King Was Imprisoned Nearly 30 Times
Everyone is familiar with Martin Luther King Jr. and the heroic work he performed during the civil rights movement to advance the freedom and equality of African Americans. Despite the fact that King was highly regarded by many, police officials regarded him as a danger to national security. He was detained for "civil disobedience" offenses nearly 30 times, including once in 1956 when he was imprisoned in Montgomery, Alabama, for exceeding the speed limit by five miles per hour. Even the FBI had worries, and records indicate that the agency made ongoing attempts to obstruct King's progress. Following King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, the FBI ramped up its inquiry into him and the SCLC.
Here are a few examples of when he was detained and the reasons for each. He was detained on January 26, 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama as part of a "Get Tough" campaign to scare those who were advocating a bus boycott. His residence was bombed on January 30, four days later. King, Rosa Parks, and more than 100 other people were detained on March 22, 1956, on suspicion of planning the Montgomery Bus Boycott in opposition to Parks' treatment. He was detained once more on July 27, 1962, for holding a prayer vigil in Albany, Georgia. He and Ralph Abernathy were detained on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, for holding an unlicensed demonstration. He penned what is now referred regarded as his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" when he was imprisoned. He was detained on June 11, 1964, in St. Augustine, Florida, for opposing the unification of public spaces. He was detained on February 2, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, during a protest for voting rights. However, the demonstrations persisted, and on February 3, sheriff's deputies and state highway patrol officers beat protesters at the Pettus Bridge.
Sadly, King was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, while there to support the city's sanitation workers, who demanded better pay and working conditions. However, his legend endures today.
