Greatest Orators

Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin King is considered one of the greatest orators in American history and spoke around the country promoting nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He speaks here at the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side in July 24, 1965. (AP Photo/file)

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Dr. Martin Luthe... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an iconic hero and leader of the African American civil rights movement. In this Aug. 28, 1963, photo King, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (AP Photo/File)
King Delivering ... One of the most memorable lines from the speech: "Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"(AP Photo/File)
Greatest Orators Dr. Martin King is considered one of the greatest orators in American history and spoke around the country promoting nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He speaks here at the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side in July 24, 1965. (AP Photo/file)
Encouraging Voti... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged African Americans to stand up for their rights by voting. In this photo, he gestures during a speech at a political rally in Montgomery, Ala., April 29, 1966. He toured Alabama for three days encouraging them to vote in the Alabama primary election. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)
"Poor People's C... Martin Luther King Jr. not only stood up for the rights of African Americans, but also for the rights of the poor people in America. In 1968, King organized the "Poor People's Campaign" to address issues of economic justice. The campaign's aim was to get Congress to sign a bill allowing economic aid to be given to the poorest communities of the United States. (AP Photo/stf)
Civil Rights Lea... The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, right, and Bishop Julian Smith, left, flank Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a civil rights march in Memphis, Tenn., March 28, 1968. King went to Memphis, Tennessee in support of the black sanitary public works employees who had been on strike since for higher wages and better treatment (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)
King's Assasinat... Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is pictured walking across the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where he stayed while in Tennessee. On April 4, 1968, he was shot and killed by a hidden assassin at the hotel. (AP Photo/stf )
Funeral of Dr. M... At his widow's request, King's last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was played at the funeral given on February 4, 1968. In that sermon, King requested that at his funeral no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said that he tried to "feed the hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity". (AP Photo/stf)
Martin Luther Ki... Winter clouds accent the Martin Luther King, Jr. crypt, reflecting pool and Freedom Hall in the Sweet Auburn section of Atlanta. In 1977, a memorial tomb was dedicated, and the remains of Martin Luther King Jr. were moved from South View Cemetery to this place. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
King's Family Upon his death, Martin Luther King Jr. left behind a wife and four children. In this picture, Mrs. Martin Luther King gets assistance from three of her children as they pack this picnic basket with extra provisions at their Albany, Ga. temporary home, August 5, 1962. From left are: Martin Luther King III, four years old; Yolanda Denise King, 6; and Dexter Scott King, 18 months old. Not pictured is Bernice Albertine King, the youngest child. (AP Photo)
Coretta Scott Ki... Coretta Scott King, widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is shown at a news conference in Atlanta. Coretta followed her husband's footsteps and was active in matters of social justice and civil rights. She took on the leadership of the struggle for racial equality herself and became active in the Women's Movement. She worked for those rights up until her death in 2006. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
Yolanda Denise K... Yolanda King, daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., exalts some 2,000 young people in the ideals and dreams of her father during a rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Monday, Jan. 15, 1996. Yolanda was a motivational speaker, author and founder of Higher Ground Productions, an organization specializing in diversity training. She died in 2007.(AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Martin Luther Ki... Martin Luther King III stands in front of an image of his father, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial at the Yerba Buena Gardens Saturday Jan. 18, 1997 in San Francisco. He followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming an American human rights advocate and community activist. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)
Dexter Scott Kin... Dexter King, son of Martin Luther King Jr. said it would be a disservice to his father's memory to try to imitate him. ``I try to follow in his footsteps rather than walk in his shoes,'' King said in an interview for USA Weekend. Dexter currently serves as the President of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change (AP Photo/Alan Mothner)
Bernice Albertin... SCLC President Elect Bernice King speaks during a prayer vigil calling for reconciliation and healing for her organization, held at Ebenezer Baptist Church Friday August 6, 2010, in Atlanta. Bernice is the only King child to become a minister. Due to her profile and skill in public speaking, King has been asked to speak around the world. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Martin Luther Ki... From left, Rev. Bernice King, Martin Luther King III, Coretta Scott King, and Dexter King pray on Sunday, April 4, 1999, in Atlanta after laying a wreath in front of the tomb of Martin Luther King, Jr. in memory of the 31st anniversary of his assasination on April 4, 1968, in Memphis. (AP Photo/Alan Mothner)
Martin Luther Ki... In this Nov. 2, 1983 picture, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, seated, signs the bill making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File)