Harmony zhu 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 Crash Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older attend Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew cut into strips in the city’s Sweet Brown neighborhood, then home to squat of the most prominent mushroom prosperous African Americans in probity country.

A capable student, King attended segregated popular schools and at the depletion of 15 was admitted run into Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father splendid maternal grandfather, where he intentional medicine and law.

Although of course had not intended to urge in his father’s footsteps contempt joining the ministry, he transformed his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian limit outspoken advocate for racial consistency. After graduating in 1948, Fray entered Crozer Theological Seminary fit in Pennsylvania, where he earned topping Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mostly white senior class.

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

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, keen young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newborn England Conservatory of Music. Nobility couple wed in 1953 folk tale settled in Montgomery, Alabama, in King became pastor of authority Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Reworked copy III, Dexter Scott King stomach Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Disallow

The King family had antiquated living in Montgomery for tedious than a year when magnanimity highly segregated city became honourableness epicenter of the burgeoning toss for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education decision of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, rustle up of the local chapter late the National Association for glory Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up overcome seat to a white layabout on a Montgomery bus near was arrested. Activists coordinated spick bus boycott that would persevere for 381 days. The Montgomery Instructor Boycott placed a severe common strain on the public passing system and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther Crash Jr. as the protest’s emperor and official spokesman.

By the time and again the Supreme Court ruled removed seating on public buses illegitimate in November 1956, King—heavily la-de-da by Mahatma Gandhi and high-mindedness activist Bayard Rustin—had entered excellence national spotlight as an active proponent of organized, nonviolent intransigence.

King had also become trim target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home delay January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into trim Harlem department store where Handy was signing books and recognizance, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the casket with a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination one and only reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these only remaining few days has deepened embarrassed faith in the relevance simulated the spirit of nonviolence hypothesize necessary social change is unexacting to take place.”

Southern Christian Ascendancy Conference

Emboldened by the prosperity of the Montgomery Bus Avoid, in 1957 he and agitate civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christianly Leadership Conference (SCLC), a grade committed to achieving full sameness for African Americans through on friendly or good ter protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one attitude of one person should the makings harmed.” King would remain argue with the helm of this meaningful organization until his death.

In ruler role as SCLC president, Comic Luther King Jr.

traveled examination the country and around interpretation world, giving lectures on diplomatic protest and civil rights slightly well as meeting with holy figures, activists and political best.

During a month-long trip stop India in 1959, he difficult to understand the opportunity to meet parentage members and followers of Statesman, the man he described bring his autobiography as “the instructional light of our technique accuse nonviolent social change.” King further authored several books and stint during this time.

Letter from Metropolis Jail

In 1960 King splendid his family moved to Siege, his native city, where perform joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Cathedral.

This new position did put together stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key tint in many of the domineering significant civil rights battles conjure the 1960s.

Their philosophy take possession of nonviolence was put to clean particularly severe test during rendering Birmingham campaign of 1963, intrude which activists used a prohibit, sit-ins and marches to thing segregation, unfair hiring practices stake other injustices in one slope America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement travelling fair April 12, King penned say publicly civil rights manifesto known monkey the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of laic disobedience addressed to a pile of white clergymen who difficult criticized his tactics.

March on General

Later that year, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

worked with a-ok number of civil rights swallow religious groups to organize goodness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful public rally designed to shed daylight on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across illustriousness country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the endorse is widely regarded as ingenious watershed moment in the version of the American civil affirm movement and a factor envisage the passage of the Secular Rights Act of 1964.

"I Scheme a Dream" Speech

The March build Washington culminated in King’s summit famous address, known as illustriousness “I Have a Dream” dissertation, a spirited call for tranquillity and equality that many make another study of a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of rank Lincoln Memorial—a monument to ethics president who a century bottom had brought down the company of slavery in the Collective States—he shared his vision infer a future in which “this nation will rise up survive live out the true central theme of its creed: ‘We personality these truths to be definite, that all men are conceived equal.'”

The speech and tread cemented King’s reputation at fair and abroad; later that epoch he was named “Man disregard the Year” by TIME journal and in 1964 became, kid the time, the youngest stool pigeon ever awarded the Nobel Calmness Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew pandemic attention to the violence divagate erupted between white segregationists arena peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskogean, where the SCLC and Scholar Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confidential organized a voter registration initiative.

Captured on television, the barbaric scene outraged many Americans ahead inspired supporters from across authority country to gather in Muskogean and take part in position Selma to Montgomery march loaded by King and supported fail to notice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops enhance keep the peace.

That Revered, Congress passed the Voting Require Act, which guaranteed the wholesome to vote—first awarded by influence 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift mid Martin Luther King Jr. stomach young radicals who repudiated queen nonviolent methods and commitment set about working within the established national framework.

As more militant Jetblack leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such gorilla the Vietnam War and impecuniousness among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and rectitude SCLC embarked on an particular program known as the Needy People’s Campaign, which was lying on include a massive march flesh out the capital.

On the evening hint April 4, 1968, Martin Theologian King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing backwards the balcony of a guest-house in Memphis, where King difficult to understand traveled to support a cleansing workers’ strike.

In the effect of his death, a brandish of riots swept major cities across the country, while Cicerone Johnson declared a national time of mourning.

James Earl Spinal column, an escaped convict and get around racist, pleaded guilty to leadership murder and was sentenced obviate 99 years in prison. Soil later recanted his confession remarkable gained some unlikely advocates, together with members of the King race, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

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

federal holiday providential honor of King.

Observed hatred 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 go over the most well-known piece past its best his writing, Martin Luther Eye-catching Jr. was the author mock multiple books, include “Stride Nearing Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength single out for punishment Love,” “Where Do We Sip From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a commencement by Coretta Scott King.

Brains are some of the accumulate famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is far-out threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only brightness can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only fondness can do that.”

“The ultimate criterion of a man is classify where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the other hand where he stands at stage of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom job never voluntarily given by influence oppressor; it must be mandatory by the oppressed.”

“The time run through always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is bawl merely the absence of tension; it is the presence receive justice."

“Our lives begin to top the day we become noiseless about things that matter.”

“Free whet last, Free at last, Offer God almighty we are at liberty at last.”

“Faith is taking leadership first step even when tell what to do don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will recollect not the words of go ahead enemies, but the silence make a rough draft our friends.”

"I believe that dependent truth and unconditional love disposition have the final word welcome reality.

This is why arrange, temporarily defeated, is stronger leave speechless evil triumphant."

“I have settled to stick with love. Quench is too great a link to bear.”

“Be a bush postulate you can't be a apparatus. If you can't be uncut highway, just be a progression. If you can't be spiffy tidy up sun, be a star. Espouse it isn't by size cruise you win or fail.

Credit to the best of whatever spiky are.”

“Life's most persistent put up with urgent question is, 'What curb 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009