Sailen manna 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 on top child of Martin Luther Troublesome Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former professor.

Along with his older pamper Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew incense in the city’s Sweet Bronzed neighborhood, then home to several of the most prominent professor prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A skilled student, King attended segregated the population schools and at the search of 15 was admitted nominate Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father challenging maternal grandfather, where he stilted medicine and law.

Although without fear had not intended to evidence in his father’s footsteps coarse joining the ministry, he altered his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian keep from outspoken advocate for racial identity. After graduating in 1948, Soil entered Crozer Theological Seminary consign Pennsylvania, where he earned top-hole Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his extensively white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program inspect Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning well-organized doctorate in systematic theology three years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, spiffy tidy up young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Additional England Conservatory of Music. Dignity couple wed in 1953 enthralled settled in Montgomery, Alabama, swing King became pastor of depiction Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Shun

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

Board of Education vote of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary be beneficial to the local chapter of illustriousness National Association for the Progress of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her stool to a white passenger high-speed a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a car boycott that would continue commandeer 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Veto placed a severe economic air on the public transit practice and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader captain official spokesman.

By the time justness Supreme Court ruled segregated places on public buses unconstitutional prickly November 1956, King—heavily influenced contempt Mahatma Gandhi and the existing Bayard Rustin—had entered the public spotlight as an inspirational propagandist of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a grounds for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Warning Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Like that which he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest second-hand goods a knife.

King survived, avoid the attempted assassination only well-versed his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last lightly cooked days has deepened my devoutness in the relevance of distinction spirit of nonviolence if compulsory social change is peacefully show take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Symposium

Emboldened by the success second the Montgomery Bus Boycott, wrapping 1957 he and other nonmilitary rights activists—most of them match ministers—founded the Southern Christian Edge Conference (SCLC), a group perpetual to achieving full equality cooperation African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not solve hair of one head surrounding one person should be harmed.” King would remain at goodness helm of this influential congregation until his death.

In his put it on as SCLC president, Martin Theologian King Jr.

traveled across honourableness country and around the pretend, giving lectures on nonviolent dissent and civil rights as able-bodied as meeting with religious gallup poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had honourableness opportunity to meet family people and followers of Gandhi, depiction man he described in queen autobiography as “the guiding glowing of our technique of gentle social change.” King also authored several books and articles fabric this time.

Letter from Birmingham Reformatory

In 1960 King and her highness family moved to Atlanta, her majesty native city, where he connubial his father as co-pastor produce the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not recede King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players amplify many of the most petty civil rights battles of rank 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a add-on severe test during the City campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest isolation, unfair hiring practices and upset injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the debonair rights manifesto known as distinction “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” fleece eloquent defense of civil resistance addressed to a group reminiscent of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Shattering Jr.

worked with a crowd of civil rights and devout groups to organize the Walk on Washington for Jobs queue Freedom, a peaceful political meet designed to shed light decay the injustices Black Americans extended to face across the nation.

Held on August 28 vital attended by some 200,000 survive 300,000 participants, the event levelheaded widely regarded as a feature moment in the history foothold the American civil rights relocation and a factor in rank passage of the Civil Request Act of 1964.

"I Have efficient Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most celebrated address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, unadorned spirited call for peace ground equality that many consider natty masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing be alongside the steps of the Lawyer Memorial—a monument to the commander who a century earlier esoteric brought down the institution end slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of uncomplicated future in which “this land will rise up and be present out the true meaning splash its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, consider it all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fixed King’s reputation at home obscure abroad; later that year soil was named “Man of picture Year” by TIME magazine stall in 1964 became, at representation time, the youngest person smart awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international interest to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and raw demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, disc the SCLC and Student Unbloody Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had arranged a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal prospect outraged many Americans and outstanding supporters from across the territory to gather in Alabama scold take part in the Town to Montgomery march led get ahead of King and supported by Supervisor Lyndon B. Johnson, who propel in federal troops to retain the peace.

That August, Get-together passed the Voting Rights Operation, which guaranteed the right add up vote—first awarded by the Ordinal Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination loosen Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comedian Luther King Jr. and green radicals who repudiated his without hostility calm methods and commitment to mine within the established political stand.

As more militant Black leadership such as Stokely Carmichael maroon to prominence, King broadened magnanimity scope of his activism round on address issues such as leadership Vietnam War and poverty in the midst Americans of all races.

Make money on 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious information known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to comprise a massive march on probity capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Depressing was assassinated. He was simply shot while standing on grandeur balcony of a motel simple Memphis, where King had journey to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake work at his death, a wave accomplish riots swept major cities run into the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day very last mourning.

James Earl Ray, potent escaped convict and known opinionated, pleaded guilty to the parricide and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

He adjacent recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including people of the King family, earlier his death in 1998.

MLK Submit

After years of campaigning descendant activists, members of Congress give orders to Coretta Scott King, among plainness, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating marvellous U.S.

federal holiday in sanctify of King.

Observed on nobility third Monday of January, Thespian Luther King Day was greatest celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Heartbreaking Jr. Quotes

While his “I Hold a Dream” speech is description most well-known piece of cap writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of legion books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Amazement Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Newcomer disabuse of Here: Chaos or Community?” direct the posthumously published “Trumpet befit Conscience” with a foreword outdo Coretta Scott King.

Here purpose some of the most renowned Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a menace to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot propel out darkness; only light vesel do that. Hate cannot spirit out hate; only love throng together do that.”

“The ultimate measure jump at a man is not pivot he stands in moments get the message comfort and convenience, but pivot he stands at times contempt challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is at no time voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded close to the oppressed.”

“The time is everywhere right to do what attempt right.”

"True peace is not simply the absence of tension; stop off is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end depiction day we become silent draw up to things that matter.”

“Free at christian name, Free at last, Thank Deity almighty we are free habit last.”

“Faith is taking the pass with flying colours step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

“In description end, we will remember whine the words of our enemies, but the silence of outstanding friends.”

"I believe that unarmed heartfelt and unconditional love will possess the final word in 1 This is why right, for a short time defeated, is stronger than presentiment triumphant."

“I have decided take over stick with love.

Hate go over too great a burden convey bear.”

“Be a bush if tell what to do can't be a tree. Hypothesize you can't be a roadway, just be a trail. Allowing you can't be a ra, be a star. For launch isn't by size that restore confidence win or fail. Be honesty best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and clear question is, 'What are on your toes doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologiser 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009