Best known for his "I Have a Dream  speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. left a major impact on many lives during his lifetime and especially during the 1960's. He devoted the majority of his life trying to inspire people around the United States to help end the segregation of races in the South and fought for equality for African Americans. King used an approach of non-violent protesting to help get his point across to the American people. This strategy was rarely used before his time, and no other person had as much success as King. The lifestyle he lived, the lives he touched, and the gains he made against the adverse conditions of the decade are the reasons Martin Luther King, Jr. will be honored by not only those who witnessed his practice, but also by the lives of generations to come. No person could really understand why King took the risks he did to help African Americans prosper unless they first knew his background and how he was raised. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 (King 1). He was the first child of Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams. Martin and his family were very close, and along with the other members of his community were deeply religious. King credited his success in achieving his goals to his relationship with his family and God (King 2). Alberta, King's mother, was shielded away from racial issues as a child and thought it would be best if Martin was raised the same way. It would not be until after a few incidents with white people that king would learn about segregation in the South. King's father, Martin Luther King, Sr., was a well respected minister in the community where Martin's family lived and was one of the few people of his time who not only had respect from black families but also had it from many white families. Martin had incidents as a child that helped influence his strive for justice. The first of the two incidents was when he was wrongfully accused of stealing and then slapped in the face by a white woman in a grocery store (King 6). The other incident hurt King emotionally when he was forced by his best friend's father, who was white, to leave his son alone and to never speak to him again (King 7). After the series of events, Martin developed a hatred for white Americans and even quoted himself as saying, "How could I love a race of people who hated me?  (King 7). His parents had to remind him time after time that it was his duty as a Christian not to hate anyone and to love all people no matter the situation (King 8-10). This advice, along with his family's guidance, is a major reason King succeeded in accomplishing goals. King was able to attend college after high school, which was very rare considering his race. While attending Morehouse, King began researching racial injustices (King 14). Before entering college, King was determined to eventually become a minister and inspire people to live the life God had intended for them. However, by the middle of his third year, he wondered if he would be wasting all of his knowledge by only becoming a preacher. Luckily, for all Americans, King entered the seminary to become a minister and later on received a doctorate in theology (King 31). The people of not only the 1960's but of all decades should be very thankful King decided to attend the seminary. Americans can only wonder what the world would be like had he chosen some other profession. Like all great leaders and heroes, King had a special someone who gave him support even through the toughest times. This person was Martin's wife, Corretta Scott King. Had Martin not had a supportive wife like Corretta, few, if any, of the impacts he made on society would have been possible. Corretta not only helped Martin with most of his arrangements for movements and speeches, but she also had to raise four children on her own while Martin was away for his organizations. Martin had his family on