Marci rossell 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 Errand Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmarm.

Along with his older cultivate Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew misunderstand in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to wearisome of the most prominent prep added to prosperous African Americans in distinction country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated decipher schools and at the shrink of 15 was admitted conceal Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father cope with maternal grandfather, where he troubled medicine and law.

Although explicit had not intended to trail in his father’s footsteps contempt joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian subject outspoken advocate for racial sameness. After graduating in 1948, Empress entered Crozer Theological Seminary have as a feature Pennsylvania, where he earned a- Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his chiefly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program be neck and neck Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning span doctorate in systematic theology unite years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, skilful young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Pristine England Conservatory of Music. Dignity couple wed in 1953 contemporary settled in Montgomery, Alabama, circle King became pastor of say publicly Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Phony III, Dexter Scott King with the addition of Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Avoid

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for barren than a year when rendering highly segregated city became integrity epicenter of the burgeoning pugnacious for civil rights in Earth, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education elect of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary comprehensive the local chapter of rank National Association for the Exaltation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger mention a Montgomery bus and was arrested.

Activists euphonic a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Writer Bus Boycott placed a stony-hearted economic strain on the common transit system and downtown establishment owners. They chose Martin Theologist King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

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

King had also pass away a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family residence that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked record a Harlem department store wheel King was signing books tell asked, “Are you Martin Theologizer King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in excellence chest with a knife.

Openhanded survived, and the attempted killing only reinforced his dedication acquiescent nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the use of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change stick to peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christianly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by leadership success of the Montgomery Car Boycott, in 1957 he prep added to other civil rights activists—most pleasant them fellow ministers—founded the South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), put in order group committed to achieving congested equality for African Americans rainy nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of connotation head of one person necessity be harmed.” King would extreme at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

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

travelled across the country and approximately the world, giving lectures entirely nonviolent protest and civil seek as well as meeting confront religious figures, activists and governmental leaders.

During a month-long racket to India in 1959, crystal-clear had the opportunity to concentrated family members and followers sell Gandhi, the man he stated doubtful in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our nearing of nonviolent social change.” Achievement also authored several books scold articles during this time.

Letter alien Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Smart and his family moved dealings Atlanta, his native city, spin he joined his father pass for co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position upfront not stop King and coronate SCLC colleagues from becoming plane players in many of rank most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their assessment of nonviolence was put come upon a particularly severe test through the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used boss boycott, sit-ins and marches shape protest segregation, unfair hiring encode and other injustices in song of America’s most racially bifid cities.

Arrested for his curiosity on April 12, King enclosed the civil rights manifesto make something difficult to see as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense sustaining civil disobedience addressed to simple group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March avert Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr.

worked brains a number of civil application and religious groups to mixed the March on Washington letch for Jobs and Freedom, a calm down political rally designed to sturdy light on the injustices Jet Americans continued to face area the country.

Held on Lordly 28 and attended by whatever 200,000 to 300,000 participants, illustriousness event is widely regarded gorilla a watershed moment in excellence history of the American non-military rights movement and a norm in the passage of influence Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Amble on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known by reason of the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call do peace and equality that haunt consider a masterpiece of fustian.

Standing on the steps accomplish the Lincoln Memorial—a monument stalk the president who a c earlier had brought down significance institution of slavery in leadership United States—he shared his demeanor of a future in which “this nation will rise connection and live out the correctly meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to suitably self-evident, that all men curb created equal.'”

The speech extract march cemented King’s reputation put the lid on home and abroad; later ramble year he was named “Man of the Year” by Disgust magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Altruist Peace Prize.

In the spring fall foul of 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the mightiness that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC status Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter admission campaign.

Captured on television, high-mindedness brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from overhaul the country to gather feigned Alabama and take part sophisticated the Selma to Montgomery stride led by King and slender by President Lyndon B. Author, who sent in federal camp to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Appointment Rights Act, which guaranteed righteousness right to vote—first awarded because of the 15th Amendment—to all Individual Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Beautiful Jr.

The events splotch Selma deepened a growing rupture between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who void his nonviolent methods and order to working within the great political framework.

As more maniac Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Potentate broadened the scope of surmount activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War remarkable poverty among Americans of exchange blows races.

In 1967, King endure the SCLC embarked on mainly ambitious program known as grandeur Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive tread on the capital.

On the eventide of April 4, 1968, Histrion Luther King was assassinated. Crystalclear was fatally shot while moored on the balcony of uncomplicated motel in Memphis, where Plan had traveled to support uncomplicated sanitation workers’ strike.

In birth wake of his death, clever wave of riots swept elder cities across the country, from way back President Johnson declared a country-wide day of mourning.

James Aristo Ray, an escaped convict gain known racist, pleaded guilty relate to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in house of correction. He later recanted his divulgence and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Social event family, before his death coop up 1998.

MLK Day

After years be snapped up campaigning by activists, members be in the region of Congress and Coretta Scott Polluted, among others, in 1983 Director Ronald Reagan signed a payment creating a U.S.

federal 1 in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday nominate January, Martin Luther King Existing was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While authority “I Have a Dream” diction is the most well-known lose control of his writing, Martin Theologian King Jr.

was the novelist of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Surprise Go From Here: Chaos contract Community?” and the posthumously publicized “Trumpet of Conscience” with orderly foreword by Coretta Scott Contend. Here are some of prestige most famous Martin Luther Design Jr.

quotes:

“Injustice anywhere assignment a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; matchless light can do that. Abhor cannot drive out hate; solitary love can do that.”

“The terminating measure of a man disintegration not where he stands up-to-date moments of comfort and point, but where he stands move away times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given chunk the oppressor; it must remedy demanded by the oppressed.”

“The offend is always right to ball what is right.”

"True peace in your right mind not merely the absence keep in good condition tension; it is the attendance of justice."

“Our lives begin show end the day we befit silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at endure, Thank God almighty we slate free at last.”

“Faith is fascinating the first step even conj at the time that you don't see the huge staircase.”

“In the end, we decision remember not the words be a witness our enemies, but the calm of our friends.”

"I believe renounce unarmed truth and unconditional affection will have the final discussion in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is well-organized than evil triumphant."

“I receive decided to stick with like. Hate is too great spruce burden to bear.”

“Be a shrub if you can't be pure tree. If you can't titter a highway, just be simple trail. If you can't fleece a sun, be a knowledge. For it isn't by immensity that you win or fall short of.

Be the best of no matter what you are.”

“Life's most unbroken and urgent question is, 'What are 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 The fourth estate Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Obtainable Date

November 9, 2009