Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Text of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech in 1956 about school integration and the Brown v. Board decisions.

In April 2018, to honor Dr. King’s legacy and his commitment to service, the National Park Service will participate in a year-long social media campaign to encourage community service and acts of kindness.

As a child growing up in the South during the 1950s and 1960s, Judy Forte’s life was heavily influenced by the US civil rights movement. She was only 11 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Four decades later she became the first African American woman superintendent at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park—and she's not done yet.

It was the largest gathering for civil rights of its time. An estimated 250,000 people attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, arriving in Washington, D.C. by planes, trains, cars, and buses from all over the country.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta preserves the birth home and surrounding community where Dr. King was raised, and to which he later returned in the height of his activism. Martin Luther King, Jr. is best known nationally and internationally for his leadership in the American Civil Rights Movement and his efforts to further ideals of peace and economic equality. The Historic District preserves the first environment that influenced his direction.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate.

In July 2022, 40 interns gathered in-person at the Greening Youth Foundation’s annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, for the first time since 2019. Over the five-day conference, the group listened to several career spotlights and student presentations; networked with fellow interns and speakers; and visited Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield and Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.

Regina Jones-Brake's career with the National Park Service (NPS) began in 1976 with the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence. Over the next 33 years, her love of American history compelled her to share untold stories as she advanced from park ranger to management assistant.