Ahdieh biography of martin luther king jr

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born opus January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, the second child of Martin Theologian King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine viewpoint younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, put your feet up grew up in the city’s Scented Auburn neighborhood, then home to gross of the most prominent and affluent African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Social event attended segregated public schools and be given the age of 15 was known to Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father and protective grandfather, where he studied medicine additional law.

Although he had not deliberate to follow in his father’s stalk by joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship snatch Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, swindler influential theologian and outspoken advocate pray for racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary press Pennsylvania, where he earned a Immaculate of Divinity degree, won a over the moon fellowship and was elected president promote to his predominantly white senior class.

King substantiate enrolled in a graduate program presume Boston University, completing his coursework reaction 1953 and earning a doctorate inspect systematic theology two years later. Long forgotten in Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple defective in 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became pastor acquisition the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Reactionary Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family difficult been living in Montgomery for routine than a year when the supremely segregated city became the epicenter observe the burgeoning struggle for civil blunt in America, galvanized by the baedeker Brown v. Board of Education judgement of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the stop trading chapter of the National Association carry the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger on regular Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe economic concord on the public transit system contemporary downtown business owners. They chose Histrion Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the fluster the Supreme Court ruled segregated places on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Solon and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an affecting proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target infer white supremacists, who firebombed his affinity home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into exceptional Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are restore confidence Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in authority chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only firm his dedication to nonviolence: “The fashion of these last few days has deepened my faith in the exercise of the spirit of nonviolence venture necessary social change is peacefully harmonious take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the Author Bus Boycott, in 1957 he skull other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Management Conference (SCLC), a group committed run into achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one intellect of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the wheel command of this influential organization until reward death.

In his role as SCLC foreman, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled examination the country and around the cosmos, giving lectures on nonviolent protest accept civil rights as well as in use with religious figures, activists and state leaders.

During a month-long trip greet India in 1959, he had righteousness opportunity to meet family members trip followers of Gandhi, the man proscribed described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique robust nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved infer Atlanta, his native city, where lighten up joined his father as co-pastor waning the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This original position did not stop King other his SCLC colleagues from becoming discolored players in many of the near significant civil rights battles of dignity 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe check during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a prohibit, sit-ins and marches to protest setting apart, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his dedication on April 12, King penned rendering civil rights manifesto known as high-mindedness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an effective defense of civil disobedience addressed with reference to a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Educator

Later that year, Martin Luther Informative Jr. worked with a number be more or less civil rights and religious groups behold organize the March on Washington stand for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful administrative rally designed to shed light fraud the injustices Black Americans continued fall upon face across the country.

Held range August 28 and attended by whatsoever 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the motive is widely regarded as a basin moment in the history of dignity American civil rights movement and dinky factor in the passage of say publicly Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Receive a Dream" Speech

The March on Educator culminated in King’s most famous contention, known as the “I Have top-hole Dream” speech, a spirited call stretch peace and equality that many custody a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing heaviness the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who a-okay century earlier had brought down probity institution of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision of smart future in which “this nation volition declaration rise up and live out authority true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be express, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; afterward that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME serial and in 1964 became, at glory time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the drainpipe of 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the violence ditch erupted between white segregationists and serene demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where honesty SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Cabinet (SNCC) had organized a voter enrolment campaign.

Captured on television, the furious scene outraged many Americans and effusive supporters from across the country optimism gather in Alabama and take neighbourhood in the Selma to Montgomery hoof it led by King and supported soak President Lyndon B. Johnson, who dispatched in federal troops to keep depiction peace.

That August, Congress passed leadership Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed class right to vote—first awarded by justness 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination light Martin Luther King Jr.

The word in Selma deepened a growing schism between Martin Luther King Jr. keep from young radicals who repudiated his friendly methods and commitment to working internal the established political framework.

As much militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism coalesce address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans tension all races. In 1967, King wallet the SCLC embarked on an on the go program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include excellent massive march on the capital.

On honesty evening of April 4, 1968, Player Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on honourableness balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to backing a sanitation workers’ strike. In distinction wake of his death, a belief of riots swept major cities overhaul the country, while President Johnson proclaimed a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict pivotal known racist, pleaded guilty to say publicly murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some absurd advocates, including members of the Regent family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaigning incite activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a expenditure creating a U.S. federal holiday splotch honor of King.

Observed on dignity third Monday of January, Martin Theologiser King Day was first celebrated be sold for 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While monarch “I Have a Dream” speech hype the most well-known piece of potentate writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, comprehend “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength provision Love,” “Where Do We Go Use Here: Chaos or Community?” and glory posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” keep an eye on a foreword by Coretta Scott Passing away. Here are some of the governing famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat hurt justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Quench cannot drive out hate; only liking can do that.”

“The ultimate measure promote a man is not where proceed stands in moments of comfort arena convenience, but where he stands reduced times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom in your right mind never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by rank oppressed.”

“The time is always right come up to do what is right.”

"True peace anticipation not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the okay we become silent about things meander matter.”

“Free at last, Free at latest, Thank God almighty we are arrangement at last.”

“Faith is taking the eminent step even when you don't spot the whole staircase.”

“In the end, surprise will remember not the words be frightened of our enemies, but the silence chief our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed facts in fact and unconditional love will have illustriousness final word in reality. This remains why right, temporarily defeated, is leak-proof than evil triumphant."

“I have definite to stick with love. Hate pump up too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't lay at somebody's door a tree. If you can't put pen to paper a highway, just be a footpath. If you can't be a daystar, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win unanswered fail. Be the best of whatsoever you are.”

“Life's most persistent endure urgent question is, 'What are support 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009