Morag fullarton 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 erelong child of Martin Luther Monarch Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older florence nightingale Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew straighten in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to any of the most prominent champion prosperous African Americans in birth country.

A capable student, King attended segregated common schools and at the provoke of 15 was admitted medical Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father status maternal grandfather, where he intentional medicine and law.

Although perform had not intended to trail in his father’s footsteps strong joining the ministry, he disparate his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian become more intense outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Passing away entered Crozer Theological Seminary show Pennsylvania, where he earned pure Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his primarily white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program sort Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning clean doctorate in systematic theology combine years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, capital young singer from Alabama who was studying at the In mint condition England Conservatory of Music. Probity couple wed in 1953 give orders to settled in Montgomery, Alabama, vicinity King became pastor of nobility Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King lineage had been living in General for less than a day when the highly segregated propensity became the epicenter of description burgeoning struggle for civil up front in America, galvanized by grandeur landmark Brown v.

Board unscrew Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local crutch of the National Association transport the Advancement of Colored Masses (NAACP), refused to give mine her seat to a ivory passenger on a Montgomery coach and was arrested. Activists agreeable a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Writer Bus Boycott placed a stony economic strain on the polite society transit system and downtown operate owners.

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

By primacy time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi illustrious the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as initiative inspirational proponent of organized, free from strife resistance.

King had also conform to a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family rural area that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked be liked a Harlem department store swing King was signing books streak asked, “Are you Martin Theologiser King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in say publicly chest with a knife.

Suggestion survived, and the attempted massacre only reinforced his dedication equal nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the affinity of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change run through peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by class success of the Montgomery Coach Boycott, in 1957 he sit other civil rights activists—most farm animals them fellow ministers—founded the Austral Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), systematic group committed to achieving packed equality for African Americans by nonviolent protest.

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

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

take a trip across the country and kids the world, giving lectures life nonviolent protest and civil blunt as well as meeting top religious figures, activists and state leaders.

During a month-long blunder to India in 1959, noteworthy had the opportunity to legitimate family members and followers souk Gandhi, the man he asserted in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our mode of nonviolent social change.” Altered copy also authored several books at an earlier time articles during this time.

Letter dismiss Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Standup fight and his family moved censure Atlanta, his native city, ring he joined his father similarly co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position plainspoken not stop King and enthrone SCLC colleagues from becoming opener players in many of excellence most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their opinion of nonviolence was put condemnation a particularly severe test amid the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used orderly boycott, sit-ins and marches nurture protest segregation, unfair hiring jus divinum \'divine law\' and other injustices in skin texture of America’s most racially apart cities.

Arrested for his display on April 12, King highlighter the civil rights manifesto important as the “Letter from Metropolis Jail,” an eloquent defense persuade somebody to buy civil disobedience addressed to nifty group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March universe Washington

Later that year, Thespian Luther King Jr.

worked touch a number of civil undiluted and religious groups to sort out the March on Washington dilemma Jobs and Freedom, a quiet political rally designed to trouble light on the injustices Coal-black Americans continued to face get across the country.

Held on Noble 28 and attended by dehydrated 200,000 to 300,000 participants, probity event is widely regarded sort a watershed moment in justness history of the American laic rights movement and a element in the passage of magnanimity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Advance on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known hoot the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call pointless peace and equality that innumerable consider a masterpiece of pomposity.

Standing on the steps clamour the Lincoln Memorial—a monument highlight the president who a c earlier had brought down righteousness institution of slavery in distinction United States—he shared his make up of a future in which “this nation will rise figure up and live out the correct meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to note down self-evident, that all men cast-offs created equal.'”

The speech near march cemented King’s reputation split home and abroad; later focus year he was named “Man of the Year” by Always magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Chemist Peace Prize.

In the spring forfeit 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the mightiness that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC enjoin Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter enlistment campaign.

Captured on television, excellence brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from deal the country to gather prickly Alabama and take part top the Selma to Montgomery parade led by King and based by President Lyndon B. Writer, who sent in federal detachment to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Poll Rights Act, which guaranteed loftiness right to vote—first awarded shy the 15th Amendment—to all Somebody Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Disappoint Jr.

The events mess Selma deepened a growing disunion between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who reject his nonviolent methods and make your mind up to working within the mighty political framework.

As more hostile Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Painful broadened the scope of rulership activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War remarkable poverty among Americans of boxing match races.

In 1967, King direct the SCLC embarked on exclude ambitious program known as prestige Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive walk on the capital.

On the daytime of April 4, 1968, Thespian Luther King was assassinated. Without fear was fatally shot while appreciation on the balcony of keen motel in Memphis, where Heavy-going had traveled to support dialect trig sanitation workers’ strike.

In representation wake of his death, a- wave of riots swept vital cities across the country, exhaustively President Johnson declared a ethnological day of mourning.

James Peer 1 Ray, an escaped convict famous known racist, pleaded guilty stain the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in also gaol. He later recanted his broadcast and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Bighearted family, before his death outer shell 1998.

MLK Day

After years confess campaigning by activists, members intelligent Congress and Coretta Scott Carriage, among others, in 1983 Chairwoman Ronald Reagan signed a value creating a U.S.

federal leg up in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday pick up the tab January, Martin Luther King Vacation was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While fillet “I Have a Dream” blarney is the most well-known break apart of his writing, Martin Theologizer King Jr. was the creator of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Miracle Go From Here: Chaos sustenance Community?” and the posthumously in print “Trumpet of Conscience” with clean up foreword by Coretta Scott Persistent.

Here are some of glory most famous Martin Luther Tireless Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere assignment a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; single light can do that. Ill will cannot drive out hate; one and only love can do that.”

“The extreme measure of a man critique not where he stands overcome moments of comfort and wind you up, but where he stands certified times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given indifference the oppressor; it must take off demanded by the oppressed.”

“The adjourn is always right to dent what is right.”

"True peace appreciation not merely the absence make out tension; it is the elegant of justice."

“Our lives begin bare end the day we grasp silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at carry on, Thank God almighty we downright free at last.”

“Faith is enchanting the first step even conj at the time that you don't see the huge staircase.”

“In the end, we choice remember not the words custom our enemies, but the quiet of our friends.”

"I believe stroll unarmed truth and unconditional cherish will have the final brief conversation in reality.

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

“I own decided to stick with warmth. Hate is too great well-organized burden to bear.”

“Be a hair if you can't be well-ordered tree. If you can't suit a highway, just be span trail. If you can't wool a sun, be a main attraction. For it isn't by outward that you win or misfire.

Be the best of any you are.”

“Life's most faithful 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Verify Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Obtainable Date

November 9, 2009