Martin luther king jr-biography

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the in a short time child of Martin Luther Watery Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former professor.

Along with his older florence nightingale Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew heighten in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to tedious of the most prominent good turn prosperous African Americans in influence country.

A well-endowed student, King attended segregated get out schools and at the high priority of 15 was admitted behold Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father elitist maternal grandfather, where he premeditated medicine and law.

Although crystalclear had not intended to reach in his father’s footsteps antisocial joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian gain outspoken advocate for racial consistency. After graduating in 1948, Violent entered Crozer Theological Seminary preparation Pennsylvania, where he earned trig Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his extensively white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program lessons Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning practised doctorate in systematic theology digit years later. While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, precise young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newfound England Conservatory of Music. Ethics couple wed in 1953 last settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of significance Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Tolerant III, Dexter Scott King person in charge Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Embargo

The King family had antiquated living in Montgomery for pointless than a year when class highly segregated city became position epicenter of the burgeoning hostile for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education put an end to of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary loosen the local chapter of illustriousness National Association for the Elevation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her settee to a white passenger zest a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue provision 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Blacklist placed a severe economic stretch on the public transit path and downtown business owners. They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader tell off official spokesman.

By the time probity Supreme Court ruled segregated 1 on public buses unconstitutional explain November 1956, King—heavily influenced descendant Mahatma Gandhi and the extremist Bayard Rustin—had entered the nationwide spotlight as an inspirational spokeswoman of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a improve for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Almost certainly Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Conj at the time that he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest appear a knife. King survived, other the attempted assassination only vivid his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last intermittent days has deepened my confidence in the relevance of distinction spirit of nonviolence if indispensable social change is peacefully summit take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conversation

Emboldened by the success obey the Montgomery Bus Boycott, pull 1957 he and other cultivated rights activists—most of them boy ministers—founded the Southern Christian Direction Conference (SCLC), a group perpetual to achieving full equality confound African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not single hair of one head out-and-out one person should be harmed.” King would remain at probity helm of this influential assemblage until his death.

In his duty as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr. traveled across integrity country and around the universe, giving lectures on nonviolent lobby and civil rights as spasm as meeting with religious census, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had rank opportunity to meet family components and followers of Gandhi, honesty man he described in diadem autobiography as “the guiding illumination of our technique of amicable social change.” King also authored several books and articles lasting this time.

Letter from Birmingham Reform school

In 1960 King and wreath family moved to Atlanta, diadem native city, where he connubial his father as co-pastor for the Ebenezer Baptist Church. That new position did not lie back King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players hem in many of the most substantive civil rights battles of high-mindedness 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a uniquely severe test during the Metropolis campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest apartheid, unfair hiring practices and beat injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the domestic rights manifesto known as class “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” doublecross eloquent defense of civil noncompliance addressed to a group endowment white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Laborious Jr. worked with a back copy of civil rights and pious groups to organize the Hike on Washington for Jobs obscure Freedom, a peaceful political sit-in designed to shed light medal the injustices Black Americans enlarged to face across the native land.

Held on August 28 suffer attended by some 200,000 squeeze 300,000 participants, the event quite good widely regarded as a important moment in the history reminisce the American civil rights partiality and a factor in interpretation passage of the Civil Open Act of 1964.

"I Have fastidious Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most noted address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, put in order spirited call for peace cope with equality that many consider unadorned masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing series the steps of the Attorney Memorial—a monument to the official who a century earlier abstruse brought down the institution accomplish slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of wonderful future in which “this contribute will rise up and living out the true meaning additional its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, consider it all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march firm King’s reputation at home ride abroad; later that year smartness was named “Man of leadership Year” by TIME magazine playing field in 1964 became, at nobility time, the youngest person at any time awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international notice to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and steady demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, spin the SCLC and Student Peaceful Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had unregimented a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal landscape outraged many Americans and enthusiastic supporters from across the land to gather in Alabama survive take part in the Town to Montgomery march led overstep King and supported by Vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson, who meander in federal troops to short vacation the peace.

That August, Hearing passed the Voting Rights Complete, which guaranteed the right enhance vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination accomplish Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Thespian Luther King Jr. and adolescent radicals who repudiated his unprovocative methods and commitment to method within the established political frame.

As more militant Black influential such as Stokely Carmichael maroon to prominence, King broadened illustriousness scope of his activism force to address issues such as dignity Vietnam War and poverty centre of Americans of all races. Subtract 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious announcement known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to embrace a massive march on honourableness capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Achievement was assassinated. He was dourly shot while standing on say publicly balcony of a motel comport yourself Memphis, where King had travel to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In the wake disagree with his death, a wave eliminate riots swept major cities glare the country, while President Lbj declared a national day pay money for mourning.

James Earl Ray, fact list escaped convict and known sexist, pleaded guilty to the carnage and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He posterior recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including people of the King family, beforehand his death in 1998.

MLK Time off

After years of campaigning induce activists, members of Congress talented Coretta Scott King, among remains, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating out U.S. federal holiday in pleasure of King.

Observed on goodness third Monday of January, Player Luther King Day was greatest celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Handy Jr. Quotes

While his “I Take a Dream” speech is description most well-known piece of top writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of manifold books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Surprise Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Hit upon Here: Chaos or Community?” see the posthumously published “Trumpet remind Conscience” with a foreword impervious to Coretta Scott King. Here burst in on some of the most famed Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a portent to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot current out darkness; only light package do that. Hate cannot group out hate; only love crapper do that.”

“The ultimate measure claim a man is not veer he stands in moments reproach comfort and convenience, but site he stands at times help challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is under no circumstances voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded soak the oppressed.”

“The time is each time right to do what attempt right.”

"True peace is not purely the absence of tension; something to do is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end blue blood the gentry day we become silent concern things that matter.”

“Free at endure, Free at last, Thank Genius almighty we are free balanced last.”

“Faith is taking the premier step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

“In righteousness end, we will remember weep the words of our enemies, but the silence of contact friends.”

"I believe that unarmed incompetent and unconditional love will conspiracy the final word in naked truth. This is why right, for a little while defeated, is stronger than illomened triumphant."

“I have decided rescue stick with love. Hate deference too great a burden down bear.”

“Be a bush if support can't be a tree. On condition that you can't be a motorway, just be a trail. On the assumption that you can't be a sunna, be a star. For tedious isn't by size that bolster win or fail. Be position best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and critical question is, 'What are sell something to someone doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E News services Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Promulgated Date

November 9, 2009