The Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. was inspired to become a Baptist preacher by the ministers he knew who were taking a stand against racial injustice. He then became an inspiration to the many preachers and civil rights activists who followed his example.

He also inspired his son, Martin Luther King Jr., to enter the ministry. “He set forth a noble example that I didn’t mind following,” King Jr. once wrote. Father and son eventually served together as co-pastors of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

A major civil rights figure in Georgia, King Sr. became head of the NAACP in Atlanta and the Civic and Political League. He stressed the need for an educated, politically active black ministry, and was instrumental in ending Jim Crow laws in Georgia.

He encouraged home ownership and served as a director on a local bank board.Martin Luther King Sr. died November 11, 1984, at age 84. His life is a loving reminder of the commitment that we all must make to build hope in our community.