They may know that he was a civil rights leader who aspired to achieve racial harmony and was a(n) _____ of peaceful but direct action.

They may know that he fought the discrimination against blacks that was so ______ in our country in the 1950s and 1960s. They may also know that he received a great deal of acclaim for his work.

For example, in 1964 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. They may even _____ that he is the most important social reformer in the history of our nation.

But can the young really know the _____, the powerful personal magnetism of this man?

He was a perfect blend of quiet, considerate thinker and bold, outspoken ______. When Dr. King spoke, people listened.

He had such a forceful yet ______ way of speaking that those who heard him felt his message deep within.

For most, this meant a stronger belief in and respect for the man and his ideals. ______, for bigots, it meant hatred and fear of what he stood for.

Dr. King’s ______ for equal rights for all was clear when he said, “I have a dream that this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ’We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’” He gave his time, his leadership, and, in the end, his life.

His murder was a ______ event in the lives of many Americans, who never fully recovered from that awful day. But because of Martin Luther King, Americans live with greater dignity. And many have taken up his fight against the inequalities of racism.