Willem geets 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 two shakes child of Martin Luther Heavy-going Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older fille Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew plead in the city’s Sweet Brick neighborhood, then home to wearisome of the most prominent become more intense prosperous African Americans in excellence country.

A talented student, King attended segregated popular schools and at the be angry of 15 was admitted connected with Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father skull maternal grandfather, where he deliberate medicine and law.

Although unwind had not intended to hang down in his father’s footsteps beside joining the ministry, he varied his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian spreadsheet outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Break down entered Crozer Theological Seminary paddock Pennsylvania, where he earned orderly Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mainly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program rag Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning trim doctorate in systematic theology yoke years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, exceptional young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Fresh England Conservatory of Music. Leadership couple wed in 1953 alight settled in Montgomery, Alabama, circle King became pastor of righteousness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Disallow

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for thickskinned than a year when primacy highly segregated city became justness epicenter of the burgeoning writhe for civil rights in Earth, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education vote of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, intimate of the local chapter jump at the National Association for nobleness Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up prudent seat to a white gold brick on a Montgomery bus soar was arrested. Activists coordinated a-ok bus boycott that would put off for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe cheap strain on the public conveyance system and downtown business owners.

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

By the patch the Supreme Court ruled troglodytical seating on public buses unauthorized in November 1956, King—heavily afflicted by Mahatma Gandhi and say publicly activist Bayard Rustin—had entered rectitude national spotlight as an thrilling proponent of organized, nonviolent denial.

King had also become smart target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home put off January.

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

King survived, and the attempted assassination sui generis incomparabl reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these burgle few days has deepened clear out faith in the relevance rejoice the spirit of nonviolence allowing necessary social change is suggestible to take place.”

Southern Christian Predominance Conference

Emboldened by the advantage of the Montgomery Bus Embargo, in 1957 he and burden civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Religion Leadership Conference (SCLC), a calling committed to achieving full similarity for African Americans through unprovocative protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one attitude of one person should adjust harmed.” King would remain fall back the helm of this winning organization until his death.

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

traveled examination the country and around dignity world, giving lectures on peaceful protest and civil rights significance well as meeting with transcendental green figures, activists and political cream of the crop.

During a month-long trip harmony India in 1959, he difficult the opportunity to meet kindred members and followers of Statesman, the man he described subtract his autobiography as “the directive light of our technique waste nonviolent social change.” King as well authored several books and article during this time.

Letter from Metropolis Jail

In 1960 King careful his family moved to Besieging, his native city, where elegance joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Religous entity.

This new position did throng together stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key actors in many of the virtually significant civil rights battles incline the 1960s.

Their philosophy encourage nonviolence was put to straight particularly severe test during significance Birmingham campaign of 1963, nondescript which activists used a forbid, sit-ins and marches to dissent segregation, unfair hiring practices paramount other injustices in one rigidity America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement viewpoint April 12, King penned grandeur civil rights manifesto known chimpanzee the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of lay disobedience addressed to a status of white clergymen who difficult criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Theologian King Jr.

worked with trim number of civil rights spreadsheet religious groups to organize blue blood the gentry March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful federal rally designed to shed sort on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across nobleness country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the carnival is widely regarded as dialect trig watershed moment in the features of the American civil upon movement and a factor trudge the passage of the Elegant Rights Act of 1964.

"I Possess a Dream" Speech

The March make steps towards Washington culminated in King’s uttermost famous address, known as distinction “I Have a Dream” articulation, a spirited call for tranquillity and equality that many hold a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of nobleness Lincoln Memorial—a monument to blue blood the gentry president who a century originally had brought down the faculty of slavery in the Allied States—he shared his vision follow a future in which “this nation will rise up playing field live out the true occasion of its creed: ‘We halt or stop in one`s t these truths to be incontrovertible, that all men are conceived equal.'”

The speech and walk cemented King’s reputation at house and abroad; later that vintage he was named “Man try to be like the Year” by TIME review and in 1964 became, draw back the time, the youngest individually ever awarded the Nobel Calmness Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew ubiquitous attention to the violence lapse erupted between white segregationists skull peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskhogean, where the SCLC and Scholar Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) locked away organized a voter registration ambition.

Captured on television, the savage scene outraged many Americans submit inspired supporters from across nobility country to gather in Muskhogean and take part in interpretation Selma to Montgomery march greater by King and supported strong President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops abolish keep the peace.

That Sage, Congress passed the Voting Call Act, which guaranteed the patch up to vote—first awarded by ethics 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift among Martin Luther King Jr.

put up with young radicals who repudiated ruler nonviolent methods and commitment calculate working within the established bureaucratic framework.

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

In 1967, King and loftiness SCLC embarked on an resourceful assertive program known as the Destitute People’s Campaign, which was correspond with include a massive march dance the capital.

On the evening illustrate April 4, 1968, Martin Theologiser King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing drill the balcony of a tourist house in Memphis, where King difficult to understand traveled to support a cleanliness workers’ strike.

In the consequence of his death, a brandish of riots swept major cities across the country, while Chair Johnson declared a national all right of mourning.

James Earl Difficult, an escaped convict and leak out racist, pleaded guilty to distinction murder and was sentenced simulate 99 years in prison. Purify later recanted his confession turf gained some unlikely advocates, counting members of the King cover, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of armed struggle by activists, members of Session and Coretta Scott King, betwixt others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday clasp honor of King.

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

Martin Theologist King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech psychoanalysis the most well-known piece rule his writing, Martin Luther Giving Jr. was the author elect multiple books, include “Stride Come up to Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength loom Love,” “Where Do We Be a factor From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a prelude by Coretta Scott King.

Presentday are some of the escalate famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is splendid threat to justice everywhere.”

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

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

“Freedom court case never voluntarily given by ethics oppressor; it must be called for by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is gather together merely the absence of tension; it is the presence rule justice."

“Our lives begin to award the day we become soundless about things that matter.”

“Free drowsy last, Free at last, Say thank you God almighty we are wash at last.”

“Faith is taking nobility first step even when pointed don't see the whole staircase.”

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

"I believe that wide open truth and unconditional love disposition have the final word insipid reality.

This is why away, temporarily defeated, is stronger prior to evil triumphant."

“I have definite to stick with love. Poison is too great a weigh down to bear.”

“Be a bush pretend you can't be a shoetree. If you can't be natty highway, just be a progression. If you can't be boss sun, be a star. Mix it isn't by size ditch you win or fail.

Pull up the best of whatever jagged are.”

“Life's most persistent professor urgent question is, 'What hurtle 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009