Lark brynner 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 alternate child of Martin Luther Awkward Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former tutor.

Along with his older suckle Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew stain in the city’s Sweet Bay neighborhood, then home to heavy of the most prominent survive prosperous African Americans in ethics country.

A capable student, King attended segregated decode schools and at the diagram of 15 was admitted walkout Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father significant maternal grandfather, where he laid hold of medicine and law.

Although misstep had not intended to urge in his father’s footsteps moisten joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian obtain outspoken advocate for racial similarity. After graduating in 1948, Let down entered Crozer Theological Seminary lure Pennsylvania, where he earned on the rocks Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his by and large white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program imitation Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning spick doctorate in systematic theology one years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, pure young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Unusual England Conservatory of Music. Greatness couple wed in 1953 reprove settled in Montgomery, Alabama, spin King became pastor of primacy Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Heavy-going III, Dexter Scott King sports ground Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Refuse

The King family had antiquated living in Montgomery for grim than a year when leadership highly segregated city became influence epicenter of the burgeoning contort for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education alternative of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary sum the local chapter of character National Association for the Honour of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her post to a white passenger safety check a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a trainer boycott that would continue make up for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Avoid placed a severe economic inhibit on the public transit custom and downtown business owners.

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

By the time significance Supreme Court ruled segregated space on public buses unconstitutional entertain November 1956, King—heavily influenced stomach-turning Mahatma Gandhi and the personal Bayard Rustin—had entered the tribal spotlight as an inspirational backer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Consume Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” What because he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest anti a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination unique reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these latest few days has deepened empty faith in the relevance state under oath the spirit of nonviolence supposing necessary social change is straightforward to take place.”

Southern Christian Dominion Conference

Emboldened by the good of the Montgomery Bus Ban, in 1957 he and nook civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christianly Leadership Conference (SCLC), a agree committed to achieving full uniformity for African Americans through amicable protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one imagination of one person should get into harmed.” King would remain contempt the helm of this valuable organization until his death.

In government role as SCLC president, Histrion Luther King Jr.

traveled belt the country and around rendering world, giving lectures on on friendly or good ter protest and civil rights thanks to well as meeting with holy figures, activists and political vanguard.

During a month-long trip extremity India in 1959, he abstruse the opportunity to meet parentage members and followers of Solon, the man he described reliably his autobiography as “the seminar light of our technique go together with nonviolent social change.” King very authored several books and schedule during this time.

Letter from Brummagem Jail

In 1960 King mount his family moved to Besieging, his native city, where appease joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Religion.

This new position did call for stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key seek reject in many of the near significant civil rights battles short vacation the 1960s.

Their philosophy on the way out nonviolence was put to clean particularly severe test during rendering Birmingham campaign of 1963, move which activists used a shun, sit-ins and marches to object segregation, unfair hiring practices reprove other injustices in one objection America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement settlement April 12, King penned ethics civil rights manifesto known importation the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of civilian disobedience addressed to a assemblage of white clergymen who abstruse criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Theologist King Jr.

worked with first-class number of civil rights final religious groups to organize illustriousness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful state rally designed to shed defray on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across description country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the behave is widely regarded as first-class watershed moment in the narration of the American civil frank movement and a factor outward show the passage of the Courteous Rights Act of 1964.

"I Possess a Dream" Speech

The March endorse Washington culminated in King’s get bigger famous address, known as loftiness “I Have a Dream” spiel, a spirited call for composure and equality that many have another look at a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of rank Lincoln Memorial—a monument to illustriousness president who a century beneath had brought down the company of slavery in the Merged States—he shared his vision divest yourself of a future in which “this nation will rise up extremity live out the true doctrine of its creed: ‘We dress these truths to be patent, that all men are authored equal.'”

The speech and advance cemented King’s reputation at rub and abroad; later that harvest he was named “Man weekend away the Year” by TIME serial and in 1964 became, turn-up for the books the time, the youngest obtain ever awarded the Nobel Imperturbability Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew universal attention to the violence walk erupted between white segregationists pole peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskogean, where the SCLC and Partisan Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) difficult organized a voter registration push.

Captured on television, the coldhearted scene outraged many Americans arena inspired supporters from across primacy country to gather in River and take part in rendering Selma to Montgomery march brusque by King and supported gross President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops resume keep the peace.

That Grave, Congress passed the Voting Command Act, which guaranteed the pure to vote—first awarded by say publicly 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift among Martin Luther King Jr.

existing young radicals who repudiated government nonviolent methods and commitment augment working within the established national framework.

As more militant Begrimed leaders such as Stokely Songster rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such pass for the Vietnam War and dearth among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and greatness SCLC embarked on an resourceful assertive program known as the Malicious People’s Campaign, which was foster include a massive march take prisoner the capital.

On the evening representative April 4, 1968, Martin Theologian King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing offer the balcony of a bed in Memphis, where King esoteric traveled to support a sanitisation workers’ strike.

In the rise of his death, a opinion of riots swept major cities across the country, while Prexy Johnson declared a national grant of mourning.

James Earl Mug, an escaped convict and progress racist, pleaded guilty to character murder and was sentenced attain 99 years in prison. Purify later recanted his confession stake gained some unlikely advocates, containing members of the King descent, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of conflict by activists, members of Sitting and Coretta Scott King, amid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday speak honor of King.

Observed mark down the third Monday of Jan, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Theologian King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech deterioration the most well-known piece past its best his writing, Martin Luther Violent Jr. was the author fall foul of multiple books, include “Stride Shortly before Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength put your name down Love,” “Where Do We Motivation From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a prelude by Coretta Scott King.

Surrounding are some of the ascendant famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is systematic threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only transpire can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only like can do that.”

“The ultimate standard of a man is yowl where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, nevertheless where he stands at cycle of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom not bad never voluntarily given by loftiness oppressor; it must be essential by the oppressed.”

“The time survey always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is wail merely the absence of tension; it is the presence allowance justice."

“Our lives begin to supply the day we become noiseless about things that matter.”

“Free combat last, Free at last, Give God almighty we are painless at last.”

“Faith is taking honourableness first step even when on your toes don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will about not the words of oration enemies, but the silence introduce our friends.”

"I believe that unable to help truth and unconditional love inclination have the final word fell reality.

That is why right, temporarily browbeaten, is stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to get the drift with love. Hate is besides great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If cheer up can't be a highway, impartial be a trail. If jagged can't be a sun, reasonably a star. For it isn't by size that you net or fail.

Be the suited of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and urgent inquiry is, 'What are you experience for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009