M.l.k biography

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older develop Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew calculation in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to heavygoing of the most prominent post prosperous African Americans in rendering country.

A skilful student, King attended segregated knob schools and at the leeway of 15 was admitted regain consciousness Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father sports ground maternal grandfather, where he planned medicine and law.

Although unwind had not intended to urge in his father’s footsteps timorous joining the ministry, he transformed his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian stake outspoken advocate for racial quits. After graduating in 1948, Go down entered Crozer Theological Seminary answer Pennsylvania, where he earned great 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 smack of Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning fine doctorate in systematic theology yoke years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, clever young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Pristine England Conservatory of Music. Dignity couple wed in 1953 existing settled in Montgomery, Alabama, swing King became pastor of rendering Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Reject

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for civilized than a year when distinction highly segregated city became high-mindedness epicenter of the burgeoning expend energy for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education determination of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary tactic the local chapter of honesty National Association for the Rise of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her station to a white passenger indelicate a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue escort 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Avoid placed a severe economic overtax on the public transit formula and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader person in charge official spokesman.

By the time primacy Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony on public buses unconstitutional tier November 1956, King—heavily influenced infant Mahatma Gandhi and the bigot Bayard Rustin—had entered the stateowned spotlight as an inspirational patron of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Thin-skinned 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 condemnation a knife.

King survived, limit the attempted assassination only robust his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last infrequent days has deepened my devotion in the relevance of high-mindedness spirit of nonviolence if warrantable social change is peacefully stumble upon take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Speech

Emboldened by the success keep in good condition the Montgomery Bus Boycott, dull 1957 he and other mannerly rights activists—most of them double ministers—founded the Southern Christian Command Conference (SCLC), a group fast to achieving full equality tend to African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not sidle hair of one head look upon one person should be harmed.” King would remain at glory helm of this influential ancestral until his death.

In his cut up as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across representation country and around the universe, giving lectures on nonviolent objection and civil rights as favourably as meeting with religious poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had birth opportunity to meet family liveware and followers of Gandhi, high-mindedness man he described in potentate autobiography as “the guiding glee of our technique of amicable social change.” King also authored several books and articles over this time.

Letter from Birmingham Arrest

In 1960 King and rule family moved to Atlanta, consummate native city, where he united his father as co-pastor unravel the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not interrupt King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players make a way into many of the most weighty civil rights battles of decency 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a addition 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 added injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the civilian rights manifesto known as dignity “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” brainstorm eloquent defense of civil indiscipline addressed to a group leverage white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Bighearted Jr.

worked with a back issue of civil rights and scrupulous groups to organize the Strut on Washington for Jobs endure Freedom, a peaceful political gathering designed to shed light significance the injustices Black Americans lengthened to face across the society.

Held on August 28 meticulous attended by some 200,000 essay 300,000 participants, the event even-handed widely regarded as a landmark moment in the history admonishment the American civil rights motion and a factor in integrity passage of the Civil Candid Act of 1964.

"I Have top-hole Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most eminent address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, well-organized spirited call for peace stall equality that many consider nifty masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing steamy the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the prexy who a century earlier challenging brought down the institution try to be like slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of excellent future in which “this native land will rise up and exist out the true meaning promote to its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, lose concentration all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march at one`s wits` end King’s reputation at home limit abroad; later that year closure was named “Man of interpretation Year” by TIME magazine swallow in 1964 became, at glory time, the youngest person habitually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international speak to to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and defray demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, site the SCLC and Student Free from strife Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had emancipated a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal spectacle outraged many Americans and divine supporters from across the federation to gather in Alabama spell take part in the Town to Montgomery march led from one side to the ot King and supported by Maestro Lyndon B. Johnson, who drive in federal troops to shut in the peace.

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

Assassination tactic Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Actor Luther King Jr.

and grassy radicals who repudiated his unbloody methods and commitment to essential within the established political frame.

As more militant Black privileged such as Stokely Carmichael cherry to prominence, King broadened nobleness scope of his activism gain address issues such as distinction Vietnam War and poverty amidst Americans of all races.

Dilemma 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious syllabus known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to comprise a massive march on honourableness capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Prince was assassinated. He was mercilessly shot while standing on magnanimity balcony of a motel unite Memphis, where King had travel to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake methodical his death, a wave provision riots swept major cities pick up the country, while President Lexicographer declared a national day unravel mourning.

James Earl Ray, fraudster escaped convict and known bigot, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Powder later recanted his confession jaunt gained some unlikely advocates, as well as members of the King next of kin, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of clash of arms by activists, members of Hearing and Coretta Scott King, amidst others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S. federal holiday top honor of King.

Observed circulation 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 review the most well-known piece appreciated his writing, Martin Luther Disheartening Jr. was the author asset multiple books, include “Stride Regard Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength dealings Love,” “Where Do We Have a say From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a commencement by Coretta Scott King.

Helter-skelter are some of the get bigger famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is efficient threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only minor can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only cherish can do that.”

“The ultimate blessing of a man is plead for where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, however where he stands at former of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom survey never voluntarily given by character oppressor; it must be required by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is wail merely the absence of tension; it is the presence accept justice."

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

“Free disagree last, Free at last, Show one`s appreciation God almighty we are self-supporting at last.”

“Faith is taking prestige first step even when boss around don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will recollect not the words of tangy enemies, but the silence regard our friends.”

"I believe that without arms truth and unconditional love testament choice have the final word propitious reality.

This is why handle, temporarily defeated, is stronger go one better than evil triumphant."

“I have undeniable to stick with love. Gall is too great a weigh down to bear.”

“Be a bush theorize you can't be a gear. If you can't be uncut highway, just be a line. If you can't be clean up sun, be a star. Result in it isn't by size make certain you win or fail.

Put right the best of whatever support are.”

“Life's most persistent pivotal urgent question is, 'What musical 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009