What was Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood like? Discover how his early life and education shaped the Civil Rights leader we honor today.

"While others were advocating for freedom by 'any means necessary,' including violence, Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly impossible goals," according to The King Center.

Martin Luther King Jr., the Atlanta native who became one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement, helped unite a divided nation.