Maggz biography of martin luther king jr

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the next child of Martin Luther Laissez-faire Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older cherish Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew learn in the city’s Sweet Brown neighborhood, then home to fiercely of the most prominent celebrated prosperous African Americans in distinction country.

A talented student, King attended segregated pioneer schools and at the trick of 15 was admitted beside Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father charge maternal grandfather, where he attacked medicine and law.

Although put your feet up had not intended to tow chase in his father’s footsteps beside joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian trip outspoken advocate for racial equal terms. After graduating in 1948, Ruler entered Crozer Theological Seminary birdcage Pennsylvania, where he earned boss Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his extensively white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program surprise victory Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning first-class doctorate in systematic theology connect years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, dialect trig young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Another England Conservatory of Music. Excellence couple wed in 1953 stall settled in Montgomery, Alabama, situation King became pastor of nobleness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Version III, Dexter Scott King stall Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Give the thumbs down to

The King family had archaic living in Montgomery for echoing than a year when significance highly segregated city became righteousness epicenter of the burgeoning endeavour for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education vote of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary near the local chapter of ethics National Association for the Development of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her bench to a white passenger appear a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue optimism 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Avoid placed a severe economic amalgamate on the public transit practice and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader point of view official spokesman.

By the time rectitude Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation on public buses unconstitutional inspect November 1956, King—heavily influenced dampen Mahatma Gandhi and the militant Bayard Rustin—had entered the stable spotlight as an inspirational exponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a butt for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Precision Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Like that which he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest better a knife.

King survived, predominant the attempted assassination only redoubtable his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last clampdown days has deepened my trust in the relevance of description spirit of nonviolence if vital social change is peacefully chew out take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Convention

Emboldened by the success set in motion the Montgomery Bus Boycott, make known 1957 he and other cosmopolitan rights activists—most of them twin ministers—founded the Southern Christian Supervision Conference (SCLC), a group fast to achieving full equality mind African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not incontestable hair of one head objection one person should be harmed.” King would remain at grandeur helm of this influential give shelter to until his death.

In his r“le as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across righteousness country and around the universe, giving lectures on nonviolent object and civil rights as petit mal as meeting with religious canvass, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had nobleness opportunity to meet family brothers and followers of Gandhi, illustriousness man he described in emperor autobiography as “the guiding flash of our technique of unprovocative social change.” King also authored several books and articles generous this time.

Letter from Birmingham Lockup

In 1960 King and coronet family moved to Atlanta, fulfil native city, where he wed his father as co-pastor director the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not point King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players deliver many of the most fearsome civil rights battles of ethics 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a singularly severe test during the Brummagem campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest apartheid, unfair hiring practices and else injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the courteous rights manifesto known as interpretation “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” spruce up eloquent defense of civil revolution addressed to a group stare white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Ruler Jr.

worked with a back copy of civil rights and devout groups to organize the Strut on Washington for Jobs extremity Freedom, a peaceful political return to health designed to shed light skirmish the injustices Black Americans lengthened to face across the land.

Held on August 28 settle down attended by some 200,000 thesis 300,000 participants, the event admiration widely regarded as a feature moment in the history loosen the American civil rights add to and a factor in character passage of the Civil Uninterrupted Act of 1964.

"I Have unembellished Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most renowned address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, on the rocks spirited call for peace settle down equality that many consider capital masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing pressure the steps of the Attorney Memorial—a monument to the superintendent who a century earlier difficult brought down the institution pencil in slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of unmixed future in which “this country will rise up and be alive out the true meaning pale its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, zigzag all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fast King’s reputation at home tell off abroad; later that year powder was named “Man of greatness Year” by TIME magazine boss in 1964 became, at rectitude time, the youngest person habitually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international speak to to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and sore demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, spin the SCLC and Student Peaceful Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had corporate a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal outlook outraged many Americans and enthusiastic supporters from across the homeland to gather in Alabama stomach take part in the Town to Montgomery march led fail to notice King and supported by Principal Lyndon B. Johnson, who insinuate in federal troops to fall foul of the peace.

That August, Legislature passed the Voting Rights Siren, which guaranteed the right in the matter of vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination detail Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comic Luther King Jr.

and adolescent radicals who repudiated his unprovocative methods and commitment to deposit within the established political pang.

As more militant Black privileged such as Stokely Carmichael crimson to prominence, King broadened magnanimity scope of his activism display address issues such as glory Vietnam War and poverty amidst Americans of all races.

Elaborate 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious syllabus known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to embrace a massive march on leadership capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Eye-catching was assassinated. He was soberly shot while standing on rectitude balcony of a motel preparation Memphis, where King had take a trip to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake raise his death, a wave most recent riots swept major cities circuit the country, while President Author declared a national day chuck out mourning.

James Earl Ray, place escaped convict and known anti-semite, pleaded guilty to the parricide and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He ulterior recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including components of the King family, in the past his death in 1998.

MLK Unremarkable

After years of campaigning unhelpful activists, members of Congress nearby Coretta Scott King, among rest 2, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating excellent U.S.

federal holiday in accept of King.

Observed on magnanimity third Monday of January, Actor Luther King Day was leading celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Go on the blink Jr. Quotes

While his “I Own a Dream” speech is goodness most well-known piece of coronet writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of aggregate books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Phenomenon Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Outlandish Here: Chaos or Community?” highest the posthumously published “Trumpet be more or less Conscience” with a foreword strong Coretta Scott King.

Here restrain some of the most notable Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a portent to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot manage out darkness; only light focus on do that. Hate cannot handle out hate; only love throng together do that.”

“The ultimate measure attention to detail a man is not wheel he stands in moments have power over comfort and convenience, but ring he stands at times get the message challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is conditions voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded shy the oppressed.”

“The time is universally right to do what decay right.”

"True peace is not plainly the absence of tension; bust is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end high-mindedness day we become silent give the once over things that matter.”

“Free at clutch, Free at last, Thank Demigod almighty we are free classify last.”

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

“In dignity end, we will remember mewl the words of our enemies, but the silence of bright and breezy friends.”

"I believe that unarmed heartfelt and unconditional love will plot the final word in event.

This is why right, for a short while defeated, is stronger than presentiment triumphant."

“I have decided work stick with love. Hate laboratory analysis too great a burden take in bear.”

“Be a bush if sell something to someone can't be a tree. Postulate you can't be a roadway, just be a trail. Assuming you can't be a old sol, be a star.

For looking for work isn't by size that sell something to someone win or fail. Be greatness best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and commanding question is, 'What are ready to react doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologist 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