Up close and personal: A one-on-one interview with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interviewer: I have few questions to ask you, sir.
Martin: I would love to answer your questions!
Interviewer: Mr. King, please tell me when and where were you born? Did you have any siblings?
Martin: I was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 under the name of Michael King, Jr. My father took on the
baptist minister name of Martin Luther King, Sr. I followed in my father's footsteps and that is how I became
MLK, Jr. My mother, Alberta, was a musician. I had a sister named Christine and a brother named Alfred Daniel.
Interviewer: What was a historical event that impacted your life?
Martin: Giving my "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1963 in front of 250,000 people! Expressing my
dreams of a world where it doesn't make a difference what color skin a person has. A dream where everyone in
our nation is treated as an equal. What a day! I'll never forget it!
Interviewer: What are some of your hobbies, Mr. King?
Martin: I enjoy hunting, fishing, and riding horses. I love singing in the church with our gospel choir. I also love meeting new
people on my marches and speaking before new friends, as well as my brothers and sisters.
Interviewer: You are one of the greatest speakers in our history. Can you please tell me where did you first start speaking
to the public? And what inspired you?
Martin: I would have to give credit to my father. He inspired me to preach. My first experience in public speaking
was as a Baptist minister at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It was at that church
where I helped to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the basement. I wanted for people, no matter
what their race, to be able to sit together peacefully on public buses. It was here that I met Rosa Parks.
But that's a whole other story for a different interview...
Interviewer: Speaking of speaking, is it easy to give a speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people?
Martin: I will say that I do get pretty nervous, but I am always prepared and I can tough it out. I had plenty of practice from
my days as a preacher in the small church from my younger years. I say a prayer to our Lord above and I give it
all I got!
Interviewer: Tell me about what your personality is like?
Martin: I feel that I am a very spiritual leader. I think that I am very helpful to my brothers and sisters. I try to always
remain positive and happy. People say I am brave and determined. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I will
always stand up for what I believe in.
Interviewer: I heard that you sung in the choir during the premiere of Gone With The Wind? Did you enjoy that?
Martin: Yes, I did sing during that premiere! Oh what a night that was! I really do enjoy singing. Especially at church!
Interviewer: Now tell me about your educational background. Did you enjoy school?
Martin: I started out at Yonge Street Elementary. I advanced quickly through high school, skipping over my senior year
and going right to college at the age of 15. In 1948, I graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in
sociology. I later enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, PA, where I got my Master's Degree in 1951.
I loved being at school and learning.
Interviewer: Mr. King, you are the youngest to ever receive the noble peace prize. What inspired you?
Martin: I am humbled to have been awarded such a prestigious honor at the age of 35. I want nothing more than for there to
be nonviolent resistance to radical prejudice in USA. I said in my speech "And the lion and the lamb shall lie
down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid" This is my
inspiration. It signifies a moment when everyone, no matter their color, can sit together and not be afraid of racism
and violence anymore. A time of peace between every man and woman in this great nation.
Interviewer: How about your family? Tell me about your wife and kids.
Martin: I am a happily married man! I met my wife, Coretta, at the New England Conservatory school in Boston. We got
married in 1953 and have four children together. Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott, and Bernice.
I've very proud of my family!
Martin: I would love to answer your questions!
Interviewer: Mr. King, please tell me when and where were you born? Did you have any siblings?
Martin: I was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 under the name of Michael King, Jr. My father took on the
baptist minister name of Martin Luther King, Sr. I followed in my father's footsteps and that is how I became
MLK, Jr. My mother, Alberta, was a musician. I had a sister named Christine and a brother named Alfred Daniel.
Interviewer: What was a historical event that impacted your life?
Martin: Giving my "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1963 in front of 250,000 people! Expressing my
dreams of a world where it doesn't make a difference what color skin a person has. A dream where everyone in
our nation is treated as an equal. What a day! I'll never forget it!
Interviewer: What are some of your hobbies, Mr. King?
Martin: I enjoy hunting, fishing, and riding horses. I love singing in the church with our gospel choir. I also love meeting new
people on my marches and speaking before new friends, as well as my brothers and sisters.
Interviewer: You are one of the greatest speakers in our history. Can you please tell me where did you first start speaking
to the public? And what inspired you?
Martin: I would have to give credit to my father. He inspired me to preach. My first experience in public speaking
was as a Baptist minister at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It was at that church
where I helped to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the basement. I wanted for people, no matter
what their race, to be able to sit together peacefully on public buses. It was here that I met Rosa Parks.
But that's a whole other story for a different interview...
Interviewer: Speaking of speaking, is it easy to give a speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people?
Martin: I will say that I do get pretty nervous, but I am always prepared and I can tough it out. I had plenty of practice from
my days as a preacher in the small church from my younger years. I say a prayer to our Lord above and I give it
all I got!
Interviewer: Tell me about what your personality is like?
Martin: I feel that I am a very spiritual leader. I think that I am very helpful to my brothers and sisters. I try to always
remain positive and happy. People say I am brave and determined. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I will
always stand up for what I believe in.
Interviewer: I heard that you sung in the choir during the premiere of Gone With The Wind? Did you enjoy that?
Martin: Yes, I did sing during that premiere! Oh what a night that was! I really do enjoy singing. Especially at church!
Interviewer: Now tell me about your educational background. Did you enjoy school?
Martin: I started out at Yonge Street Elementary. I advanced quickly through high school, skipping over my senior year
and going right to college at the age of 15. In 1948, I graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in
sociology. I later enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, PA, where I got my Master's Degree in 1951.
I loved being at school and learning.
Interviewer: Mr. King, you are the youngest to ever receive the noble peace prize. What inspired you?
Martin: I am humbled to have been awarded such a prestigious honor at the age of 35. I want nothing more than for there to
be nonviolent resistance to radical prejudice in USA. I said in my speech "And the lion and the lamb shall lie
down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid" This is my
inspiration. It signifies a moment when everyone, no matter their color, can sit together and not be afraid of racism
and violence anymore. A time of peace between every man and woman in this great nation.
Interviewer: How about your family? Tell me about your wife and kids.
Martin: I am a happily married man! I met my wife, Coretta, at the New England Conservatory school in Boston. We got
married in 1953 and have four children together. Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott, and Bernice.
I've very proud of my family!