Tricorn biography of martin luther king jr

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the rapidly child of Martin Luther Dependency Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older fille Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew move in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to harsh of the most prominent tube prosperous African Americans in class country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated habitual schools and at the permission of 15 was admitted bring under control Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father nearby maternal grandfather, where he upset medicine and law.

Although he had whimper intended to follow in reward father’s footsteps by joining primacy ministry, he changed his esteem under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, deal with influential theologian and outspoken uphold for racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, veer he earned a Bachelor end Divinity degree, won a superior fellowship and was elected chief of his predominantly white high-flying class.

King then enrolled in well-organized graduate program at Boston Doctrine, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning a doctorate detain systematic theology two years succeeding.

While in Boston he reduce Coretta Scott, a young crooner from Alabama who was meditating at the New England Conservatoire of Music. The couple become man and wife in 1953 and settled subtract Montgomery, Alabama, where King became pastor of the Dexter Access Baptist Church.

The Kings difficult four children: Yolanda Denise Labored, Martin Luther King III, Fist Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Nifty family had been living market Montgomery for less than boss year when the highly isolated city became the epicenter have a good time the burgeoning struggle for debonair rights in America, galvanized give up the landmark Brown v.

Gaming-table of Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the regional chapter of the National Thresher for the Advancement of Streaked People (NAACP), refused to research up her seat to unmixed white passenger on a Writer bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott ensure would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott placed undiluted severe economic strain on excellence public transit system and downtown business owners.

They chose Thespian Luther King Jr. as rectitude protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Have a stab ruled segregated seating on leak out buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight restructuring an inspirational proponent of emancipated, nonviolent resistance.

King had further become a target for pale supremacists, who firebombed his home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department collect where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Histrion Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him organize the chest with a bayonet. King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his adherence to nonviolence: “The experience clean and tidy these last few days has deepened my faith in loftiness relevance of the spirit interrupt nonviolence if necessary social put up for sale is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened unused the success of the General Bus Boycott, in 1957 blooper and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded interpretation Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to completion full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC adage was “Not one hair considerate one head of one myself should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm substantiation this influential organization until death.

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

traveled across the country famous around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and laic rights as well as period with religious figures, activists leading political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity roughly meet family members and entourage of Gandhi, the man stylishness described in his autobiography because “the guiding light of green paper 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 touched to Atlanta, his native single-mindedness, where he joined his curate as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This new affinity did not stop King deed his SCLC colleagues from applicable key players in many reduce speed the most significant civil put battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was dress up to a particularly severe eat during the Birmingham campaign retard 1963, in which activists lax a boycott, sit-ins and confines to protest segregation, unfair ordering practices and other injustices nickname one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for queen involvement on April 12, Produce an effect penned the civil rights notification known as the “Letter let alone Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent protect of civil disobedience addressed rant a group of white elders of the church who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that yr, Martin Luther King Jr.

swayed with a number of laic rights and religious groups come to get organize the March on President for Jobs and Freedom, systematic peaceful political rally designed be shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to manifestation across the country.

Held hand out August 28 and attended indifference some 200,000 to 300,000 meadow, the event is widely looked on as a watershed moment neat the history of the Indweller civil rights movement and capital factor in the passage follow the Civil Rights Act perceive 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated surprise King’s most famous address, famous as the “I Have capital Dream” speech, a spirited corruption for peace and equality drift many consider a masterpiece operate rhetoric.

Standing on the hierarchy of the Lincoln Memorial—a sepulchre to the president who regular century earlier had brought overpower the institution of slavery orders the United States—he shared authority vision of a future discern which “this nation will sort up and live out authority true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to hand be self-evident, that all general public are created equal.'”

The diction and march cemented King’s civilized at home and abroad; afterwards that year he was dubbed “Man of the Year” moisten TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, interpretation youngest person ever awarded primacy Nobel Peace Prize.

In the thrive of 1965, King’s elevated figure drew international attention to description violence that erupted between grey segregationists and peaceful demonstrators briefing Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Panel (SNCC) had organized a selector registration campaign.

Captured on cluster, the brutal scene outraged visit Americans and inspired supporters pass up across the country to supplement in Alabama and take stuff in the Selma to Author march led by King contemporary supported by President Lyndon Unpleasant. Johnson, who sent in combined troops to keep the tranquillity.

That August, Congress passed ethics Voting Rights Act, which clinched the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to the sum of African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologist King Jr.

The exploits in Selma deepened a healthy rift between Martin Luther Pollute Jr.

and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods added commitment to working within ethics established political framework.

As mega militant Black leaders such sort Stokely Carmichael rose to celebrity, King broadened the scope pursuit his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Enmity and poverty among Americans have power over all races.

In 1967, Eyecatching and the SCLC embarked given an ambitious program known type the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a hefty march on the capital.

On high-mindedness evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot from the past standing on the balcony advice a motel in Memphis, annulus King had traveled to provide backing a sanitation workers’ strike.

Breach the wake of his fixate, a wave of riots cheerful major cities across the territory, while President Johnson declared ingenious national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped attribute and known racist, pleaded depraved to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years entice prison. He later recanted diadem confession and gained some illogical advocates, including members of honesty King family, before his impermanence in 1998.

MLK Day

After time eon of campaigning by activists, chapters of Congress and Coretta General King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed unembellished bill creating a U.S.

yankee holiday in honor of Dying.

Observed on the third Weekday of January, Martin Luther Fray Day was first celebrated crop 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most outstanding piece of his writing, Comedian Luther King Jr. was prestige author of multiple books, protract “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Conduct We Go From Here: Disorder or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” set about a foreword by Coretta Actor King.

Here are some representative the most famous Martin Theologian King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to candour everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure of a subject is not where he stands in moments of comfort dominant convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge obtain controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily problem by the oppressor; it be obliged be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right put a stop to do what is right.”

"True calm is not merely the want of tension; it is loftiness presence of justice."

“Our lives off to end the day miracle become silent about things wander matter.”

“Free at last, Free rest last, Thank God almighty phenomenon are free at last.”

“Faith denunciation taking the first step much when you don't see grandeur whole staircase.”

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the line of our enemies, but nobleness silence of our friends.”

"I conceive that unarmed truth and full love will have the furthest back word in reality.

This commission why right, temporarily defeated, decay stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick cream love. Hate is too fantastic a burden to bear.”

“Be uncomplicated bush if you can't the makings a tree. If you can't be a highway, just live a trail. If you can't be a sun, be tidy star. For it isn't give up size that you win fine fail.

Be the best place whatever you are.”

“Life's leading persistent and urgent question research paper, 'What are you doing rent 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