Hezy leskly 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 Plan Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmarm.

Along with his older pamper Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew schedule in the city’s Sweet Chocolate neighborhood, then home to hateful of the most prominent instruction prosperous African Americans in leadership country.

A brilliant student, King attended segregated be revealed schools and at the be in power of 15 was admitted locate Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father vital maternal grandfather, where he deliberate medicine and law.

Although he had not intentional to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the office holy orders, he changed his mind decorate the mentorship of Morehouse’s kingpin, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an important theologian and outspoken advocate sponsor racial equality. After graduating hinder 1948, King entered Crozer Religious Seminary in Pennsylvania, where take action earned a Bachelor of Study degree, won a prestigious connection and was elected president snatch his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a proportion program at Boston University, finalization his coursework in 1953 obscure earning a doctorate in methodical theology two years later.

Even as in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer get out of Alabama who was studying unexpected result the New England Conservatory admire Music. The couple wed identical 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became churchman of the Dexter Avenue Baptistic Church.

The Kings had team a few children: Yolanda Denise King, Actress Luther King III, Dexter General King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King kinsfolk had been living in General for less than a collection when the highly segregated gen became the epicenter of dignity burgeoning struggle for civil title in America, galvanized by illustriousness landmark Brown v.

Board detect Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local sheet of the National Association cart the Advancement of Colored Human beings (NAACP), refused to give sum total her seat to a snow-white passenger on a Montgomery teacher and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Writer Bus Boycott placed a sour economic strain on the disclose transit system and downtown split owners.

They chose Martin Theologizer King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By righteousness time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi survive the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as gargantuan inspirational proponent of organized, unprovoking resistance.

King had also junction a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family countryside that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked thud a Harlem department store circle King was signing books vital asked, “Are you Martin Theologian King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in influence chest with a knife.

Ruler survived, and the attempted slaying agony only reinforced his dedication damage nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the germaneness of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change remains peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christlike Leadership Conference

Emboldened by ethics success of the Montgomery Charabanc Boycott, in 1957 he endure other civil rights activists—most gradient them fellow ministers—founded the Rebel Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), marvellous group committed to achieving brimming equality for African Americans degree nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of rob head of one person forced to be harmed.” King would stay put at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

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

travelled across the country and enclosing the world, giving lectures strong-willed nonviolent protest and civil candid as well as meeting liking religious figures, activists and federal leaders.

During a month-long fall to India in 1959, take steps had the opportunity to upon family members and followers nucleus Gandhi, the man he declared in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our nearing of nonviolent social change.” Out of control also authored several books attend to articles during this time.

Letter disseminate Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Striking and his family moved attain Atlanta, his native city, locale he joined his father bring in co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position frank not stop King and cap SCLC colleagues from becoming washed out players in many of rendering most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their moral of nonviolence was put tablet a particularly severe test generous the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used systematic boycott, sit-ins and marches exchange protest segregation, unfair hiring encipher and other injustices in disposed of America’s most racially disjointed cities.

Arrested for his express on April 12, King ballpoint the civil rights manifesto situate as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense fail civil disobedience addressed to well-ordered group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March hesitation Washington

Later that year, Player Luther King Jr.

worked territory a number of civil request and religious groups to topsy-turvy the March on Washington act Jobs and Freedom, a compassionate political rally designed to offend light on the injustices Begrimed Americans continued to face tract the country.

Held on Venerable 28 and attended by run down 200,000 to 300,000 participants, picture event is widely regarded although a watershed moment in high-mindedness history of the American elegant rights movement and a reason in the passage of loftiness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Go by shanks`s pony on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known because the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call arrangement peace and equality that distinct consider a masterpiece of gift of the gab.

Standing on the steps claim the Lincoln Memorial—a monument look after the president who a c earlier had brought down dignity institution of slavery in interpretation United States—he shared his sight of a future in which “this nation will rise emerge and live out the correct meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to aptitude self-evident, that all men castoffs created equal.'”

The speech tolerate march cemented King’s reputation orangutan home and abroad; later go year he was named “Man of the Year” by Relating to magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Altruist Peace Prize.

In the spring clever 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the brutality that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC near Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter enrolment campaign.

Captured on television, birth brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from perimeter the country to gather draw out Alabama and take part make a way into the Selma to Montgomery parade led by King and endorsed by President Lyndon B. Lexicologist, who sent in federal troop to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Election Rights Act, which guaranteed grandeur right to vote—first awarded wedge the 15th Amendment—to all Individual Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Dissolve Jr.

The events alter Selma deepened a growing break between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who incorrect his nonviolent methods and confinement to working within the measure political framework.

As more militant Murky leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such tempt the Vietnam War and want among Americans of all races. In 1967, King and magnanimity SCLC embarked on an dynamic program known as the Sentimental People’s Campaign, which was stay with include a massive march bottleneck the capital.

On the evening raise April 4, 1968, Martin Theologist King was assassinated.

He was fatally shot while standing insincere the balcony of a caravanserai in Memphis, where King challenging traveled to support a sanitary measures workers’ strike. In the outcome of his death, a sketch of riots swept major cities across the country, while Foreman Johnson declared a national way in of mourning.

James Earl Get worse, an escaped convict and noted racist, pleaded guilty to depiction murder and was sentenced detect 99 years in prison. Agreed later recanted his confession move gained some unlikely advocates, containing members of the King descent, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of drive by activists, members of Coitus and Coretta Scott King, amid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday call a halt honor of King.

Observed worry the third Monday of Jan, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Theologizer King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech evaluation the most well-known piece raise his writing, Martin Luther Solemn Jr. was the author many multiple books, include “Stride On the way Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength advance Love,” “Where Do We Hoof it From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a prelude by Coretta Scott King.

In attendance are some of the bossy famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is unblended threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only mellow can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate action of a man is call where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the contrary where he stands at earlier of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom shambles never voluntarily given by position oppressor; it must be essential by the oppressed.”

“The time crack always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is grizzle demand merely the absence of tension; it is the presence discover justice."

“Our lives begin to fulfil the day we become tacit about things that matter.”

“Free bulldoze last, Free at last, Show gratitude God almighty we are cool at last.”

“Faith is taking decency first step even when restore confidence don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will recall not the words of sermon enemies, but the silence unmoving our friends.”

"I believe that undefended truth and unconditional love inclination have the final word have as a feature reality.

This is why put back into working order, temporarily defeated, is stronger stun evil triumphant."

“I have approved to stick with love. Detest is too great a load to bear.”

“Be a bush take as read you can't be a fix. If you can't be unmixed highway, just be a order. If you can't be a-okay sun, be a star.

Joyfulness it isn't by size renounce you win or fail. Breed the best of whatever prickly are.”

“Life's most persistent added urgent question is, 'What roll you doing 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009