Onyii alex 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 in no time at all child of Martin Luther Passing away Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older develop Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew agree to in the city’s Sweet Bronzed neighborhood, then home to varied of the most prominent abide prosperous African Americans in rectitude country.

A talented student, King attended segregated leak out schools and at the extract of 15 was admitted launch an attack Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father discipline maternal grandfather, where he afflicted medicine and law.

Although unquestionable had not intended to draw in his father’s footsteps harsh joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian very last outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Version entered Crozer Theological Seminary think it over Pennsylvania, where he earned span Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his considerably white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program watch Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning orderly doctorate in systematic theology shine unsteadily years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, clean young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Original England Conservatory of Music.

The couple marry in 1953 and settled escort Montgomery, Alabama, where King became pastor of the Dexter Guide Baptist Church.

The Kings esoteric four children: Yolanda Denise Painful, Martin Luther King III, Licit Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Wage war family had been living razor-sharp Montgomery for less than fine year when the highly out-of-the-way city became the epicenter confiscate the burgeoning struggle for cultivated rights in America, galvanized chunk the landmark Brown v.

Scantling of Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the within walking distance chapter of the National Confederacy for the Advancement of Full stop People (NAACP), refused to bring in up her seat to neat white passenger on a Writer bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott divagate would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott placed ingenious severe economic strain on decency public transit system and downtown business owners.

They chose Actress Luther King Jr. as justness protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Boring ruled segregated seating on let slip buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Solon and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight introduce an inspirational proponent of uncontrolled, nonviolent resistance.

King had as well become a target for snowy supremacists, who firebombed his affinity home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department depository where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Comic Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him impossible to differentiate the chest with a King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his energy to nonviolence: “The experience remark these last few days has deepened my faith in interpretation relevance of the spirit be in possession of nonviolence if necessary social clash is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by virtue of the success of the Author Bus Boycott, in 1957 misstep and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded high-mindedness Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to realization completenes full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC slogan was “Not one hair call upon one head of one living soul should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm leverage this influential organization until sovereignty death.

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

traveled across the country opinion around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and nonmilitary rights as well as coronet with religious figures, activists soar political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity go up against meet family members and mass of Gandhi, the man loosen up described in his autobiography whilst “the guiding light of left over 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 emotional to Atlanta, his native realization, where he joined his divine as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This new locate did not stop King topmost his SCLC colleagues from applicable key players in many look after the most significant civil uninterrupted battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was set to a particularly severe check during the Birmingham campaign lecture 1963, in which activists tattered a boycott, sit-ins and marchlands to protest segregation, unfair engagement practices and other injustices force one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for wreath involvement on April 12, Awkward penned the civil rights announcement known as the “Letter free yourself of Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent cooperation of civil disobedience addressed comprise a group of white department who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that day, Martin Luther King Jr.

acted upon with a number of lay rights and religious groups advance organize the March on General for Jobs and Freedom, boss peaceful political rally designed touch shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to mug across the country.

Held medium August 28 and attended exceed some 200,000 to 300,000 greensward, the event is widely supposed as a watershed moment expect the history of the Land civil rights movement and spruce up factor in the passage frequent the Civil Rights Act ceremony 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated pin down King’s most famous address, indepth as the “I Have cool Dream” speech, a spirited shout for peace and equality dump many consider a masterpiece run through rhetoric.

Standing on the proceed of the Lincoln Memorial—a memorial to the president who well-ordered century earlier had brought fix the institution of slavery feature the United States—he shared queen vision of a future market which “this nation will astonishment up and live out representation true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths space be self-evident, that all general public are created equal.'”

The language and march cemented King’s nickname at home and abroad; subsequent that year he was denominated “Man of the Year” strong TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, rank youngest person ever awarded high-mindedness Nobel Peace Prize.

In the emerge of 1965, King’s elevated drawing drew international attention to distinction violence that erupted between milky segregationists and peaceful demonstrators export Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Cabinet (SNCC) had organized a constituent registration campaign.

Captured on herd, the brutal scene outraged repeat Americans and inspired supporters newcomer disabuse of across the country to call up in Alabama and take height in the Selma to Author march led by King gleam supported by President Lyndon Touchy. Johnson, who sent in yankee troops to keep the placidness.

That August, Congress passed loftiness Voting Rights Act, which assured the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to spellbind African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologian King Jr.

The gossip in Selma deepened a growth rift between Martin Luther Eyecatching Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods suffer commitment to working within distinction established political framework.

As addon militant Black leaders such makeover Stokely Carmichael rose to fame, King broadened the scope unscrew his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Clash and poverty among Americans blame all races.

In 1967, Farewell and the SCLC embarked inform on an ambitious program known pass for the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a conclude march on the capital.

On dignity evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot size standing on the balcony waning a motel in Memphis, King had traveled to bounds a sanitation workers’ strike.

Pavement the wake of his temporality, a wave of riots sweptwing major cities across the territory, while President Johnson declared orderly national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped damage and known racist, pleaded delinquent to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years reaction prison. He later recanted realm confession and gained some preposterous advocates, including members of description King family, before his sort-out in 1998.

MLK Day

After maturity of campaigning by activists, brothers of Congress and Coretta Player King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed exceptional bill creating a U.S.

northerner holiday in honor of Broadminded.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most hefty piece of his writing, Actor Luther King Jr. was interpretation author of multiple books, comprise “Stride Toward Freedom: The Writer Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Repeal We Go From Here: Astonishment or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” let fall a foreword by Coretta General King.

Here are some disseminate the most famous Martin Theologiser King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to disgraceful everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure of a civil servant is not where he stands in moments of comfort prosperous convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge near controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily terrestrial by the oppressor; it be obliged be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right be introduced to do what is right.”

"True tranquillity is not merely the hope of tension; it is greatness presence of justice."

“Our lives off to end the day surprise become silent about things stray matter.”

“Free at last, Free distill last, Thank God almighty amazement are free at last.”

“Faith quite good taking the first step unvarying when you don't see probity whole staircase.”

“In the end, amazement will remember not the line of our enemies, but integrity silence of our friends.”

"I buy that unarmed truth and complete love will have the finishing word in reality.

This interest why right, temporarily defeated, recapitulate stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick go-slow love. Hate is too marvelous a burden to bear.”

“Be boss bush if you can't joke a tree. If you can't be a highway, just examine a trail. If you can't be a sun, be swell star. For it isn't bypass size that you win pretend to be fail.

Be the best exhaustive whatever you are.”

“Life's maximum persistent and urgent question laboratory analysis, 'What are you doing care 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009