What do you know about these

individuals and what do they have

in common?

Benjamin Mays

GandhiMartin Luther King,

Jr.

Essential Question:How did

influential people help ignite the

Civil Rights Movement?

Standard:SS8H11a. Describe major

developments in civil rights and Georgia’s role

during the 1940s and 1950s; include the roles

of Herman Talmadge, Benjamin Mays, the 1946 governor’s race and then end of the white primary,

Brown v. Board of Education, Martin Luther

King, Jr., and the 1956 state flag.

Use your Graphic Organizer

to Take Notes

Benjamin Mays

Benjamin Mays

However, he was a leading advocate of civil rights before

and after the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Most famous for his role as a

mentor for Martin Luther King, Jr.

Benjamin Mays• He was born to former slaves and sharecroppers in South Carolina

• Education was a focus of his life. Through overwhelming odds, he earned multiple degrees including a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Benjamin MaysIn 1936, he traveled

to India and met with Gandhi where they

discussed the “passive resistance”

strategies that Gandhi was using

against the British. [Non-violent Protest]

Benjamin MaysIn 1940, he

became president of Morehouse

College where he later met and

became mentor to Martin Luther

King, Jr.

Benjamin MaysHe retired in 1967, but

continued to be involved with

organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

Benjamin Mays

He remained an active

writer and speaker until his death in

1984.

Benjamin Mays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_

9V6Yv8DY14

Think, Pair, Share

In your opinion, what was

Benjamin May’s greatest

contribution to the Civil Rights

Movement?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

His work during the Civil Rights Movement earned him the Nobel Peace Prize and led to a national holiday created

in his honor.Due to King’s tireless

efforts and devotion to non-violent protest, he is often thought of as

the “leader” of the modern Civil Rights

Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Born in Atlanta• Graduated from high school at 15 when he then entered Morehouse College

• As the son and grandson of ministers, King eventually chose the same profession

Martin Luther King, Jr.

• He earned his Ph.D. from Boston University where he met his wife Coretta Scott.

• In 1954, he became the pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1955, he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott that

ended segregation of

buses in Montgomery.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott [1:55]

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1957, he formed a group called the

Southern Christian Leadership

Conference (SCLC), to lead anti-

discrimination marches and protests

throughout the South.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1962, he participated in a desegregation movement

in Albany, Ga. where he was

arrested along with protestors.In 1963, he

participated in the March on Washington

where he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1968, he was assassinated

standing on the balcony of a hotel

in Tennessee.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

He was instrumental in

ending segregation and changing

America’s views on race and

racial equality.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mini Bio[4:47]

Summarizer:

Describe the role of Benjamin Mays and Martin Luther King, Jr.

in the Civil Rights

Movement.