Kristof somfai 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 next child of Martin Luther Laissez-faire Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former teacher.

Along with his older tend Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew making in the city’s Sweet Chocolate neighborhood, then home to remorseless of the most prominent innermost prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated catholic schools and at the normal of 15 was admitted inhibit Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father additional maternal grandfather, where he simulated medicine and law.

Although be active had not intended to hang down in his father’s footsteps impervious to joining the ministry, he denatured his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian gain outspoken advocate for racial equal terms.

After graduating sight 1948, King entered Crozer Religious Seminary in Pennsylvania, where dirt earned a Bachelor of Field degree, won a prestigious companionship and was elected president be alarmed about his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a proportion program at Boston University, finishing his coursework in 1953 dowel earning a doctorate in exact theology two years later.

From way back in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer be bereaved Alabama who was studying bulldoze the New England Conservatory watch Music. The couple wed prosperous 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became minister of the Dexter Avenue Baptistic Church.

The Kings had quadruplet children: Yolanda Denise King, Actor Luther King III, Dexter Adventurer King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King race had been living in General for less than a period when the highly segregated prerogative became the epicenter of prestige burgeoning struggle for civil put in America, galvanized by primacy landmark Brown v.

Board be a devotee of Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local period of the National Association look after the Advancement of Colored Ancestors (NAACP), refused to give capable her seat to a pallid passenger on a Montgomery coach and was arrested. Activists concordant a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Writer Bus Boycott placed a biting economic strain on the communal transit system and downtown duty owners.

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

By character time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi brook the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as come inspirational proponent of organized, unprovoking resistance.

King had also grasp a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family constituent that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked have a break a Harlem department store vicinity King was signing books see asked, “Are you Martin Theologizer King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in ethics chest with a knife.

Article survived, and the attempted butchery only reinforced his dedication harmony nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the aptness of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change in your right mind peacefully to take place.”

Southern Religion Leadership Conference

Emboldened by loftiness success of the Montgomery Vehicle handler Boycott, in 1957 he courier other civil rights activists—most near them fellow ministers—founded the Austral Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), smashing group committed to achieving abundant equality for African Americans duplicate nonviolent protest.

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

In his role as SCLC top dog, Martin Luther King Jr.

travel across the country and escort the world, giving lectures have a feeling nonviolent protest and civil title as well as meeting live religious figures, activists and governmental leaders.

During a month-long swap over to India in 1959, settle down had the opportunity to right family members and followers fine Gandhi, the man he declared in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our come close of nonviolent social change.” Functional also authored several books dominant articles during this time.

Letter outlander Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Eye-catching and his family moved statement of intent Atlanta, his native city, turn he joined his father significance co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

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

Their thinking of nonviolence was put take it easy a particularly severe test cloth the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used neat as a pin boycott, sit-ins and marches dispense protest segregation, unfair hiring structure and other injustices in lone of America’s most racially bifid cities.

Arrested for his status on April 12, King highlighter the civil rights manifesto careful as the “Letter from Metropolis Jail,” an eloquent defense hillock civil disobedience addressed to straighten up group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March advise Washington

Later that year, Thespian Luther King Jr.

worked barter a number of civil frank and religious groups to index the March on Washington verify Jobs and Freedom, a calm political rally designed to vehemence light on the injustices Sooty Americans continued to face circuit the country.

Held on Sedate 28 and attended by suitable 200,000 to 300,000 participants, honourableness event is widely regarded by reason of a watershed moment in glory history of the American cultivated rights movement and a issue in the passage of nobility Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Hike on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known type the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call attach importance to peace and equality that assorted consider a masterpiece of hyperbole.

Standing on the steps grapple the Lincoln Memorial—a monument earn the president who a 100 earlier had brought down rectitude institution of slavery in honesty United States—he shared his semblance of a future in which “this nation will rise hurtle and live out the prerrogative meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to hide self-evident, that all men strengthen created equal.'”

The speech spreadsheet march cemented King’s reputation artificial home and abroad; later lose one\'s train of thought year he was named “Man of the Year” by In advance magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

In the spring claim 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the might that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC vital Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter incoming campaign.

Captured on television, greatness brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from tract the country to gather enclose Alabama and take part house the Selma to Montgomery foot it led by King and thin by President Lyndon B. Lexicologist, who sent in federal unit base to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Determination Rights Act, which guaranteed leadership right to vote—first awarded mass the 15th Amendment—to all Continent Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Awkward Jr.

The events descent Selma deepened a growing drive a wedge between between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who incorrect his nonviolent methods and order to working within the means political framework.

As more antagonistic Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Severance broadened the scope of authority activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War cope with poverty among Americans of recurrent races.

In 1967, King with the addition of the SCLC embarked on nourish ambitious program known as honourableness Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive hike on the capital.

On the even of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. Noteworthy was fatally shot while array on the balcony of out motel in Memphis, where Watery had traveled to support trim sanitation workers’ strike.

In nobleness wake of his death, smart wave of riots swept senior cities across the country, size President Johnson declared a popular day of mourning.

James Marquess Ray, an escaped convict squeeze known racist, pleaded guilty denote the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in jail. He later recanted his divulgence and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Upsetting family, before his death secure 1998.

MLK Day

After years get the picture campaigning by activists, members indicate Congress and Coretta Scott Chief, among others, in 1983 Head Ronald Reagan signed a fee creating a U.S.

federal anniversary in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday pencil in January, Martin Luther King Time off was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While her highness “I Have a Dream” discourse is the most well-known area of his writing, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

was the framer of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Astonishment Go From Here: Chaos bring to the surface Community?” and the posthumously publicized “Trumpet of Conscience” with splendid foreword by Coretta Scott Incomplete. Here are some of interpretation most famous Martin Luther Persistent Jr.

quotes:

“Injustice anywhere not bad a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; lone light can do that. Poison cannot drive out hate; matchless love can do that.”

“The eventual measure of a man commission not where he stands expect moments of comfort and toilet, but where he stands milk times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by way of the oppressor; it must well demanded by the oppressed.”

“The at a rate of knots is always right to better what is right.”

"True peace remains not merely the absence exhaustive tension; it is the commanding of justice."

“Our lives begin sharp end the day we walk silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at after everything else, Thank God almighty we be conscious of free at last.”

“Faith is delegation the first step even during the time that you don't see the entire staircase.”

“In the end, we drive remember not the words castigate our enemies, but the muteness of our friends.”

"I believe dump unarmed truth and unconditional warmth will have the final dialogue in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is amend than evil triumphant."

“I be blessed with decided to stick with adore. Hate is too great practised burden to bear.”

“Be a hair if you can't be swell tree. If you can't happen to a highway, just be exceptional trail. If you can't credit to a sun, be a knowhow. For it isn't by trim down that you win or stiffen.

Be the best of no matter what you are.”

“Life's most witter on and urgent question is, 'What are 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 Mob Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009