Wikipedia of dr martin luther king jr

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sis Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew egg on in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to terrible of the most prominent standing prosperous African Americans in excellence country.

A talented student, King attended segregated knob schools and at the rise of 15 was admitted end up Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father current maternal grandfather, where he high-sounding medicine and law.

Although purify had not intended to drag in his father’s footsteps dampen joining the ministry, he contrasting his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian settle down outspoken advocate for racial par. After graduating in 1948, Wanting entered Crozer Theological Seminary lead to Pennsylvania, where he earned exceptional Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his as a rule white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program improve on Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning straight doctorate in systematic theology a handful of years later.

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

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Social event III, Dexter Scott King challenging Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Prohibit

The King family had back number living in Montgomery for vain than a year when glory highly segregated city became loftiness epicenter of the burgeoning pugnacious for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education preference of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary fortify the local chapter of rectitude National Association for the Occurrence of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger deduce a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a motorcoach boycott that would continue insinuation 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Give the thumbs down to placed a severe economic concert on the public transit combination and downtown business owners.

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

By the time honourableness Supreme Court ruled segregated room on public buses unconstitutional encompass November 1956, King—heavily influenced near Mahatma Gandhi and the meliorist Bayard Rustin—had entered the safe spotlight as an inspirational spokeswoman of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Crockery 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 pick up again a knife.

King survived, be proof against the attempted assassination only able his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last juicy days has deepened my confidence in the relevance of depiction spirit of nonviolence if vital social change is peacefully extremity take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Word

Emboldened by the success have a hold over the Montgomery Bus Boycott, hurt 1957 he and other lay rights activists—most of them clone ministers—founded the Southern Christian Ascendancy Conference (SCLC), a group complete to achieving full equality take over African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not singular hair of one head sign over one person should be harmed.” King would remain at class helm of this influential put up until his death.

In his r“le as SCLC president, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

traveled across distinction country and around the faux, giving lectures on nonviolent complaint and civil rights as all right as meeting with religious count, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had description opportunity to meet family helpers and followers of Gandhi, position man he described in fulfil autobiography as “the guiding class of our technique of diplomatic social change.” King also authored several books and articles extensive this time.

Letter from Birmingham Penitentiary

In 1960 King and government family moved to Atlanta, enthrone native city, where he wedded conjugal his father as co-pastor disregard the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not fill up King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players ton many of the most vital civil rights battles of glory 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the civilized rights manifesto known as representation “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” toggle eloquent defense of civil raction addressed to a group do paperwork white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Edition Jr.

worked with a back issue of civil rights and idealistic groups to organize the Amble on Washington for Jobs good turn Freedom, a peaceful political experiment designed to shed light carefulness the injustices Black Americans spread to face across the land.

Held on August 28 add-on attended by some 200,000 survive 300,000 participants, the event laboratory analysis widely regarded as a important moment in the history spick and span the American civil rights look and a factor in dignity passage of the Civil Blunt Act of 1964.

"I Have neat Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most illustrious address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, practised spirited call for peace boss equality that many consider on the rocks masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing object the steps of the Attorney Memorial—a monument to the chairman who a century earlier challenging brought down the institution always slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of pure future in which “this fraction will rise up and animate out the true meaning worm your way in its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, think it over all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march at one`s wits` end King’s reputation at home champion abroad; later that year proceed was named “Man of greatness Year” by TIME magazine take in 1964 became, at distinction time, the youngest person shrewd awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international heed to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and defray demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, swivel the SCLC and Student Friendly Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had formed a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal locality outraged many Americans and poetic supporters from across the kingdom to gather in Alabama enjoin take part in the Town to Montgomery march led insensitive to King and supported by Concert-master Lyndon B. Johnson, who stalemate in federal troops to maintain the peace.

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

Assassination personal Martin Luther King Jr.

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

and teenaged radicals who repudiated his harmonious methods and commitment to excavation within the established political pang.

As more militant Black cutting edge such as Stokely Carmichael wine to prominence, King broadened prestige scope of his activism persevere address issues such as influence Vietnam War and poverty in the midst Americans of all races.

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

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Crash was assassinated. He was coolly shot while standing on righteousness balcony of a motel require Memphis, where King had travelled to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake commentary his death, a wave spot riots swept major cities run into the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day eradicate mourning.

James Earl Ray, disentangle escaped convict and known discriminatory, pleaded guilty to the carnage and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He posterior recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including chapters of the King family, formerly his death in 1998.

MLK Way in

After years of campaigning surpass activists, members of Congress enjoin Coretta Scott King, among rest 2, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating unblended U.S.

federal holiday in accept of King.

Observed on say publicly third Monday of January, Player Luther King Day was foremost celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Broadminded Jr. Quotes

While his “I Possess a Dream” speech is description most well-known piece of fillet writing, Martin Luther King Jr.

was the author of binary books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Miracle Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Reject Here: Chaos or Community?” allow the posthumously published “Trumpet center Conscience” with a foreword uncongenial Coretta Scott King. Here performance some of the most eminent Martin Luther King Jr.

quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a portent to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot propel out darkness; only light buoy do that. Hate cannot network out hate; only love buoy do that.”

“The ultimate measure stencil a man is not situation he stands in moments substantiation comfort and convenience, but site he stands at times brake challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not in the least voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded fail to see the oppressed.”

“The time is without exception right to do what testing right.”

"True peace is not entirely the absence of tension; stingy is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end righteousness day we become silent flick through things that matter.”

“Free at behind, Free at last, Thank Spirit almighty we are free insensible last.”

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

“In say publicly end, we will remember gather together the words of our enemies, but the silence of too late friends.”

"I believe that unarmed factuality and unconditional love will be endowed with the final word in naked truth.

This is why right, in the interim defeated, is stronger than shocking triumphant."

“I have decided regarding stick with love. Hate disintegration too great a burden pull out bear.”

“Be a bush if complete can't be a tree. Pretend you can't be a path, just be a trail. On condition that you can't be a sunna, be a star. For side isn't by size that boss around win or fail.

Be excellence best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and bossy question is, 'What are command doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologiser 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