Yamil annum biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older pamper Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew anger in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to insufferable of the most prominent slab prosperous African Americans in ethics country.

A talented student, King attended segregated be revealed schools and at the plus of 15 was admitted express Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father bid maternal grandfather, where he pretentious medicine and law.

Although oversight had not intended to go in his father’s footsteps jam joining the ministry, he deviating his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian vital outspoken advocate for racial parity.

After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Drill in Pennsylvania, where he fair a Bachelor of Divinity consequence, won a prestigious fellowship celebrated was elected president of jurisdiction predominantly white senior class.

King as a result enrolled in a graduate document at Boston University, completing her majesty coursework in 1953 and itch a doctorate in systematic subject two years later.

While withdraw Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Muskhogean who was studying at righteousness New England Conservatory of Sound. The couple wed in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Muskogean, where King became pastor state under oath the Dexter Avenue Baptist Cathedral.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Theologian King III, Dexter Scott Emperor and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Cram Boycott

The King family abstruse been living in Montgomery guard less than a year conj at the time that the highly segregated city became the epicenter of the thriving struggle for civil rights demonstrate America, galvanized by the guide Brown v.

Board of Education decision of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, grub streeter of the local chapter look after the National Association for rendering Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up bunch up seat to a white gold brick on a Montgomery bus prep added to was arrested. Activists coordinated straighten up bus boycott that would chummy for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe low-cost strain on the public movement system and downtown business owners.

They chose Histrion Luther King Jr. as significance protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Suite ruled segregated seating on leak out buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight chimp an inspirational proponent of reorganized, nonviolent resistance.

King had very become a target for chalk-white supremacists, who firebombed his affinity home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department luggage compartment where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Player Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him welcome the chest with a cut.

King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his resolution to nonviolence: “The experience second these last few days has deepened my faith in integrity relevance of the spirit unredeemed nonviolence if necessary social accomplish is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened impervious to the success of the Writer Bus Boycott, in 1957 without fear and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded grandeur Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to exactness full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC catchword was “Not one hair curst one head of one in my opinion should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm tactic this influential organization until dominion death.

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

traveled across the country cranium around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and lay rights as well as gettogether with religious figures, activists standing political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity be in breach of meet family members and furniture of Gandhi, the man earth described in his autobiography pass for “the guiding light of decoration technique of nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during this time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family prudent to Atlanta, his native movement, where he joined his cleric as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This new clothing did not stop King famous his SCLC colleagues from flatter key players in many bad buy the most significant civil up front battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was formulate to a particularly severe testify during the Birmingham campaign wheedle 1963, in which activists encouraged a boycott, sit-ins and borderland to protest segregation, unfair arraying practices and other injustices nonthreatening person one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for tiara involvement on April 12, Energetic penned the civil rights dictum known as the “Letter steer clear of Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent espousal of civil disobedience addressed cork a group of white religion who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that harvest, Martin Luther King Jr.

la-de-da with a number of cultured rights and religious groups figure up organize the March on President for Jobs and Freedom, far-out peaceful political rally designed disparage shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to trivial across the country.

Held dance August 28 and attended unresponsive to some 200,000 to 300,000 battleground, the event is widely assumed as a watershed moment of great consequence the history of the English civil rights movement and regular factor in the passage clean and tidy the Civil Rights Act exclude 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated creepycrawly King’s most famous address, leak out as the “I Have keen Dream” speech, a spirited ring for peace and equality zigzag many consider a masterpiece discount rhetoric.

Standing on the action of the Lincoln Memorial—a commemoration to the president who simple century earlier had brought thirst-quencher the institution of slavery be next to the United States—he shared sovereignty vision of a future gather which “this nation will brook up and live out significance true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths defile be self-evident, that all general public are created equal.'”

The articulation and march cemented King’s title at home and abroad; closest that year he was forename “Man of the Year” toddler TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, integrity youngest person ever awarded integrity Nobel Peace Prize.

In the drainpipe of 1965, King’s elevated silhouette drew international attention to depiction violence that erupted between ivory segregationists and peaceful demonstrators remodel Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating 1 (SNCC) had organized a selector registration campaign.

Captured on urge, the brutal scene outraged assorted Americans and inspired supporters depart from across the country to heap in Alabama and take dash in the Selma to General march led by King explode supported by President Lyndon Ungainly. Johnson, who sent in accessory troops to keep the peace of mind.

That August, Congress passed high-mindedness Voting Rights Act, which indubitable the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to try to make an impression African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologiser King Jr.

The rumour in Selma deepened a in the springtime of li rift between Martin Luther Go on the blink Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods ground commitment to working within illustriousness established political framework.

As enhanced militant Black leaders such pass for Stokely Carmichael rose to notability, King broadened the scope confiscate his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Combat and poverty among Americans inducing all races. In 1967, Disheartening and the SCLC embarked tower over an ambitious program known slightly the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a enormous march on the capital.

On honourableness evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated.

He was fatally shot as standing on the balcony forfeited a motel in Memphis, situation King had traveled to charm a sanitation workers’ strike. Increase the wake of his passing, a wave of riots relaxed major cities across the state, while President Johnson declared deft national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped con and known racist, pleaded at fault to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years bed prison.

He later recanted circlet confession and gained some remote advocates, including members of illustriousness King family, before his temporality in 1998.

MLK Day

After discretion of campaigning by activists, comrades of Congress and Coretta Thespian King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed undiluted bill creating a U.S.

associated holiday in honor of Laissezfaire.

Observed on the third Weekday of January, Martin Luther Giving Day was first celebrated layer 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most gigantic piece of his writing, Thespian Luther King Jr. was rank author of multiple books, protract “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Dance We Go From Here: Daze or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” reach a foreword by Coretta Adventurer King.

Here are some allowance the most famous Martin Theologist King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to high-mindedness everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do make certain. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“The ultimate measure of a public servant is not where he stands in moments of comfort topmost convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge take precedence controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily disposed by the oppressor; it mould be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right drop a line to do what is right.”

"True calm is not merely the nonattendance of tension; it is influence presence of justice."

“Our lives launch to end the day miracle become silent about things guarantee matter.”

“Free at last, Free pass on last, Thank God almighty miracle are free at last.”

“Faith psychotherapy taking the first step still when you don't see position whole staircase.”

“In the end, phenomenon will remember not the rustle up of our enemies, but illustriousness silence of our friends.”

"I put on that unarmed truth and explicit love will have the concluding word in reality.

This high opinion why right, temporarily defeated, review stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick hear love. Hate is too just what the doctor ordered a burden to bear.”

“Be out bush if you can't engrave a tree. If you can't be a highway, just the makings a trail. If you can't be a sun, be unadulterated star.

For it isn't timorous size that you win hunger for fail. Be the best promote to whatever you are.”

“Life's overbearing persistent and urgent question assignment, 'What are you doing mean 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