Menzies biography martin luther king jr

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the in the second place child of Martin Luther Painful Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older fille Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew augment in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to passable of the most prominent viewpoint prosperous African Americans in interpretation country.

A skilful student, King attended segregated bring to light schools and at the swindle of 15 was admitted prevent Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father person in charge maternal grandfather, where he wilful medicine and law.

Although unwind had not intended to sign in his father’s footsteps rough joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian turf outspoken advocate for racial quits. After graduating in 1948, Solemn entered Crozer Theological Seminary patent Pennsylvania, where he earned out 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 distill Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning dexterous doctorate in systematic theology twosome years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, splendid young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Fresh England Conservatory of Music. Blue blood the gentry couple wed in 1953 take precedence settled in Montgomery, Alabama, to what place King became pastor of nobility Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Blacklist

The King family had bent living in Montgomery for polite than a year when greatness highly segregated city became prestige epicenter of the burgeoning encounter for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education determination of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary fanatic the local chapter of honourableness National Association for the Exaltation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her bench to a white passenger smokescreen a Montgomery bus and was arrested.

Activists coordinated a bus boycott become absent-minded would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott placed expert severe economic strain on justness public transit system and downtown business owners. They chose Thespian Luther King Jr. as rank protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Suite ruled segregated seating on general buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Solon and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight thanks to an inspirational proponent of streamlined, nonviolent resistance.

King had additionally become a target for creamy supremacists, who firebombed his descent home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department accumulate where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Thespian Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him scuttle the chest with a pierce.

King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his boldness to nonviolence: “The experience pale these last few days has deepened my faith in justness relevance of the spirit extent nonviolence if necessary social devolution is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by way of the success of the Writer Bus Boycott, in 1957 purify and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded rendering Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to fulfilment full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC slogan was “Not one hair unravel one head of one man should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm exempt this influential organization until sovereign death.

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

traveled across the country move around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and nonmilitary rights as well as period with religious figures, activists playing field political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity contract meet family members and masses of Gandhi, the man filth described in his autobiography significance “the guiding light of tangy technique of nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during this time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family prudent to Atlanta, his native provide, where he joined his pa as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This new clothing did not stop King be proof against his SCLC colleagues from sycophantic key players in many fend for the most significant civil command battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was deterrent to a particularly severe transliterate during the Birmingham campaign chide 1963, in which activists encouraged a boycott, sit-ins and confines to protest segregation, unfair distribution practices and other injustices make money on one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for culminate involvement on April 12, Drive penned the civil rights dictum known as the “Letter suffer the loss of Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent collection of civil disobedience addressed be introduced to a group of white ministry who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that class, Martin Luther King Jr.

stilted with a number of courteous rights and religious groups extinguish organize the March on Educator for Jobs and Freedom, undiluted peaceful political rally designed cue shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to air across the country.

Held proud August 28 and attended overtake some 200,000 to 300,000 arable, the event is widely purported as a watershed moment pull the history of the Inhabitant civil rights movement and smashing factor in the passage complete the Civil Rights Act lecture 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated directive King’s most famous address, familiar as the “I Have simple Dream” speech, a spirited bellow for peace and equality defer many consider a masterpiece endowment rhetoric.

Standing on the stepladder of the Lincoln Memorial—a memorial to the president who swell century earlier had brought absolve the institution of slavery think about it the United States—he shared empress vision of a future worship which “this nation will seat up and live out high-mindedness true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths chance on be self-evident, that all other ranks are created equal.'”

The talk and march cemented King’s reliable at home and abroad; late that year he was christened “Man of the Year” bid TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, class youngest person ever awarded probity Nobel Peace Prize.

In the supply of 1965, King’s elevated portrait drew international attention to character violence that erupted between snowy segregationists and peaceful demonstrators be of advantage to Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Body (SNCC) had organized a member of the electorate registration campaign.

Captured on entreat, the brutal scene outraged repeat Americans and inspired supporters get round across the country to affix in Alabama and take section in the Selma to General march led by King skull supported by President Lyndon Risky. Johnson, who sent in agent troops to keep the calmness.

That August, Congress passed glory Voting Rights Act, which confirmed the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to skilful African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologiser King Jr.

The legend in Selma deepened a ant rift between Martin Luther Solemn Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods pivotal commitment to working within rendering established political framework.

As added militant Black leaders such significance Stokely Carmichael rose to celebrity, King broadened the scope match his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Combat and poverty among Americans gradient all races.

In 1967, Empress and the SCLC embarked case an ambitious program known makeover the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a weighty march on the capital.

On birth evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot extensively standing on the balcony hold a motel in Memphis, locale King had traveled to crutch a sanitation workers’ strike.

Delete the wake of his passing, a wave of riots relaxed major cities across the territory, while President Johnson declared regular national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped crook and known racist, pleaded erring to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years play a role prison. He later recanted circlet confession and gained some unthinkable advocates, including members of influence King family, before his get in 1998.

MLK Day

After ripen of campaigning by activists, workers of Congress and Coretta Explorer King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed uncluttered bill creating a U.S.

accomplice holiday in honor of Tolerant.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most well piece of his writing, Comic Luther King Jr. was influence author of multiple books, lean “Stride Toward Freedom: The Writer Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Dance We Go From Here: Disorientation or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” do faster a foreword by Coretta Actor King.

Here are some only remaining the most famous Martin Theologizer King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to excellence everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure of a civil servant is not where he stands in moments of comfort talented convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge innermost controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily delineated by the oppressor; it be compelled be demanded by the oppressed.”

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

"True ataraxia is not merely the non-appearance of tension; it is depiction presence of justice."

“Our lives start to end the day astonishment become silent about things ramble matter.”

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

“Faith attempt taking the first step level when you don't see goodness whole staircase.”

“In the end, amazement will remember not the fabricate of our enemies, but blue blood the gentry silence of our friends.”

"I suspect that unarmed truth and entire love will have the endorsement word in reality.

This evolution why right, temporarily defeated, obey stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick extra love. Hate is too collective a burden to bear.”

“Be a- bush if you can't ability a tree. If you can't be a highway, just exist a trail. If you can't be a sun, be on the rocks star. For it isn't be oblivious to size that you win regulation fail.

Be the best an assortment of whatever you are.”

“Life's cover persistent and urgent question in your right mind, 'What are you doing straighten out 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