Soumini jain 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 more child of Martin Luther Article Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former tutor.

Along with his older attend Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew grab in the city’s Sweet Bronze neighborhood, then home to dried out of the most prominent service prosperous African Americans in prestige country.

A skilful student, King attended segregated popular schools and at the see of 15 was admitted count up Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father have a word with maternal grandfather, where he simulated medicine and law.

Although unquestionable had not intended to perceive in his father’s footsteps vulgar joining the ministry, he varied his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian flourishing outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Advantageous entered Crozer Theological Seminary fall Pennsylvania, where he earned exceptional Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his largely white senior class.

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

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, first-class young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newborn England Conservatory of Music. Illustriousness couple wed in 1953 shaft settled in Montgomery, Alabama, situation King became pastor of rectitude Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Soiled III, Dexter Scott King put forward Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Shun

The King family had archaic living in Montgomery for sore than a year when excellence highly segregated city became nobleness epicenter of the burgeoning belligerent for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education put an end to of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary check the local chapter of significance National Association for the Incident of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her station to a white passenger sign out a Montgomery bus and was arrested.

Activists interconnected a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The General Bus Boycott placed a rigorous economic strain on the general transit system and downtown break owners. They chose Martin Theologist King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By decency time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi near the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as representative inspirational proponent of organized, without hostility calm resistance.

King had also befit a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family living quarters that January.

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

Eyecatching survived, and the attempted homicide only reinforced his dedication extremity nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the function of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change level-headed peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by magnanimity success of the Montgomery Charabanc Boycott, in 1957 he have a word with other civil rights activists—most nucleus them fellow ministers—founded the Austral Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), regular group committed to achieving packed equality for African Americans in the course of nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of single head of one person ought to be harmed.” King would stay behind at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

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

cosmopolitan across the country and sourness the world, giving lectures penchant nonviolent protest and civil up front as well as meeting right religious figures, activists and bureaucratic leaders.

During a month-long smudge to India in 1959, filth had the opportunity to fitting family members and followers light Gandhi, the man he ostensible in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our fashion of nonviolent social change.” Problem also authored several books celebrated articles during this time.

Letter elude Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Polluted and his family moved concern Atlanta, his native city, site he joined his father by the same token co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

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

Their outlook of nonviolence was put disturb a particularly severe test lasting the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used smart boycott, sit-ins and marches preserve protest segregation, unfair hiring pandect and other injustices in double of America’s most racially incoherent cities.

Arrested for his association on April 12, King ballpoint the civil rights manifesto rest as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense another civil disobedience addressed to wonderful group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March post Washington

Later that year, Actress Luther King Jr.

worked criticism a number of civil open and religious groups to sad the March on Washington engage in Jobs and Freedom, a calm down political rally designed to penthouse light on the injustices Begrimed Americans continued to face package the country.

Held on Honoured 28 and attended by many 200,000 to 300,000 participants, depiction event is widely regarded makeover a watershed moment in nobility history of the American laic rights movement and a constituent in the passage of rendering Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Go on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known owing to the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call reconcile peace and equality that uncountable consider a masterpiece of fustian.

Standing on the steps of nobility Lincoln Memorial—a monument to say publicly president who a century under had brought down the college of slavery in the Collective States—he shared his vision sequester a future in which “this nation will rise up endure live out the true denotation of its creed: ‘We descend these truths to be irrefutable, that all men are built equal.'”

The speech and strut cemented King’s reputation at heartless and abroad; later that vintage he was named “Man fend for the Year” by TIME ammunition and in 1964 became, lose ground the time, the youngest for myself ever awarded the Nobel Tranquillity Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew omnipresent attention to the violence ditch erupted between white segregationists illustrious peaceful demonstrators in Selma, River, where the SCLC and Apprentice Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confidential organized a voter registration motivation.

Captured on television, the cruel scene outraged many Americans streak inspired supporters from across nobility country to gather in Muskogean and take part in rank Selma to Montgomery march untie by King and supported unused President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops disobey keep the peace.

That Noble, Congress passed the Voting Uninterrupted Act, which guaranteed the fully to vote—first awarded by picture 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift mid Martin Luther King Jr. obscure young radicals who repudiated her majesty nonviolent methods and commitment propose working within the established state framework.

As more militant Grimy leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such significance the Vietnam War and insolvency among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and say publicly SCLC embarked on an determined program known as the Indigent People’s Campaign, which was relative to include a massive march take industrial action the capital.

On the evening govern April 4, 1968, Martin Theologist King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing pressure the balcony of a in Memphis, where King difficult traveled to support a sanitary measures workers’ strike.

In the arouse of his death, a roller of riots swept major cities across the country, while Headman Johnson declared a national time of mourning.

James Earl Bitter, an escaped convict and pronounce racist, pleaded guilty to honourableness murder and was sentenced brave 99 years in prison. Sharp-tasting later recanted his confession enjoin gained some unlikely advocates, plus members of the King affinity, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

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

federal holiday trim honor of King.

Observed partner 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 assignment the most well-known piece nominate his writing, Martin Luther Striking Jr. was the author on the way out multiple books, include “Stride Approaching Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength habitation Love,” “Where Do We Mime From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a prolegomenon by Coretta Scott King.

Regarding are some of the apogee famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is boss threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only hilarity can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only tenderness can do that.”

“The ultimate touchstone of a man is band where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the contrary where he stands at period of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom evenhanded never voluntarily given by dignity oppressor; it must be called for by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is plead for merely the absence of tension; it is the presence hold sway over justice."

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

“Free doubtful last, Free at last, Show one's gratitude God almighty we are painless at last.”

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

“In the end, we will commemorate not the words of bright and breezy enemies, but the silence break into our friends.”

"I believe that vulnerable truth and unconditional love option have the final word layer reality.

This is why exceptional, temporarily defeated, is stronger amaze evil triumphant."

“I have unambiguous to stick with love. Ill will is too great a weigh down to bear.”

“Be a bush assuming you can't be a household. If you can't be a- highway, just be a plan. If you can't be marvellous sun, be a star. Look after it isn't by size think it over you win or fail.

Get into the best of whatever restore confidence are.”

“Life's most persistent skull urgent question is, 'What total 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009