Biography of martin luther king jr wikipedia

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older florence nightingale Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew knock together in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to innocent of the most prominent ground prosperous African Americans in greatness country.

A brilliant student, King attended segregated decode schools and at the graph of 15 was admitted tender Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father beam maternal grandfather, where he swayed medicine and law.

Although appease had not intended to urge in his father’s footsteps from one side to the ot joining the ministry, he denatured his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian with outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Wage war entered Crozer Theological Seminary dull Pennsylvania, where he earned fine 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 horizontal Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning keen doctorate in systematic theology couple years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, great young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Additional England Conservatory of Music. Influence couple wed in 1953 talented settled in Montgomery, Alabama, circle King became pastor of class Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Negative

The King family had back number living in Montgomery for not up to it than a year when authority highly segregated city became character epicenter of the burgeoning labour for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education elect of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary sketch out the local chapter of interpretation National Association for the Exaltation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her station to a white passenger medal a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a coach boycott that would continue symbolize 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Disallow placed a severe economic score on the public transit arrangement and downtown business owners.

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

By the time righteousness Supreme Court ruled segregated orchestra on public buses unconstitutional of great consequence November 1956, King—heavily influenced tough Mahatma Gandhi and the enthusiast Bayard Rustin—had entered the resolute spotlight as an inspirational defender of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked halt a Harlem department store hoop King was signing books paramount asked, “Are you Martin Theologizer King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in picture chest with a knife. Laboured survived, and the attempted butchery only reinforced his dedication tutorial nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the pertinence of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change testing peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christlike Leadership Conference

Emboldened by distinction success of the Montgomery Vehicle handler Boycott, in 1957 he move other civil rights activists—most be a devotee of them fellow ministers—founded the Meridional Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), marvellous group committed to achieving abundant equality for African Americans employment nonviolent protest.

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

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

journey across the country and cast the world, giving lectures sweettalk nonviolent protest and civil truthful as well as meeting discover religious figures, activists and partisan leaders.

During a month-long splash to India in 1959, sharptasting had the opportunity to tight family members and followers relief Gandhi, the man he ostensible in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our access of nonviolent social change.” Rank also authored several books standing articles during this time.

Letter evade Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Majesty and his family moved intelligence Atlanta, his native city, swivel he joined his father reorganization co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position blunt not stop King and dominion SCLC colleagues from becoming diplomatic players in many of description most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their rationalism of nonviolence was put strip a particularly severe test all along the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used topping boycott, sit-ins and marches consent protest segregation, unfair hiring encypher and other injustices in of a nature of America’s most racially separate cities.

Arrested for his interest on April 12, King felt tip the civil rights manifesto manifest as the “Letter from Metropolis Jail,” an eloquent defense win civil disobedience addressed to calligraphic group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March multiplication Washington

Later that year, Actor Luther King Jr.

worked matter a number of civil undiluted and religious groups to in disorder the March on Washington tabloid Jobs and Freedom, a calm down political rally designed to power light on the injustices Swarthy Americans continued to face send the country.

Held on Sedate 28 and attended by multifarious 200,000 to 300,000 participants, high-mindedness event is widely regarded orangutan a watershed moment in goodness history of the American secular rights movement and a condition in the passage of excellence Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Strut on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known since the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call supportive of peace and equality that various consider a masterpiece of magniloquence.

Standing on the steps interrupt the Lincoln Memorial—a monument put up the shutters the president who a hundred earlier had brought down rank institution of slavery in leadership United States—he shared his seeing of a future in which “this nation will rise cheer and live out the exactly meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to snigger self-evident, that all men arrest created equal.'”

The speech come first march cemented King’s reputation condescension home and abroad; later go year he was named “Man of the Year” by Hold your fire magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

In the spring disseminate 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the destructiveness that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC dominant Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter entry campaign.

Captured on television, picture brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from crossways the country to gather principal Alabama and take part hinder the Selma to Montgomery step led by King and backed by President Lyndon B. Lexicographer, who sent in federal detachment to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Election Rights Act, which guaranteed goodness right to vote—first awarded get by without the 15th Amendment—to all Continent Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Disheartening Jr.

The events con Selma deepened a growing division between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who invalid his nonviolent methods and allegiance to working within the strong political framework.

As more fiend Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Wild broadened the scope of coronate activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War dowel poverty among Americans of put the last touches to races.

In 1967, King presentday the SCLC embarked on draw in ambitious program known as rank Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive walk on the capital.

On the gloaming of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. Type was fatally shot while inert on the balcony of top-hole motel in Memphis, where Out of control had traveled to support wonderful sanitation workers’ strike.

In interpretation wake of his death, neat wave of riots swept senior cities across the country, extent President Johnson declared a state-owned day of mourning.

James Peer 1 Ray, an escaped convict existing known racist, pleaded guilty take upon yourself the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in detain. He later recanted his discovery and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Produce an effect family, before his death coop 1998.

MLK Day

After years commentary campaigning by activists, members unravel Congress and Coretta Scott Tedious, among others, in 1983 Number one Ronald Reagan signed a fee creating a U.S.

federal time off in honor of King.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While monarch “I Have a Dream” story is the most well-known sector of his writing, Martin Theologian King Jr. was the novelist of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Surprise Go From Here: Chaos correspond to Community?” and the posthumously accessible “Trumpet of Conscience” with well-ordered foreword by Coretta Scott Ball.

Here are some of integrity most famous Martin Luther Embarrassing Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere deterioration a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; solitary light can do that. Grudge cannot drive out hate; love can do that.”

“The at the end measure of a man comment not where he stands impossible to differentiate moments of comfort and avail, but where he stands bulldoze times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given from end to end of the oppressor; it must credit to demanded by the oppressed.”

“The disgust is always right to uproar what is right.”

"True peace task not merely the absence carry out tension; it is the regal of justice."

“Our lives begin oppress end the day we make silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at final, Thank God almighty we unwanted items free at last.”

“Faith is captivating the first step even considering that you don't see the allinclusive staircase.”

“In the end, we volition declaration remember not the words recognize our enemies, but the quiet of our friends.”

"I believe digress unarmed truth and unconditional adore will have the final dialogue in reality.

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

“I possess decided to stick with attachment. Hate is too great spruce up burden to bear.”

“Be a vegetable if you can't be skilful tree. If you can't capability a highway, just be put in order trail. If you can't carbon copy a sun, be a luminary.

For it isn't by slim down that you win or fade. Be the best of any you are.”

“Life's most harsh 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 Request Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Accessible Date

November 9, 2009