 Martin Luther King was an American Baptist minister and activist. He was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King advanced civil rights for black Americans through non-violence and civil disobedience. He led targeted non-violent resistance against discrimination. For example, King led marches for the right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other civil rights. He oversaw the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped organize some of the non-violent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King was also one of the leaders of the 1963 march on Washington, where he delivered his I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He famously said, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. In 1965, King helped organize two of the three Selma to Montgomery marches. The civil rights movement achieved pivotal legislative gains in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, thanks to King's campaigns. Martin Luther King succeeded because he was a respected spokesperson who could negotiate with government leaders on behalf of the black community. He was also an excellent orator who not only rallied people behind him, but also encouraged and motivated people from the pulpit to continue fighting for an end to what they believed was an injustice. His methods highlighted the unjust treatment of black Americans and exposed hidden racism. In 1968, King was planning a national poor people's campaign when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by national warning, as well as anger leading to riots in many U.S. cities. In 1971, Martin Luther King Day was established as a holiday to be held each year on the third Monday of January, in cities and states throughout the United States, in memory of her remarkable man in the Civil Rights Movement.