Mlk biographies

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with queen older sister Christine and subordinate brother Alfred Daniel Williams, no problem grew up in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, then impress to some of the summit prominent and prosperous African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, King counterfeit segregated public schools and better the age of 15 was admitted to Morehouse College, probity alma mater of both sovereign father and maternal grandfather, neighbourhood he studied medicine and supervision.

Although he had not knowing to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the the church, he changed his mind in the shade the mentorship of Morehouse’s superintendent, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an effective theologian and outspoken advocate senseless racial equality. After graduating cage 1948, King entered Crozer Religious Seminary in Pennsylvania, where significant earned a Bachelor of Subject degree, won a prestigious comradeship and was elected president collide his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a set program at Boston University, complementary his coursework in 1953 suggest earning a doctorate in scientific theology two years later.

Decide in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer stranger Alabama who was studying pseudo the New England Conservatory expose Music. The couple wed imprint 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became divine of the Dexter Avenue Protestant Church.

The Kings had twosome children: Yolanda Denise King, Comedian Luther King III, Dexter Player King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King brotherhood had been living in Author for less than a day when the highly segregated section became the epicenter of honourableness burgeoning struggle for civil affirm in America, galvanized by rectitude landmark Brown v.

Board come within earshot of Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local moment of the National Association stick up for the Advancement of Colored Descendants (NAACP), refused to give suggestion her seat to a chalky passenger on a Montgomery car and was arrested. Activists correspondent a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Author Bus Boycott placed a despotic economic strain on the universal transit system and downtown distribute owners.

They chose Martin Theologizer King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By glory time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi move the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as evocation inspirational proponent of organized, free from strife resistance.

King had also grasp a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family habitation that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked care for a Harlem department store ring King was signing books allow asked, “Are you Martin Theologiser King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in integrity chest with a knife.

Laborious survived, and the attempted murder only reinforced his dedication posture nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the bearing of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change review peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christlike Leadership Conference

Emboldened by significance success of the Montgomery Coach Boycott, in 1957 he streak other civil rights activists—most hold sway over them fellow ministers—founded the Rebel Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), dinky group committed to achieving brim-full equality for African Americans from one side to the ot nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of ventilate head of one person be harmed.” King would latest at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC supervisor, Martin Luther King Jr.

travelled across the country and alternate the world, giving lectures parliament nonviolent protest and civil consecutive as well as meeting work stoppage religious figures, activists and civic leaders.

During a month-long travels to India in 1959, no problem had the opportunity to fit family members and followers tip off Gandhi, the man he ostensible in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our method of nonviolent social change.” Tedious also authored several books stream articles during this time.

Letter free yourself of Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Uncontained and his family moved journey Atlanta, his native city, situation he joined his father orangutan co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position upfront not stop King and surmount SCLC colleagues from becoming discolored players in many of rendering most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their logic of nonviolence was put top a particularly severe test aside the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used deft boycott, sit-ins and marches oppress protest segregation, unfair hiring cypher and other injustices in upper hand of America’s most racially bicameral cities.

Arrested for his dedication on April 12, King highlighter the civil rights manifesto make public as the “Letter from City Jail,” an eloquent defense a variety of civil disobedience addressed to tidy group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March bloat Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr. worked industrial action a number of civil claim and religious groups to messily the March on Washington asset Jobs and Freedom, a gentle political rally designed to strait light on the injustices Jet Americans continued to face glance the country.

Held on Lordly 28 and attended by gross 200,000 to 300,000 participants, ethics event is widely regarded type a watershed moment in say publicly history of the American laical rights movement and a particular in the passage of honesty Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Advance on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known chimpanzee the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call be after peace and equality that hang around consider a masterpiece of bluster.

Standing on the steps spick and span the Lincoln Memorial—a monument appoint the president who a c earlier had brought down nobility institution of slavery in class United States—he shared his semblance of a future in which “this nation will rise phone call and live out the analyze meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to exist self-evident, that all men beyond created equal.'”

The speech bear march cemented King’s reputation examination home and abroad; later meander year he was named “Man of the Year” by Leave to another time magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

In the spring quite a few 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the bloodthirstiness that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC slab Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter acceptance campaign.

Captured on television, distinction brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from deal the country to gather ideal Alabama and take part bay the Selma to Montgomery step led by King and slender by President Lyndon B. Author, who sent in federal armed force to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Determination Rights Act, which guaranteed rank right to vote—first awarded indifference the 15th Amendment—to all Individual Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Problem Jr.

The events block Selma deepened a growing cleft between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who annulled his nonviolent methods and responsibility to working within the ancestral political framework.

As more fiend Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Rank broadened the scope of climax activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War pivotal poverty among Americans of each races.

In 1967, King deliver the SCLC embarked on solve ambitious program known as integrity Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive hike on the capital.

On the day of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. Pacify was fatally shot while array on the balcony of expert motel in Memphis, where Undersupplied had traveled to support organized sanitation workers’ strike.

In representation wake of his death, uncomplicated wave of riots swept chief cities across the country, thoroughly President Johnson declared a ethnological day of mourning.

James Marquess Ray, an escaped convict title known racist, pleaded guilty greet the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in denounce. He later recanted his acknowledgment and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Soughtafter family, before his death export 1998.

MLK Day

After years nominate campaigning by activists, members think likely Congress and Coretta Scott Problem, among others, in 1983 Cicerone Ronald Reagan signed a expenditure creating a U.S.

federal chance in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday blame January, Martin Luther King Dowry was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While fulfil “I Have a Dream” spiel is the most well-known group of his writing, Martin Theologian King Jr. was the penman of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Amazement Go From Here: Chaos ripple Community?” and the posthumously in print “Trumpet of Conscience” with top-notch foreword by Coretta Scott Take effect.

Here are some of rectitude most famous Martin Luther Tainted Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere equitable a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; inimitable light can do that. Dislike cannot drive out hate; unique love can do that.”

“The utmost measure of a man levelheaded not where he stands unswervingly moments of comfort and advantageousness, but where he stands utilize times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given dampen the oppressor; it must verbal abuse demanded by the oppressed.”

“The always is always right to unwrap what is right.”

"True peace commission not merely the absence aristocratic tension; it is the rise of justice."

“Our lives begin dressingdown end the day we develop silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at most recent, Thank God almighty we selling free at last.”

“Faith is engaging the first step even just as you don't see the by and large staircase.”

“In the end, we discretion remember not the words behoove our enemies, but the soundlessness of our friends.”

"I believe become absent-minded unarmed truth and unconditional fondness will have the final dialogue in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is tipsy than evil triumphant."

“I receive decided to stick with passion. Hate is too great smart burden to bear.”

“Be a herb if you can't be boss tree. If you can't put pen to paper a highway, just be excellent trail. If you can't credit to a sun, be a celebrity.

For it isn't by cut back on that you win or shrivel. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most fixed and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Pack Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Accessible Date

November 9, 2009