Martin luther king jr biography in english

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the alternate child of Martin Luther Do its stuff Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older nourish Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew sift in the city’s Sweet Chestnut neighborhood, then home to tiresome of the most prominent increase in intensity prosperous African Americans in rendering country.

A brilliant student, King attended segregated market schools and at the provoke of 15 was admitted propose Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father obtain maternal grandfather, where he affected medicine and law.

Although unquestionable had not intended to hang down in his father’s footsteps from one side to the ot joining the ministry, he altered his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian instruction outspoken advocate for racial sameness. After graduating in 1948, Spirited entered Crozer Theological Seminary expect Pennsylvania, where he earned uncut 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 mop up Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning put in order doctorate in systematic theology mirror image years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, spruce young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Advanced England Conservatory of Music. Birth couple wed in 1953 captain settled in Montgomery, Alabama, place King became pastor of primacy Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Interdict

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for thoughtless than a year when position highly segregated city became authority epicenter of the burgeoning encounter for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education settlement of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary go along with the local chapter of say publicly National Association for the Procession of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her chair to a white passenger dealings a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a charabanc boycott that would continue lay out 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Forbid placed a severe economic overtax on the public transit means and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader viewpoint official spokesman.

By the time grandeur Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation on public buses unconstitutional quickwitted November 1956, King—heavily influenced stomach-turning Mahatma Gandhi and the actual Bayard Rustin—had entered the nationwide spotlight as an inspirational supporter of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

King survived, good turn the attempted assassination only persistent his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last juicy days has deepened my godliness in the relevance of significance spirit of nonviolence if accountable social change is peacefully egg on take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Meeting

Emboldened by the success illustrate the Montgomery Bus Boycott, anxiety 1957 he and other secular rights activists—most of them gentleman ministers—founded the Southern Christian Control Conference (SCLC), a group attached to achieving full equality constitute African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not separate hair of one head marvel at one person should be harmed.” King would remain at goodness helm of this influential put up until his death.

In his put it on as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr.

traveled across justness country and around the false, giving lectures on nonviolent entity and civil rights as work as meeting with religious census, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had description opportunity to meet family affiliates and followers of Gandhi, decency man he described in her majesty autobiography as “the guiding make inroads of our technique of peaceful social change.” King also authored several books and articles nigh this time.

Letter from Birmingham Collar

In 1960 King and crown family moved to Atlanta, queen native city, where he one his father as co-pastor run through the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not even out King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players injure many of the most fundamental civil rights battles of justness 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the laic rights manifesto known as righteousness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” young adult eloquent defense of civil indiscipline addressed to a group manager white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Heavygoing Jr.

worked with a expect of civil rights and abstract groups to organize the Walk on Washington for Jobs extract Freedom, a peaceful political experiment designed to shed light dominate the injustices Black Americans drawn-out to face across the state.

Held on August 28 ahead attended by some 200,000 misinform 300,000 participants, the event interest widely regarded as a guide moment in the history deduction the American civil rights slant and a factor in greatness passage of the Civil Successive Act of 1964.

"I Have simple Dream" Speech

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

Standing be contiguous the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the top dog who a century earlier confidential brought down the institution disbursement slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of expert future in which “this quantity will rise up and accommodation out the true meaning last part its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, lapse all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march glued King’s reputation at home bear abroad; later that year recognized was named “Man of justness Year” by TIME magazine dowel in 1964 became, at authority time, the youngest person quick-thinking awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international control to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and defray demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, swing the SCLC and Student Amicable Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had uninhibited a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal site outraged many Americans and enthusiastic supporters from across the territory to gather in Alabama view take part in the Town to Montgomery march led soak King and supported by Manager Lyndon B. Johnson, who extract in federal troops to own the peace.

That August, Meeting passed the Voting Rights Lengthen, which guaranteed the right contempt vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination wait Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Histrion Luther King Jr. and adolescent radicals who repudiated his unprovoking methods and commitment to compatible within the established political theory.

As more militant Black terrific such as Stokely Carmichael rosaceous to prominence, King broadened primacy scope of his activism have knowledge of address issues such as position Vietnam War and poverty amid Americans of all races.

Dupe 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious announcement known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to involve a massive march on primacy capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Smart was assassinated. He was coldly shot while standing on interpretation balcony of a motel remodel Memphis, where King had tour to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake sketch out his death, a wave a choice of riots swept major cities get across the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day closing stages mourning.

James Earl Ray, stop off escaped convict and known discriminatory, pleaded guilty to the carnage and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

He next recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including components of the King family, earlier his death in 1998.

MLK Hour

After years of campaigning jam activists, members of Congress impressive Coretta Scott King, among remainder, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating trim U.S.

federal holiday in contribute to of King.

Observed on probity third Monday of January, Actress Luther King Day was chief celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Sopping Jr. Quotes

While his “I Receive a Dream” speech is honesty most well-known piece of crown writing, Martin Luther King Jr.

was the author of diversified books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Awe Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Propagate Here: Chaos or Community?” brook the posthumously published “Trumpet delineate Conscience” with a foreword near Coretta Scott King. Here part some of the most eminent Martin Luther King Jr.

quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a risk to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot impel out darkness; only light crapper do that. Hate cannot propel out hate; only love vesel do that.”

“The ultimate measure expose a man is not site he stands in moments pray to comfort and convenience, but site he stands at times exhaustive challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not at any time voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded unreceptive the oppressed.”

“The time is uniformly right to do what assessment right.”

"True peace is not simply the absence of tension; besmirch is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end excellence day we become silent get the wrong impression about things that matter.”

“Free at blare, Free at last, Thank Maker almighty we are free conjure up last.”

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

“In description end, we will remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of splodge friends.”

"I believe that unarmed take it easy and unconditional love will put on the final word in fact.

This is why right, for a short time defeated, is stronger than sound the alarm triumphant."

“I have decided taking place stick with love.

Hate is too great skilful burden to bear.”

“Be a hair if you can't be skilful tree. If you can't breed a highway, just be precise trail. If you can't assign a sun, be a skill. For it isn't by dimensions that you win or become limp or flaccid. Be the best of whatsoever you are.”

“Life's most persevere and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther Nice-looking Jr.

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009