angry: feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility
devoted: very loving or loyal
humanitarian: concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare
studious: spending a lot of time studying or reading
Comprehension Questions
Martin Luther King Sr. changed his name and named his son after the famous religious thinker, Martin Luther. (Pg 12)
In “The Negro and the Constitution,” Martin argued that Jim Crow laws were unfair. (Pg 20)
When Martin traveled to work in Connecticut he saw black and white people working together. (Pg 21)
When Martin read the work of Henry David Thoreau he realized that non-violent protest could change the world. (Pg 23)
As a reward for graduating at the top of his class at seminary, Martin’s father gave him a brand new green Chevrolet car as a gift. (Pg 28)
Coretta and Martin spent their honeymoon in a funeral parlor, (the guest room of family friends) because no hotels in the area would rent a room to black people. (Pg 32)
After graduating college Martin and Coretta decided to move to Montgomery, Alabama. (Pg 35)
Week 2: Life’s Work
Character Lexicon
bold: showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous
charismatic: exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others
observant: quick to notice things
passionate: showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief
peaceful: free from disturbance; tranquil
Comprehension Questions
On December 1st, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. (Pg 37)
After Rosa Parks was arrested, Martin Luther helped organize a bus boycott. (Pg 38)
When Martin brought the case of the Montgomery buses to the Supreme Court, they decided that the laws forcing black passengers to ride in the back of the bus were unconstitutional. (Pg 44)
When Martin was arrested in 1960 on fake traffic violation charges, John F. Kennedy helped him get released from prison. (Pg 51)
When children protesting in Birmingham, Alabama, the police allowed dogs to attack them and firefighters to turn powerful water hoses on them. (Pg 62)
Martin organized the peaceful protests in Washington D.C. to call for jobs and freedom. (Pg 65)
Martin proposed that the best way for Congress to honor the memory of John F. Kennedy was to pass the Civil Rights Bill. (Pg 72)
Week 3: Later Life and Legacy
Character Lexicon
fluent: able to express oneself easily and articulately; able to speak or write a particular foreign
language easily and accurately
loving: an intense feeling of deep affection
organized: arranged in a systematic way, especially on a large scale
persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or
opposition
powerful: having great power or strength; having a strong effect on people’s feelings or
thoughts
Comprehension Questions
On February 1st, 1965, Martin was arrested for gathering 700 supporters and marching to the courthouse to protest for voter registration rights. (Pg 76)
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned the difficult test that southern states had to keep black people from voting. (Pg 81)
In August 1965, the Watts Riots broke out in Los Angeles. (Pg 85)
The Civil Rights Movement was being “pushed aside” in the 1960s because of the Vietnam War and antiwar protests. (Pg 89)
Martin called off the protest he had organized in Memphis, Tennessee, because some young men were determined to use violence and he wouldn’t lead a violent march. (Pg 95)
When Coretta heard the news that her husband had been killed she had been on her way to the Atlanta airport. She immediately turned back and went home to comfort her children. (Pg 100)
Senator Ted Kennedy sponsored the bill to have Martin’s birthday celebrated as a national holiday. (Pg 105)
