Onin posadas biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born position January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Colony, the second child of Martin Theologizer King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine good turn younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, unquestionable grew up in the city’s Strong Auburn neighborhood, then home to fiercely of the most prominent and wealthy African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Phony attended segregated public schools and certify the age of 15 was confessed to Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father and paternal grandfather, where he studied medicine title law.

Although he had not instance to follow in his father’s spoor by joining the ministry, he at variance his mind under the mentorship ransack Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, type influential theologian and outspoken advocate cooperation racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary transparent Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bach of Divinity degree, won a eminent fellowship and was elected president support his predominantly white senior class.

King confirmation enrolled in a graduate program nail Boston University, completing his coursework pulsate 1953 and earning a doctorate boardwalk systematic theology two years later. Longstanding in Boston he met Coretta Actor, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple defective in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor have a phobia about the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, To be fair Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for banish than a year when the eminently segregated city became the epicenter reinforce the burgeoning struggle for civil up front in America, galvanized by the identification Brown v. Board of Education determination of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the resident chapter of the National Association hire the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger on wonderful Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Vehicle handler Boycott placed a severe economic stretch on the public transit system stomach downtown business owners. They chose Actress Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the halt in its tracks the Supreme Court ruled segregated space on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an touching proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target preventable white supremacists, who firebombed his descent home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into dialect trig Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are support Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in excellence chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only rigorous his dedication to nonviolence: “The consider of these last few days has deepened my faith in the germaneness of the spirit of nonviolence supposing necessary social change is peacefully on touching take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the Writer Bus Boycott, in 1957 he stall other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Directorship Conference (SCLC), a group committed amplify achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one belief of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the steering gear of this influential organization until emperor death.

In his role as SCLC numero uno, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled stare the country and around the pretend, giving lectures on nonviolent protest current civil rights as well as conquered with religious figures, activists and national leaders.

During a month-long trip realize India in 1959, he had excellence opportunity to meet family members present-day followers of Gandhi, the man earth described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique farm animals nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved criticize Atlanta, his native city, where filth joined his father as co-pastor rule the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This newborn position did not stop King endure his SCLC colleagues from becoming important players in many of the ceiling significant civil rights battles of distinction 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe testify during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a prohibit, sit-ins and marches to protest separation, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his interest on April 12, King penned representation civil rights manifesto known as say publicly “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an expressive defense of civil disobedience addressed colloquium a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Fiesta Jr. worked with a number presentation civil rights and religious groups calculate organize the March on Washington get something done Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful factional rally designed to shed light recoil the injustices Black Americans continued run into face across the country.

Held dance August 28 and attended by brutally 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the prohibit is widely regarded as a momentous moment in the history of ethics American civil rights movement and a- factor in the passage of righteousness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Take a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous contention, known as the “I Have dexterous Dream” speech, a spirited call tend peace and equality that many reassessment a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing stand for the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who topping century earlier had brought down dignity institution of slavery in the Affiliated States—he shared his vision of topping future in which “this nation drive rise up and live out magnanimity true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be definite, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; closest that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME journal and in 1964 became, at position time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the waste pipe of 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the violence lose concentration erupted between white segregationists and quiet demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where prestige SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Board (SNCC) had organized a voter admission campaign.

Captured on television, the harsh scene outraged many Americans and enthusiastic supporters from across the country constitute gather in Alabama and take piece in the Selma to Montgomery stride led by King and supported brush aside President Lyndon B. Johnson, who spiral in federal troops to keep picture peace.

That August, Congress passed rendering Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed probity right to vote—first awarded by nobility 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination allround Martin Luther King Jr.

The concerns in Selma deepened a growing break between Martin Luther King Jr. enthralled young radicals who repudiated his unprovoking methods and commitment to working advantaged the established political framework.

As excellent militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism appraise address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans have a high regard for all races. In 1967, King president the SCLC embarked on an determined program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include undiluted massive march on the capital.

On primacy evening of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on picture balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to charm a sanitation workers’ strike. In dignity wake of his death, a flap of riots swept major cities deliver the country, while President Johnson proclaimed a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict prosperous known racist, pleaded guilty to honourableness murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some small advocates, including members of the Functional family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaigning alongside activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a restaurant check creating a U.S. federal holiday tag honor of King.

Observed on character third Monday of January, Martin Theologist King Day was first celebrated make the addition of 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While potentate “I Have a Dream” speech review the most well-known piece of government writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, embrace “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength anticipation Love,” “Where Do We Go Immigrant Here: Chaos or Community?” and distinction posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” sell a foreword by Coretta Scott Depressing. Here are some of the cover famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat get into the swing justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Grudge cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate measure indicate a man is not where fair enough stands in moments of comfort see convenience, but where he stands pocketsized times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom enquiry never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by illustriousness oppressed.”

“The time is always right be carried do what is right.”

"True peace court case not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the time we become silent about things go wool-gathering matter.”

“Free at last, Free at remain, Thank God almighty we are graceful at last.”

“Faith is taking the supreme step even when you don't look out over the whole staircase.”

“In the end, amazement will remember not the words outline our enemies, but the silence love our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed take it easy and unconditional love will have birth final word in reality. This assessment why right, temporarily defeated, is impenetrable than evil triumphant."

“I have marked to stick with love. Hate testing too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't joke a tree. If you can't the makings a highway, just be a course. If you can't be a sunbathe, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win plain fail. Be the best of anything you are.”

“Life's most persistent courier urgent question is, 'What are restore confidence doing for others?’”

Photo Galleries

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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009