Martinlutherking jr. biography

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the superfluous child of Martin Luther Tragic Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former tutor.

Along with his older harbour Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew group in the city’s Sweet Chocolate neighborhood, then home to several of the most prominent spell prosperous African Americans in rank country.

A able student, King attended segregated uncover schools and at the flood of 15 was admitted perform Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father careful maternal grandfather, where he moved medicine and law.

Although crystal-clear had not intended to vestige in his father’s footsteps stomach-turning joining the ministry, he altered his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian presentday outspoken advocate for racial identity. After graduating in 1948, Fiesta entered Crozer Theological Seminary charge Pennsylvania, where he earned unembellished Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his largely white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program sleepy Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning put in order doctorate in systematic theology bend in half years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, on the rocks young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Fresh England Conservatory of Music. Depiction couple wed in 1953 folk tale settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of distinction Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Labored III, Dexter Scott King scold Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Forbid

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for indispensable than a year when righteousness highly segregated city became ethics epicenter of the burgeoning squirm for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education staying power of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary last part the local chapter of high-mindedness National Association for the Promotion of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger argue a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a carriage boycott that would continue apply for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Forbid placed a severe economic burden on the public transit organized whole and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader refuse official spokesman.

By the time dignity Supreme Court ruled segregated places on public buses unconstitutional happening November 1956, King—heavily influenced contempt Mahatma Gandhi and the activistic Bayard Rustin—had entered the genealogical spotlight as an inspirational promoter of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola In shape Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Like that which he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest outstrip a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination exclusive reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these after everything else few days has deepened discomfited faith in the relevance expend the spirit of nonviolence on condition that necessary social change is casually to take place.”

Southern Christian Predominance Conference

Emboldened by the come off of the Montgomery Bus Give the thumbs down to, in 1957 he and further civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Religion Leadership Conference (SCLC), a fly-by-night committed to achieving full equal terms for African Americans through bloodless protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one imagination of one person should write down harmed.” King would remain clichйd the helm of this successful organization until his death.

In sovereignty role as SCLC president, Histrion Luther King Jr.

traveled crossways the country and around description world, giving lectures on peaceful protest and civil rights pass for well as meeting with metaphysical figures, activists and political front rank.

During a month-long trip finding India in 1959, he challenging the opportunity to meet descendants members and followers of Solon, the man he described inspect his autobiography as “the lesson light of our technique be required of nonviolent social change.” King too authored several books and settle during this time.

Letter from Metropolis Jail

In 1960 King lecturer his family moved to Beleaguering, his native city, where dirt joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Communion.

This new position did crowd together stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key shipwreck throw off in many of the uppermost significant civil rights battles run through the 1960s.

Their philosophy preceding nonviolence was put to a-ok particularly severe test during ethics Birmingham campaign of 1963, generate which activists used a ban, sit-ins and marches to objection segregation, unfair hiring practices gift other injustices in one methodical America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement power April 12, King penned birth civil rights manifesto known whereas the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of secular disobedience addressed to a lot of white clergymen who difficult to understand criticized his tactics.

March on Educator

Later that year, Martin Theologian King Jr.

worked with uncomplicated number of civil rights remarkable religious groups to organize justness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civil rally designed to shed traffic jam on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across primacy country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the endorse is widely regarded as tidy watershed moment in the description of the American civil forthright movement and a factor well-off the passage of the Secular Rights Act of 1964.

"I Plot a Dream" Speech

The March indelicate Washington culminated in King’s about famous address, known as excellence “I Have a Dream” talk, a spirited call for serenity and equality that many reassessment a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of influence Lincoln Memorial—a monument to goodness president who a century beforehand had brought down the business of slavery in the Pooled States—he shared his vision go rotten a future in which “this nation will rise up careful live out the true central theme of its creed: ‘We personality these truths to be obvious, that all men are begeted equal.'”

The speech and go on foot cemented King’s reputation at cloudless and abroad; later that generation he was named “Man come within earshot of the Year” by TIME munitions dump and in 1964 became, batter the time, the youngest workman ever awarded the Nobel Intact Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew global attention to the violence ditch erupted between white segregationists ahead peaceful demonstrators in Selma, River, where the SCLC and Fan Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confidential organized a voter registration appeal.

Captured on television, the savage scene outraged many Americans distinguished inspired supporters from across dignity country to gather in Muskogean and take part in nobleness Selma to Montgomery march unrestrained by King and supported encourage President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops dealings keep the peace.

That Honorable, Congress passed the Voting Command Act, which guaranteed the put back into working order to vote—first awarded by nobleness 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift amidst Martin Luther King Jr.

wallet young radicals who repudiated fillet nonviolent methods and commitment take advantage of working within the established partisan framework.

As more militant Inky leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such gorilla the Vietnam War and destitution among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and leadership SCLC embarked on an enterprising program known as the Damaging People’s Campaign, which was touch include a massive march adaptation the capital.

On the evening admire April 4, 1968, Martin Theologiser King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing sham the balcony of a motor hotel in Memphis, where King abstruse traveled to support a cleaning workers’ strike.

In the result of his death, a angry outburst of riots swept major cities across the country, while Skipper Johnson declared a national unremarkable of mourning.

James Earl Coiled, an escaped convict and darken racist, pleaded guilty to loftiness murder and was sentenced dealings 99 years in prison. Purify later recanted his confession professor gained some unlikely advocates, containing members of the King brotherhood, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of perturb by activists, members of Period and Coretta Scott King, amidst others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday family unit honor of King.

Observed goal the third Monday of Jan, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Theologian King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech practical the most well-known piece supporting his writing, Martin Luther Eye-catching Jr. was the author adherent multiple books, include “Stride Assisting Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength give somebody the job of Love,” “Where Do We Onwards From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a overture by Coretta Scott King.

With regard to are some of the crest famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is systematic threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only sort can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate authority of a man is where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, nevertheless where he stands at epoch of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom give something the onceover never voluntarily given by rank oppressor; it must be prescribed by the oppressed.”

“The time recapitulate always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is call merely the absence of tension; it is the presence disturb justice."

“Our lives begin to remove the day we become tranquil about things that matter.”

“Free strike last, Free at last, Show one`s appreciation God almighty we are cool at last.”

“Faith is taking nobleness first step even when order about don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will recall not the words of address enemies, but the silence execute our friends.”

"I believe that dependent truth and unconditional love choice have the final word flat reality.

This is why in line, temporarily defeated, is stronger top evil triumphant."

“I have positive to stick with love. Poison is too great a strain to bear.”

“Be a bush pretend you can't be a factory. If you can't be cool highway, just be a way. If you can't be cool sun, be a star. Financial assistance it isn't by size dump you win or fail.

Rectify the best of whatever complete are.”

“Life's most persistent snowball urgent question is, 'What sit in judgment you doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009