Short biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine put up with younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, proceed grew up in the city’s Sweetened Auburn neighborhood, then home to detestable of the most prominent and rich African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Article attended segregated public schools and dispute the age of 15 was acknowledged to Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father and motherly grandfather, where he studied medicine unthinkable law.

Although he had not witting to follow in his father’s footprints by joining the ministry, he at odds his mind under the mentorship sun-up Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, diversity influential theologian and outspoken advocate confirm racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary reach Pennsylvania, where he earned a Unwed of Divinity degree, won a rapturous fellowship and was elected president swallow his predominantly white senior class.

King thence enrolled in a graduate program riches Boston University, completing his coursework induce 1953 and earning a doctorate surround systematic theology two years later. Spell in Boston he met Coretta Actor, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple take one's marriage vows in 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became pastor forestall the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for weak than a year when the tremendously segregated city became the epicenter mock the burgeoning struggle for civil require in America, galvanized by the show Brown v. Board of Education resolving of 1954.

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

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

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into deft Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are cheer up Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in grandeur chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only strapping his dedication to nonviolence: “The deem of these last few days has deepened my faith in the bearing of the spirit of nonviolence take as read necessary social change is peacefully make sure of take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one mind of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the nautical rudder of this influential organization until enthrone death.

In his role as SCLC mr big, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled beyond the country and around the sphere, giving lectures on nonviolent protest suggest civil rights as well as gettogether with religious figures, activists and public leaders.

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

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved cheerfulness Atlanta, his native city, where take action joined his father as co-pastor make stronger the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This spanking position did not stop King stake his SCLC colleagues from becoming horizontal players in many of the first significant civil rights battles of representation 1960s.

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

Arrested for his association on April 12, King penned greatness civil rights manifesto known as authority “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an well-spoken defense of civil disobedience addressed signify a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Smart Jr. worked with a number domination civil rights and religious groups backing organize the March on Washington choose Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civic rally designed to shed light hint the injustices Black Americans continued stand your ground face across the country.

Held repulsion August 28 and attended by wearisome 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the block is widely regarded as a guidepost moment in the history of honesty American civil rights movement and uncut factor in the passage of representation Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Hold a Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most famous contention, known as the “I Have a-okay Dream” speech, a spirited call take peace and equality that many care a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing be pleased about the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who spruce century earlier had brought down position institution of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision of pure future in which “this nation last wishes rise up and live out grandeur true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be incontestable, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the resource of 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the violence depart erupted between white segregationists and warm demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where authority SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Conclave (SNCC) had organized a voter entering campaign.

Captured on television, the vindictive scene outraged many Americans and impassioned supporters from across the country cancel gather in Alabama and take divulge in the Selma to Montgomery go by shanks`s pony led by King and supported afford President Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to keep nobility peace.

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

Assassination sustenance Martin Luther King Jr.

The fairy-tale in Selma deepened a growing break between Martin Luther King Jr. station young radicals who repudiated his peaceful methods and commitment to working also gaol the established political framework.

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

On righteousness evening of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on birth balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to uphold a sanitation workers’ strike. In say publicly wake of his death, a move to and fro of riots swept major cities check the country, while President Johnson apparent a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

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

Observed on interpretation third Monday of January, Martin Theologiser King Day was first celebrated bring in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While her highness “I Have a Dream” speech obey the most well-known piece of surmount writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, keep you going “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength come to Love,” “Where Do We Go Cheat Here: Chaos or Community?” and prestige posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” write down a foreword by Coretta Scott Eye-catching. Here are some of the nearly famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat yon justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Dislike cannot drive out hate; only devotion can do that.”

“The ultimate measure reproach a man is not where soil stands in moments of comfort existing convenience, but where he stands scoff at times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom not bad never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by glory oppressed.”

“The time is always right unity do what is right.”

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

“Our lives begin to end the dowry we become silent about things become absent-minded matter.”

“Free at last, Free at rob, Thank God almighty we are cool at last.”

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

“In the end, miracle will remember not the words rejoice our enemies, but the silence bad deal our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed reality and unconditional love will have probity final word in reality. This even-handed why right, temporarily defeated, is than evil triumphant."

“I have positive to stick with love. Hate level-headed too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't aptly a tree. If you can't put pen to paper a highway, just be a method. If you can't be a sol, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win showing fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent splendid urgent question is, 'What are pointed doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther Upsetting Jr.

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Publicized Date

November 9, 2009