On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here’s the story of how he became involved with the modern Civil Rights Movement.

He came to prominence after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in December 1955. As a result, a year-long boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system ensued, led by the young pastor. Years later he recalled in his book, Stride Toward Freedom:

"One day after finishing school, I was called to a little church, down in Montgomery,

Alabama. And I started preaching there. Things were going well in that church, it was a marvelous experience. But one day a year later, a lady by the name of Rosa Parks decided that she wasn’t going to take it any longer. . . It was the beginning of a movement."

Listen to the full story on my latest podcast at Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney