but he didn't buy from leading the fight for racial equality in america in recognition of king's call to national life in one thousand nine hundred eighty six the u.s. government made his january birthday a national holiday today the anniversary of things death will be observed with special events around the country will examine his legacy in a moment but first this look back on his life. activist dissident troublemaker icon martin luther king jr as a towering figure in american history his life his work and his death forever changed the way the us review race civil rights and equality. king was born into an america where slavery was a recent memory segregation was the law of the land and poverty gripped most of the african-american community. on december first one hundred fifty five police arrested activist rosa parks for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to