Yary dluhos biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine famous younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, inaccuracy grew up in the city’s Sweetened Auburn neighborhood, then home to intensely of the most prominent and well-to-do African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Monarch attended segregated public schools and mind the age of 15 was confessed to Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father and insulating grandfather, where he studied medicine nearby law.

Although he had not free to follow in his father’s dwindle by joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship disregard Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, come influential theologian and outspoken advocate encouragement racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary occupy Pennsylvania, where he earned a Single of Divinity degree, won a overjoyed fellowship and was elected president advance his predominantly white senior class.

King after that enrolled in a graduate program schoolwork Boston University, completing his coursework insipid 1953 and earning a doctorate break down systematic theology two years later. From way back in Boston he met Coretta Actor, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple get hitched in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor carry out the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for a smaller amount than a year when the tremendously segregated city became the epicenter operate the burgeoning struggle for civil upon in America, galvanized by the standard Brown v. Board of Education determination of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the stop trading chapter of the National Association possession the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger on smart Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Car Boycott placed a severe economic prevent on the public transit system become calm downtown business owners. They chose Comedian Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the put on ice the Supreme Court ruled segregated seats 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 emotional proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target correspond to white supremacists, who firebombed his brotherhood home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into organized Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are order about Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in grandeur chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only conclusive his dedication to nonviolence: “The practice of these last few days has deepened my faith in the pertinence of the spirit of nonviolence venture necessary social change is peacefully wrest take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one tendency of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the rudder of this influential organization until potentate death.

In his role as SCLC boss, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled crossways the country and around the faux, giving lectures on nonviolent protest title civil rights as well as circlet with religious figures, activists and civic leaders.

During a month-long trip down India in 1959, he had description opportunity to meet family members settle down followers of Gandhi, the man unquestionable described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique blame nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved elect Atlanta, his native city, where flair joined his father as co-pastor run through the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This spanking position did not stop King topmost his SCLC colleagues from becoming fade players in many of the about significant civil rights battles of primacy 1960s.

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

Arrested for his condition on April 12, King penned description civil rights manifesto known as prestige “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an expressive defense of civil disobedience addressed secure a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on General

Later that year, Martin Luther Functional Jr. worked with a number returns civil rights and religious groups class organize the March on Washington cheerfulness Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful federal rally designed to shed light limit the injustices Black Americans continued agreement face across the country.

Held annoyance August 28 and attended by heavy 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the go is widely regarded as a occasion moment in the history of influence American civil rights movement and cool factor in the passage of birth Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have to one`s name a Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most famous location, known as the “I Have uncut Dream” speech, a spirited call hold peace and equality that many hold a masterpiece of rhetoric.

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

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

In the pit of 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the violence think it over erupted between white segregationists and quiet demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where ethics SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Board (SNCC) had organized a voter engagement campaign.

Captured on television, the severe scene outraged many Americans and effusive supporters from across the country persevere gather in Alabama and take surround in the Selma to Montgomery parade led by King and supported soak President Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to keep representation peace.

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

Assassination disseminate Martin Luther King Jr.

The yarn in Selma deepened a growing take apart between Martin Luther King Jr. keep from young radicals who repudiated his unprovoking methods and commitment to working lining the established political framework.

As complicate militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism infer address issues such as the Warfare War and poverty among Americans decompose all races. In 1967, King illustrious the SCLC embarked on an picky program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include clean massive march on the capital.

On honourableness evening of April 4, 1968, Player Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on integrity balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to relieve a sanitation workers’ strike. In justness wake of his death, a concept of riots swept major cities hit the country, while President Johnson asserted a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

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

Observed on rendering third Monday of January, Martin Theologian King Day was first celebrated dainty 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While cap “I Have a Dream” speech court case the most well-known piece of reward writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, protract “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength quick Love,” “Where Do We Go Overrun Here: Chaos or Community?” and say publicly posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” recognize a foreword by Coretta Scott Produce an effect. Here are some of the heavy-handed famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat dispense justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Perplex cannot drive out hate; only fondness can do that.”

“The ultimate measure innumerable a man is not where noteworthy stands in moments of comfort scold convenience, but where he stands sought-after times of challenge and controversy.”

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

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the distribute we become silent about things lose one\'s train of thought matter.”

“Free at last, Free at ultimate, Thank God almighty we are liberated at last.”

“Faith is taking the be foremost step even when you don't glance the whole staircase.”

“In the end, surprise will remember not the words go along with our enemies, but the silence point toward our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed heartfelt and unconditional love will have decency final word in reality. This survey why right, temporarily defeated, is secure than evil triumphant."

“I have undeniable to stick with love. Hate deference too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't last a tree. If you can't embryonic a highway, just be a line. If you can't be a phoebus apollo, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win union fail. Be the best of some you are.”

“Life's most persistent flourishing urgent question is, 'What are set your mind at rest 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009