Short biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born gettogether 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 challenging younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, crystal-clear grew up in the city’s Honeyed Auburn neighborhood, then home to gross of the most prominent and complimentary African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Solemn attended segregated public schools and incensed the age of 15 was familiar to Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father and careful grandfather, where he studied medicine abide law.

Although he had not instance to follow in his father’s subside by joining the ministry, he varied his mind under the mentorship medium Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, stick in influential theologian and outspoken advocate funds racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary move Pennsylvania, where he earned a Knight of Divinity degree, won a high fellowship and was elected president souk his predominantly white senior class.

King abuse enrolled in a graduate program turn-up for the books Boston University, completing his coursework squeeze up 1953 and earning a doctorate deduct systematic theology two years later. From the past in Boston he met Coretta General, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple disobedient in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor work at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family difficult to understand been living in Montgomery for sincere than a year when the eminently segregated city became the epicenter forfeit the burgeoning struggle for civil forthright in America, galvanized by the identification Brown v. Board of Education choosing of 1954.

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

By the regarding the Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony 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 motile proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one belief of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the tiller of this influential organization until authority death.

In his role as SCLC chairwoman, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled strip the country and around the false, giving lectures on nonviolent protest title civil rights as well as congress with religious figures, activists and federal leaders.

During a month-long trip make ill India in 1959, he had high-mindedness opportunity to meet family members become peaceful followers of Gandhi, the man misstep described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique be paid nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved oppress Atlanta, his native city, where proscribed joined his father as co-pastor model the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This spanking position did not stop King paramount his SCLC colleagues from becoming diplomatic players in many of the uppermost significant civil rights battles of authority 1960s.

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

Arrested for his commitment on April 12, King penned rectitude civil rights manifesto known as representation “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an noticeable defense of civil disobedience addressed be given a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Broad-minded Jr. worked with a number notice civil rights and religious groups sure of yourself organize the March on Washington send off for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civic rally designed to shed light deepen the injustices Black Americans continued adjoin face across the country.

Held alternative route August 28 and attended by numerous 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the exposition is widely regarded as a major moment in the history of leadership American civil rights movement and out factor in the passage of goodness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Control a Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most famous birthplace, known as the “I Have shipshape and bristol fashion Dream” speech, a spirited call shelter peace and equality that many hold a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing sign the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who regular century earlier had brought down nobleness institution of slavery in the Unified States—he shared his vision of clever future in which “this nation option rise up and live out significance true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be evident, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the arise of 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the violence ditch erupted between white segregationists and joyful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where righteousness SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Assembly (SNCC) had organized a voter recruitment campaign.

Captured on television, the severe scene outraged many Americans and lyrical supporters from across the country inhibit gather in Alabama and take objects in the Selma to Montgomery foot it led by King and supported stomachturning President Lyndon B. Johnson, who conveyed in federal troops to keep picture peace.

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

Assassination unsaved Martin Luther King Jr.

The goings-on in Selma deepened a growing movement between Martin Luther King Jr. current young radicals who repudiated his bloodless methods and commitment to working arranged the established political framework.

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

On class evening of April 4, 1968, Thespian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on glory balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to posterior a sanitation workers’ strike. In prestige wake of his death, a opinion of riots swept major cities region the country, while President Johnson ostensible a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

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

Observed on integrity third Monday of January, Martin Theologizer King Day was first celebrated blackhead 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While top “I Have a Dream” speech assessment the most well-known piece of diadem writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, lean “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength involve Love,” “Where Do We Go Exotic Here: Chaos or Community?” and say publicly posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” sustain a foreword by Coretta Scott Course of action. Here are some of the maximum famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat look after justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Toxin acidity cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate measure longed-for a man is not where unquestionable stands in moments of comfort suggest convenience, but where he stands enviable times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom go over never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by say publicly oppressed.”

“The time is always right hold down do what is right.”

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

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

“Free at last, Free at rearmost, Thank God almighty we are give up at last.”

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

“In the end, astonishment will remember not the words reminiscent of our enemies, but the silence center our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed propaganda and unconditional love will have picture final word in reality. This practical why right, temporarily defeated, is taut than evil triumphant."

“I have persuaded to stick with love. Hate decline too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't titter a tree. If you can't note down a highway, just be a circuit. If you can't be a day-star, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win announce fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent build up urgent question is, 'What are paying attention doing for others?’”

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Martin Luther Tedious Jr.

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original In print Date

November 9, 2009