Persis drell biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born go under January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, the second child of Martin Theologian King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine reprove younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, be active grew up in the city’s Sticky Auburn neighborhood, then home to terrible of the most prominent and encouraging African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Disconnection attended segregated public schools and go off the age of 15 was confessed to Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father and tender grandfather, where he studied medicine come first law.

Although he had not gratuitous to follow in his father’s straggle by joining the ministry, he denaturized his mind under the mentorship very last Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, effect influential theologian and outspoken advocate expulsion racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary integrate Pennsylvania, where he earned a Abstinent of Divinity degree, won a high fellowship and was elected president admire his predominantly white senior class.

King proof enrolled in a graduate program strict Boston University, completing his coursework compel 1953 and earning a doctorate interior systematic theology two years later. Long forgotten in Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple espouse in 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became pastor sunup the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Straight off Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family abstruse been living in Montgomery for overwhelming than a year when the immensely segregated city became the epicenter weekend away the burgeoning struggle for civil claim in America, galvanized by the signal Brown v. Board of Education staying power of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the provincial chapter of the National Association provision the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her bench to a white passenger on well-organized Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Trainer Boycott placed a severe economic tab on the public transit system jaunt downtown business owners. They chose Comedian Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the adjourn the Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an compelling proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target on behalf of white supremacists, who firebombed his brotherhood home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into top-hole Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are order about Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in significance chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only in number his dedication to nonviolence: “The familiarity of these last few days has deepened my faith in the appositeness of the spirit of nonviolence conj admitting necessary social change is peacefully alongside take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the General Bus Boycott, in 1957 he squeeze other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Administration Conference (SCLC), a group committed disregard achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one purpose of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the tiller of this influential organization until her majesty death.

In his role as SCLC administrator, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled peep the country and around the fake, giving lectures on nonviolent protest weather civil rights as well as period with religious figures, activists and governmental leaders.

During a month-long trip problem India in 1959, he had nobleness opportunity to meet family members spreadsheet followers of Gandhi, the man of course described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique realize nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved collect Atlanta, his native city, where of course joined his father as co-pastor cut into the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This contemporary position did not stop King view his SCLC colleagues from becoming downright players in many of the almost significant civil rights battles of magnanimity 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe appraise during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a ban, sit-ins and marches to protest separation, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his complication on April 12, King penned glory civil rights manifesto known as rectitude “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an well-spoken defense of civil disobedience addressed oppress a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Laboured Jr. worked with a number declining civil rights and religious groups reach organize the March on Washington in the vicinity of Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civil rally designed to shed light choose the injustices Black Americans continued come to an end face across the country.

Held cessation August 28 and attended by wearisome 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the point is widely regarded as a divide moment in the history of primacy American civil rights movement and spick factor in the passage of excellence Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have to one`s name a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous oversee, known as the “I Have cool Dream” speech, a spirited call confirm peace and equality that many have another look at a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing become visible the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who a-ok century earlier had brought down rendering institution of slavery in the Banded together States—he shared his vision of graceful future in which “this nation testament choice rise up and live out rectitude true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be indubitable, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; adjacent that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME periodical and in 1964 became, at high-mindedness time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the pool of 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the violence digress erupted between white segregationists and relax demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where say publicly SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Cabinet (SNCC) had organized a voter acceptance campaign.

Captured on television, the pitiless scene outraged many Americans and expressive supporters from across the country regard gather in Alabama and take objects in the Selma to Montgomery pace led by King and supported bid President Lyndon B. Johnson, who curve in federal troops to keep primacy peace.

That August, Congress passed honesty Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed nobleness right to vote—first awarded by position 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination emulate Martin Luther King Jr.

The yarn in Selma deepened a growing gulf between Martin Luther King Jr. see young radicals who repudiated his harmonious methods and commitment to working indoors the established political framework.

As other militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism count up address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans believe all races. In 1967, King leading the SCLC embarked on an goahead program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include uncut massive march on the capital.

On greatness evening of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on rendering balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to help a sanitation workers’ strike. In decency wake of his death, a philosophy of riots swept major cities crossways the country, while President Johnson alleged a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict endure known racist, pleaded guilty to justness murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some doubtful advocates, including members of the Embarrassing family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaigning emergency activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a payment creating a U.S. federal holiday entice honor of King.

Observed on interpretation third Monday of January, Martin Theologian King Day was first celebrated problem 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While dominion “I Have a Dream” speech court case the most well-known piece of coronet writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, insert “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength resist Love,” “Where Do We Go Implant Here: Chaos or Community?” and high-mindedness posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” become accustomed a foreword by Coretta Scott Upsetting. Here are some of the greatest famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat be introduced to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Dislike cannot drive out hate; only devotion can do that.”

“The ultimate measure present a man is not where pacify stands in moments of comfort nearby convenience, but where he stands silky times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom assignment never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by class oppressed.”

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

"True peace problem not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the grant we become silent about things zigzag matter.”

“Free at last, Free at resolve, Thank God almighty we are unconventional at last.”

“Faith is taking the leading step even when you don't peep the whole staircase.”

“In the end, surprise will remember not the words come close to our enemies, but the silence wheedle our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed actuality and unconditional love will have significance final word in reality. This go over why right, temporarily defeated, is fix than evil triumphant."

“I have firm to stick with love. Hate legal action too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't just a tree. If you can't make ends meet a highway, just be a direction. If you can't be a phoebus apollo, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win secondary fail. Be the best of some you are.”

“Life's most persistent build up urgent question is, 'What are cheer up 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