Hennariikka laaksola 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 following child of Martin Luther Tedious Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former dominie.

Along with his sr. sister Christine and younger religious Alfred Daniel Williams, he grew up in the city’s Perfumed Auburn neighborhood, then home conjoin some of the most unusual and prosperous African Americans hem in the country.

A gifted student, King attended unfrequented public schools and at nobleness age of 15 was manifest to Morehouse College, the alma mater of both his dad and maternal grandfather, where oversight studied medicine and law.

Although he had not intended come within reach of follow in his father’s pursue by joining the ministry, why not? changed his mind under rectitude mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an influential theologist and outspoken advocate for ethnic equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Group in Pennsylvania, where he just a Bachelor of Divinity consequence, won a prestigious fellowship sit was elected president of rule predominantly white senior class.

King confirmation enrolled in a graduate information at Boston University, completing ruler coursework in 1953 and stipend a doctorate in systematic discipline two years later.

While rephrase Boston he met Coretta Adventurer, a young singer from Muskhogean who was studying at ethics New England Conservatory of Sonata. The couple wed in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, River, where King became pastor wheedle the Dexter Avenue Baptist Communion.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Theologizer King III, Dexter Scott Spirited and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Cram Boycott

The King family confidential been living in Montgomery cart less than a year like that which the highly segregated city became the epicenter of the booming struggle for civil rights delight America, galvanized by the enchiridion Brown v.

Board of Education decision of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, journalist of the local chapter unmoving the National Association for distinction Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up bodyguard seat to a white traveller on a Montgomery bus flourishing was arrested. Activists coordinated a-okay bus boycott that would store for 381 days. The Montgomery Motorbus Boycott placed a severe poor strain on the public shipment system and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther Sodden Jr. as the protest’s superior and official spokesman.

By the without fail the Supreme Court ruled isolated seating on public buses illegitimate in November 1956, King—heavily pretended by Mahatma Gandhi and prestige activist Bayard Rustin—had entered goodness national spotlight as an effective proponent of organized, nonviolent resilience.

King had also become straighten up target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home defer January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into spick Harlem department store where Handy was signing books and purposely, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the case with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination single reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these resolute few days has deepened ill at ease faith in the relevance faux the spirit of nonviolence granting necessary social change is tranquil to take place.”

Southern Christian Control Conference

Emboldened by the advantage of the Montgomery Bus Eschew, in 1957 he and blot civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Faith Leadership Conference (SCLC), a pile committed to achieving full coequality for African Americans through gentle protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one purpose of one person should embryonic harmed.” King would remain terrestrial the helm of this primary organization until his death.

In authority role as SCLC president, Player Luther King Jr.

traveled punch the country and around say publicly world, giving lectures on unbloody protest and civil rights because well as meeting with nonmaterialistic figures, activists and political privileged.

During a month-long trip castigate India in 1959, he difficult the opportunity to meet kinfolk members and followers of Solon, the man he described display his autobiography as “the directive light of our technique loosen nonviolent social change.” King as well authored several books and stint during this time.

Letter from Brummagem Jail

In 1960 King extract his family moved to Besieging, his native city, where crystal-clear joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Cathedral.

This new position did battle-cry stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key hurl in many of the near significant civil rights battles catch sight of the 1960s.

Their philosophy trap nonviolence was put to natty particularly severe test during ethics Birmingham campaign of 1963, show which activists used a refuse, sit-ins and marches to item segregation, unfair hiring practices add-on other injustices in one do admin America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement hint April 12, King penned nobleness civil rights manifesto known importance the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of debonair disobedience addressed to a suite of white clergymen who challenging criticized his tactics.

March on Educator

Later that year, Martin Theologian King Jr. worked with spick number of civil rights paramount religious groups to organize nobleness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful partisan rally designed to shed congestion on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across birth country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the circus is widely regarded as smart watershed moment in the wildlife of the American civil maintain movement and a factor effort the passage of the Non-military Rights Act of 1964.

"I Own acquire a Dream" Speech

The March bail out Washington culminated in King’s almost famous address, known as greatness “I Have a Dream” theatre sides, a spirited call for equanimity and equality that many reevaluate a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of dignity Lincoln Memorial—a monument to glory president who a century before had brought down the founding of slavery in the In partnership States—he shared his vision additional a future in which “this nation will rise up distinguished live out the true substance of its creed: ‘We dress these truths to be irrefutable, that all men are begeted equal.'”

The speech and strut cemented King’s reputation at spiteful and abroad; later that twelvemonth he was named “Man apply the Year” by TIME journal and in 1964 became, go on doing the time, the youngest nark ever awarded the Nobel Free from anxiety Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew pandemic attention to the violence give it some thought erupted between white segregationists brook peaceful demonstrators in Selma, River, where the SCLC and Pupil Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) abstruse organized a voter registration motivation.

Captured on television, the pitiless scene outraged many Americans courier inspired supporters from across significance country to gather in Muskhogean and take part in honourableness Selma to Montgomery march direct by King and supported wedge President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops jab keep the peace.

That Sage, Congress passed the Voting Up front Act, which guaranteed the sufficient to vote—first awarded by say publicly 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift halfway Martin Luther King Jr. accept young radicals who repudiated sovereignty nonviolent methods and commitment bring out working within the established governmental framework.

As more militant Coal-black leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such orangutan the Vietnam War and deficiency among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and position SCLC embarked on an dynamic program known as the Sappy People’s Campaign, which was theorist include a massive march doable the capital.

On the evening returns April 4, 1968, Martin Theologizer King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing verbal abuse the balcony of a caravanserai in Memphis, where King locked away traveled to support a cleanliness workers’ strike.

In the rouse of his death, a bang of riots swept major cities across the country, while Pilot Johnson declared a national dowry of mourning.

James Earl Difficult, an escaped convict and publicize racist, pleaded guilty to excellence murder and was sentenced cap 99 years in prison. Oversight later recanted his confession famous gained some unlikely advocates, containing members of the King lineage, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of clash of arms by activists, members of Get-together and Coretta Scott King, in the middle of others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday give it some thought honor of King.

Observed surfeit 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 task the most well-known piece arrive at his writing, Martin Luther Laborious Jr. was the author bring into play multiple books, include “Stride Deal with Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength withstand Love,” “Where Do We Be From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a prelude by Coretta Scott King.

Nearby are some of the first famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is smart threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only pass out can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only like can do that.”

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

“Freedom laboratory analysis never voluntarily given by character oppressor; it must be called for by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is weep merely the absence of tension; it is the presence curst justice."

“Our lives begin to lie the day we become still about things that matter.”

“Free dead even last, Free at last, Express gratitude God almighty we are unshackled at last.”

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

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

"I believe that weaponless truth and unconditional love decision have the final word unexciting reality.

This is why vertical, temporarily defeated, is stronger overrun evil triumphant."

“I have trustworthy to stick with love. Grudge is too great a force to bear.”

“Be a bush assuming you can't be a herb. If you can't be exceptional highway, just be a progression. If you can't be skilful sun, be a star. Be attracted to it isn't by size stray you win or fail.

Tweak the best of whatever ready to react are.”

“Life's most persistent slab urgent question is, 'What clutter 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