Established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King, The King Center is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of America's greatest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site includes a number of facilities that are operated in partnership with the National Park Service, Ebenezer Baptist Church and The King Center. Within these facilities the visitor can learn about Dr. King's life and and his influence on others.

Herein, you will find a wealth of information that will introduce you to one of the most magnanimous projects currently underway in our nation's Capital; the building of a memorial to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 to April 4, 1968), was one of the main leaders of the American civil rights movement. A Baptist minister by training, King became a civil rights activist early in his career, leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helping to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech, raising public consciousness of the civil rights movement and establishing King as one of the greatest orators in American history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

Handwritten sermons from historic days. Pencil edits of statements from jail. A worn scrap of paper found the day he died. CNN has been granted exclusice access to these and thousands of other documents from the papers of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Feb. 1, 1960, four students from all-black North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College walked into a Woolworth five-and-dime with the intention of ordering lunch. But the manager of the Greensboro Woolworth had intentions of his own - to maintain the lunch counter's strict whites-only policy.

Students living in different parts of North Carolina had made history of their own in the late 1950's as the first in their cities to challenge the illegal system of segregation in public schools. Dr. Herman Thomas - VP of Academic Affairs at Shaw University, relates his experiences attempting to integrate Swain County High School in 1955.