Martin Luther King Jr. is best known for his role as an American civil rights movement leader and his advocacy for racial equality through nonviolent protest. He played a crucial role in the struggle to end segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States. In addition, he is remembered for his powerful speeches, including his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which continues to inspire people worldwide.

His wife, Coretta Scott King, was also a civil rights activist and played a significant role in the civil rights movement. Additionally, her work on women's rights and LGBTQ rights helped to expand the civil rights movement beyond the struggles for racial equality, making it a more inclusive and diverse movement.

During the Cold War, their advocacy for peace and nonviolent conflict resolution was seen as an alternative to Soviet communism and was used to promote American democracy and values around the world. At the same time, the Soviet Union often used American segregation and racism as evidence of the failure of the American system and to justify their own political and social system.

MLK was assassinated on April 4, 1968, by a KKK white supremacist on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, where he was staying. MLK's death sparked widespread outrage and protests, and he is remembered as a martyr for the civil rights movement. His death led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which provided further protection for the rights of African Americans.

Coretta continued her husband's work after his assassination, keeping his legacy and message alive, further enhancing the impact of the civil rights movement on the global stage.