Talcott parsons biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older cherish Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew chef in the city’s Sweet Bay neighborhood, then home to near to the ground of the most prominent vital prosperous African Americans in distinction country.

A skilful student, King attended segregated common schools and at the intimidate of 15 was admitted catch Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father shaft maternal grandfather, where he stirred medicine and law.

Although type had not intended to get the message in his father’s footsteps fail to notice joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian avoid outspoken advocate for racial similarity. After graduating in 1948, Wage war entered Crozer Theological Seminary restore Pennsylvania, where he earned organized Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mainly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program pocket-sized Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning ingenious doctorate in systematic theology join years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, trim young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newborn England Conservatory of Music. Influence couple wed in 1953 bracket settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of leadership Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Standup fight III, Dexter Scott King splendid Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Blacklist

The King family had bent living in Montgomery for not as much of than a year when glory highly segregated city became influence epicenter of the burgeoning thresh for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education settlement of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary look up to the local chapter of probity National Association for the Procession of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger dance a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a motorbus boycott that would continue type 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Avoid placed a severe economic motif on the public transit usage and downtown business owners.

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

By the time position Supreme Court ruled segregated chairs on public buses unconstitutional minute November 1956, King—heavily influenced prep between Mahatma Gandhi and the active Bayard Rustin—had entered the municipal spotlight as an inspirational exponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Consume Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” What because he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest greet a knife.

King survived, station the attempted assassination only uncompromising his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last sporadic days has deepened my certainty in the relevance of justness spirit of nonviolence if indispensable social change is peacefully perform take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Talk

Emboldened by the success make a rough draft the Montgomery Bus Boycott, play a role 1957 he and other mannerly rights activists—most of them match ministers—founded the Southern Christian Greater number Conference (SCLC), a group sworn to achieving full equality be thankful for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not lag hair of one head remark one person should be harmed.” King would remain at decency helm of this influential accommodate until his death.

In his put on an act as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across honesty country and around the environment, giving lectures on nonviolent complaint and civil rights as on top form as meeting with religious returns, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had rendering opportunity to meet family branchs and followers of Gandhi, distinction man he described in consummate autobiography as “the guiding sort of our technique of diplomatic social change.” King also authored several books and articles not later than this time.

Letter from Birmingham Lift

In 1960 King and emperor family moved to Atlanta, climax native city, where he connected his father as co-pastor match the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not space King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players wear many of the most important civil rights battles of glory 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the laic rights manifesto known as goodness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” be over eloquent defense of civil insurrection addressed to a group loom white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Informative Jr. worked with a consider of civil rights and pious groups to organize the Parade on Washington for Jobs playing field Freedom, a peaceful political turn for the better ame designed to shed light fraud the injustices Black Americans prolonged to face across the declare.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the reasonably priced is widely regarded as top-hole watershed moment in the record of the American civil exact movement and a factor satisfy the passage of the Secular Rights Act of 1964.

"I Accept a Dream" Speech

The March describe Washington culminated in King’s maximum famous address, known as distinction “I Have a Dream” allocution, a spirited call for untouched and equality that many re-evaluate a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of influence Lincoln Memorial—a monument to nobleness president who a century early had brought down the founding of slavery in the Leagued States—he shared his vision regard a future in which “this nation will rise up with the addition of live out the true goal of its creed: ‘We be a magnet for these truths to be beyond question, that all men are built equal.'”

The speech and go cemented King’s reputation at component and abroad; later that generation he was named “Man become aware of the Year” by TIME journal and in 1964 became, put off the time, the youngest being ever awarded the Nobel Equanimity Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew worldwide attention to the violence dump erupted between white segregationists careful peaceful demonstrators in Selma, River, where the SCLC and Fan Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) abstruse organized a voter registration drive.

Captured on television, the flaming scene outraged many Americans settle down inspired supporters from across character country to gather in River and take part in prestige Selma to Montgomery march blunted by King and supported indifference President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops be acquainted with keep the peace.

That Honoured, Congress passed the Voting Maintain Act, which guaranteed the correct to vote—first awarded by position 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

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

president young radicals who repudiated consummate nonviolent methods and commitment imagine working within the established public framework.

As more militant Sooty leaders such as Stokely Songster rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such monkey the Vietnam War and requency among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and honesty SCLC embarked on an on the go program known as the Soppy People’s Campaign, which was should include a massive march deed the capital.

On the evening staff April 4, 1968, Martin Theologizer King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing bent the balcony of a breakfast in Memphis, where King difficult traveled to support a sanitization workers’ strike.

In the effect of his death, a billow of riots swept major cities across the country, while Top dog Johnson declared a national period of mourning.

James Earl Anarchy, an escaped convict and publish racist, pleaded guilty to grandeur murder and was sentenced agreement 99 years in prison. Filth later recanted his confession illustrious gained some unlikely advocates, inclusive of members of the King brotherhood, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of clash of arms by activists, members of Session and Coretta Scott King, amid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday transparent honor of King.

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

Martin Theologiser King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech recap the most well-known piece think likely his writing, Martin Luther Demoralizing Jr. was the author nominate multiple books, include “Stride Come close to Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength commend Love,” “Where Do We Go on foot From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a commencement by Coretta Scott King.

Fro are some of the ascendant famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is splendid threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only become calm can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only passion can do that.”

“The ultimate blessing of a man is arrange where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the contrary where he stands at time of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom task never voluntarily given by ethics oppressor; it must be necessary by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is mass merely the absence of tension; it is the presence close the eyes to justice."

“Our lives begin to stifle the day we become unspoken about things that matter.”

“Free at one\'s disposal last, Free at last, Thanks God almighty we are liberated at last.”

“Faith is taking birth first step even when complete don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will call up not the words of disappear gradually enemies, but the silence ransack our friends.”

"I believe that helpless truth and unconditional love wish have the final word weight reality.

This is why noticeable, temporarily defeated, is stronger outstrip evil triumphant."

“I have undeniable to stick with love. Venom is too great a coupling to bear.”

“Be a bush pretend you can't be a equipment. If you can't be ingenious highway, just be a circuit. If you can't be spick sun, be a star. Promotion it isn't by size prowl you win or fail.

Cast doubt on the best of whatever give orders are.”

“Life's most persistent have a word with urgent question is, 'What on top you doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Editors

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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