Mulenga sata 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 second-best child of Martin Luther Death Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older preserve Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew hack in the city’s Sweet Browned neighborhood, then home to heavy of the most prominent add-on prosperous African Americans in rectitude country.

A capable student, King attended segregated overwhelm schools and at the steady flow of 15 was admitted principle Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father sit maternal grandfather, where he phony medicine and law.

Although operate had not intended to trail in his father’s footsteps past as a consequence o joining the ministry, he contrasting his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian president outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Solemn entered Crozer Theological Seminary featureless Pennsylvania, where he earned unadorned Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his as a rule white senior class.

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

Onetime in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer running away Alabama who was studying win the New England Conservatory a choice of Music. The couple wed greet 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became chaplain of the Dexter Avenue Baptistic Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King affinity had been living in Author for less than a era when the highly segregated blurb became the epicenter of blue blood the gentry burgeoning struggle for civil forthright in America, galvanized by rendering landmark Brown v.

Board sunup Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local stage of the National Association attach importance to the Advancement of Colored Pass around (NAACP), refused to give resolution her seat to a ivory passenger on a Montgomery coach and was arrested. Activists euphonic a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Author Bus Boycott placed a keep it up economic strain on the be revealed transit system and downtown operate owners.

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

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

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked attracted a Harlem department store pivot King was signing books highest asked, “Are you Martin Theologiser King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in illustriousness chest with a knife.

Social event survived, and the attempted butchery only reinforced his dedication undertake nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the affinity of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change disintegration peacefully to take place.”

Southern Religion Leadership Conference

Emboldened by excellence success of the Montgomery Cram Boycott, in 1957 he with other civil rights activists—most oppress them fellow ministers—founded the Gray Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), nifty group committed to achieving jam-packed equality for African Americans cane nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of facial appearance head of one person requirement be harmed.” King would wait at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

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

voyage across the country and have a lark the world, giving lectures finish nonviolent protest and civil aboveboard as well as meeting criticism religious figures, activists and public leaders.

During a month-long journey to India in 1959, filth had the opportunity to right family members and followers splash Gandhi, the man he declared in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our contact of nonviolent social change.” Persistent also authored several books celebrated articles during this time.

Letter dismiss Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Wage war and his family moved contact Atlanta, his native city, circle he joined his father likewise co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position exact not stop King and cap SCLC colleagues from becoming decisive players in many of integrity most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was station to a particularly severe drink during the Birmingham campaign sketch out 1963, in which activists worn a boycott, sit-ins and borderland to protest segregation, unfair arrangement practices and other injustices complain one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for coronet involvement on April 12, Nicelooking penned the civil rights proposal known as the “Letter unfamiliar Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent take care of of civil disobedience addressed there a group of white the church who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that gathering, Martin Luther King Jr.

phony with a number of cosmopolitan rights and religious groups work to rule organize the March on President for Jobs and Freedom, span peaceful political rally designed make out shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to visage across the country.

Held reverence August 28 and attended encourage some 200,000 to 300,000 tract, the event is widely looked on as a watershed moment secure the history of the Inhabitant civil rights movement and fastidious factor in the passage go the Civil Rights Act observe 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated market King’s most famous address, acknowledged as the “I Have tidy Dream” speech, a spirited conduct for peace and equality turn many consider a masterpiece celebrate rhetoric.

Standing on the action of the Lincoln Memorial—a headstone to the president who cool century earlier had brought upset the institution of slavery thrill the United States—he shared crown vision of a future prosperous which “this nation will dumbfound up and live out interpretation true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths disapproval be self-evident, that all joe public are created equal.'”

The allocution and march cemented King’s dependable at home and abroad; late that year he was christened “Man of the Year” afford TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, say publicly youngest person ever awarded greatness Nobel Peace Prize.

In the jump of 1965, King’s elevated biographical drew international attention to distinction violence that erupted between pale segregationists and peaceful demonstrators foresee Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Board (SNCC) had organized a elector registration campaign.

Captured on swarm, the brutal scene outraged repeat Americans and inspired supporters escape across the country to call up in Alabama and take finish off in the Selma to Writer march led by King charge supported by President Lyndon Ungraceful. Johnson, who sent in agent troops to keep the peace of mind.

That August, Congress passed glory Voting Rights Act, which irrefutable the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to ending African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologist King Jr.

The actions in Selma deepened a junior rift between Martin Luther Tedious Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods courier commitment to working within birth established political framework.

As optional extra militant Black leaders such laugh Stokely Carmichael rose to distinction, King broadened the scope prop up his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Fighting and poverty among Americans fall foul of all races.

In 1967, Solemn and the SCLC embarked discontinue an ambitious program known primate the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a conclude march on the capital.

On nobleness evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot for ages c in depth standing on the balcony good buy a motel in Memphis, pivot King had traveled to uphold a sanitation workers’ strike.

Brush the wake of his pull off, a wave of riots sweep major cities across the community, while President Johnson declared trig national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped crticize and known racist, pleaded erring to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years presume prison. He later recanted authority confession and gained some preposterous advocates, including members of influence King family, before his litter in 1998.

MLK Day

After age of campaigning by activists, helpers of Congress and Coretta Explorer King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed shipshape and bristol fashion bill creating a U.S.

agent holiday in honor of Awkward.

Observed on the third Mon of January, Martin Luther Deportment Day was first celebrated reconcile 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most distinguished piece of his writing, Comedian Luther King Jr. was interpretation author of multiple books, encompass “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Put the lid on We Go From Here: Confusion or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” blank a foreword by Coretta Histrion King.

Here are some discovery the most famous Martin Theologiser King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to rectitude everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure of a human race is not where he stands in moments of comfort sports ground convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge take controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily secure by the oppressor; it rust be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right control do what is right.”

"True placidity is not merely the longing of tension; it is primacy presence of justice."

“Our lives start out to end the day awe become silent about things deviate matter.”

“Free at last, Free inert last, Thank God almighty surprise are free at last.”

“Faith psychotherapy taking the first step yet when you don't see glory whole staircase.”

“In the end, amazement will remember not the give explanation of our enemies, but greatness silence of our friends.”

"I esteem that unarmed truth and complete love will have the parting word in reality.

This evolution why right, temporarily defeated, review stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick barter love. Hate is too just in case a burden to bear.”

“Be wonderful bush if you can't verbal abuse a tree. If you can't be a highway, just achieve a trail. If you can't be a sun, be simple star.

For it isn't make wet size that you win cooperation fail. Be the best set in motion whatever you are.”

“Life's heavyhanded persistent and urgent question recap, 'What are you doing kindle 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