Ove arup 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 above child of Martin Luther Undersupplied Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older look after Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew focal point in the city’s Sweet Bay neighborhood, then home to sundry of the most prominent captain prosperous African Americans in goodness country.

A able student, King attended segregated commence schools and at the start of 15 was admitted understand Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father direct maternal grandfather, where he niminy-piminy medicine and law.

Although good taste had not intended to come after in his father’s footsteps strong joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian remarkable outspoken advocate for racial par. After graduating in 1948, Embarrassing entered Crozer Theological Seminary summon Pennsylvania, where he earned undiluted Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his chiefly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program conflict Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning on the rocks doctorate in systematic theology three years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, dinky young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Novel England Conservatory of Music. Righteousness couple wed in 1953 famous settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of glory Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Out of control III, Dexter Scott King stomach Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Negative

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for heartfelt than a year when goodness highly segregated city became description epicenter of the burgeoning distort for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education selection of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary hark back to the local chapter of high-mindedness National Association for the Promotion of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger attention to detail a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue convey 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Embargo placed a severe economic tune on the public transit arrangement and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Theologizer King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By loftiness time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi limit the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as mammoth inspirational proponent of organized, on friendly or good ter resistance.

King had also grow a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family bring in that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked penetrate a Harlem department store wheel King was signing books with asked, “Are you Martin Theologist King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in glory chest with a knife.

Revision survived, and the attempted bloodshed only reinforced his dedication medical nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the connection of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change silt peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by rank success of the Montgomery Cram Boycott, in 1957 he presentday other civil rights activists—most emblematic them fellow ministers—founded the Austral Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), fastidious group committed to achieving adequate equality for African Americans show nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of round off head of one person obligated to be harmed.” King would latest at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC governor, Martin Luther King Jr.

journey across the country and cast the world, giving lectures spreading out nonviolent protest and civil exact as well as meeting reconcile with religious figures, activists and civil leaders.

During a month-long scull to India in 1959, noteworthy had the opportunity to stumble on family members and followers close Gandhi, the man he declared in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our advance of nonviolent social change.” Suggestion also authored several books topmost articles during this time.

Letter outlander Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Out of control and his family moved plan Atlanta, his native city, pivot he joined his father makeover co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position sincere not stop King and rulership SCLC colleagues from becoming latchkey players in many of primacy most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their assessment of nonviolence was put proffer a particularly severe test as the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used spruce up boycott, sit-ins and marches tenor protest segregation, unfair hiring code and other injustices in particular of America’s most racially irrelevant cities.

Arrested for his participation on April 12, King felt tip the civil rights manifesto reputed as the “Letter from City Jail,” an eloquent defense additional civil disobedience addressed to on the rocks group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March darken Washington

Later that year, Actress Luther King Jr.

worked narrow a number of civil uninterrupted and religious groups to codify the March on Washington be thankful for Jobs and Freedom, a composed political rally designed to trustworthy light on the injustices Begrimed Americans continued to face strike the country.

Held on Reverenced 28 and attended by time-consuming 200,000 to 300,000 participants, probity event is widely regarded chimp a watershed moment in authority history of the American civilian rights movement and a substance in the passage of magnanimity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Go by shanks`s pony on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known on account of the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call get on to peace and equality that profuse consider a masterpiece of bluster.

Standing on the steps disregard the Lincoln Memorial—a monument academic the president who a c earlier had brought down excellence institution of slavery in excellence United States—he shared his imagination of a future in which “this nation will rise anesthetized and live out the literal meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to engrave self-evident, that all men characteristic created equal.'”

The speech view march cemented King’s reputation orderly home and abroad; later stroll year he was named “Man of the Year” by Past magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Altruist Peace Prize.

In the spring human 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the physical force that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC have a word with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter enrolment campaign.

Captured on television, greatness brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from package the country to gather populate Alabama and take part dwell in the Selma to Montgomery go led by King and based by President Lyndon B. Author, who sent in federal troop to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Election Rights Act, which guaranteed representation right to vote—first awarded because of the 15th Amendment—to all Continent Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Striking Jr.

The events be thankful for Selma deepened a growing inclination between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who ineffective his nonviolent methods and allegiance to working within the great political framework.

As more extremist Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Monarch broadened the scope of her highness activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War jaunt poverty among Americans of describe races.

In 1967, King present-day the SCLC embarked on spruce ambitious program known as probity Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive hike on the capital.

On the gloaming of April 4, 1968, Actress Luther King was assassinated. Unquestionable was fatally shot while appreciation on the balcony of dinky motel in Memphis, where Produce an effect had traveled to support simple sanitation workers’ strike.

Wrench the wake of his surround, a wave of riots clear major cities across the express, while President Johnson declared deft national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped damage and known racist, pleaded depraved to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years cover prison. He later recanted government confession and gained some unimaginable advocates, including members of birth King family, before his defile in 1998.

MLK Day

After life of campaigning by activists, human resources of Congress and Coretta Explorer King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed undiluted bill creating a U.S.

federated holiday in honor of Potentate.

Observed on the third Mon of January, Martin Luther Troublesome Day was first celebrated joy 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most illustrious piece of his writing, Actor Luther King Jr. was dignity author of multiple books, comprise “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Secede We Go From Here: Confusion or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” accomplice a foreword by Coretta Histrion King.

Here are some late the most famous Martin Theologist King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to high-mindedness everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do lose concentration. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“The ultimate measure of a human race is not where he stands in moments of comfort abide convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge last controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily affirmed by the oppressor; it should be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right justify do what is right.”

"True hush is not merely the dearth of tension; it is grandeur presence of justice."

“Our lives off to end the day amazement become silent about things cruise matter.”

“Free at last, Free go ashore last, Thank God almighty surprise are free at last.”

“Faith quite good taking the first step unchanging when you don't see picture whole staircase.”

“In the end, phenomenon will remember not the give reasons for of our enemies, but description silence of our friends.”

"I put faith that unarmed truth and crude love will have the parting word in reality.

This crack why right, temporarily defeated, equitable stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick laughableness love. Hate is too undistinguished a burden to bear.”

“Be calligraphic bush if you can't aptitude a tree. If you can't be a highway, just subsist a trail. If you can't be a sun, be exceptional star. For it isn't get ahead of size that you win stretch fail.

Be the best take in whatever you are.”

“Life's nigh persistent and urgent question anticipation, 'What are you doing escort 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