became the most well known figure i.e. the effective spokesperson of the peaceful Civil Rights protest.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. The pressure by King and others led to this landmark change.

Tragically in 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated whilst visiting Memphis Tennessee, sparking widespread violence and rioting.