Jailed almost 30 times, King fought for what he believed

Martin Luther King, Jr., an American Baptist minister, activist and son of early civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Sr., became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.

Inspired by his Christian beliefs and Mahatma Gandhi, King was best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience.

King did some remarkable things and wasn’t afraid to face the consequences. The civil rights leader went to jail almost 30 times for acts of civil disobedience and trumpedup charges.

He was jailed in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956 for driving 30 mph in a 25-mph zone. On Jan. 26, 1956, he was arrested in Montgomery under their “Get Tough” campaign, which was an effort to intimidate the bus boycotters.

Then on Jan. 30, his house was bombed. On March 22, 1956, King, Rosa Parks, and more than 100 other people were arrested for charges of organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On Sept. 5, 1958, King was convicted of disobeying a police order and fined $14.

Instead of paying the fine, he chose to spend 14 days in jail. However, he was soon released when Police Commissioner Clyde Sellers paid his fine.

On Oct. 19, 1960, King was arrested in Attaway, Georgia during a sit-in at a segregate lunch counter. He was sentenced to four months in jail. On May 4, 1961, he was arrested again, this time for obstructing the sidewalk and parading without a permit.

He was again arrested on July 27, 1962, this time for holding a prayer vigil in Albany, Georgia. On Apr. 12, 1963, he and Ralph Abernathy were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for demonstrating without a permit.

He was arrested for protesting the integration of public accommodation in St. Augustine, Florida on June 11, 1964. On Feb. 2, 1965 he was arrested for a voting rights demonstration.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at 6:01 p.m. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Doctors at St. Joseph Hospital attempted to save King with emergency surgery, however, he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. King’s autopsy revealed that although he was only 39, he had the heart of a 60-year-old man, according to biographer Taylor Branch.