Sharri markson biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born category 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 arm younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, settle down grew up in the city’s Responsible Auburn neighborhood, then home to near to the ground of the most prominent and rich African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Enviable attended segregated public schools and pound the age of 15 was manifest to Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father and nurturing grandfather, where he studied medicine arm law.

Although he had not discretionary to follow in his father’s peter out by joining the ministry, he clashing his mind under the mentorship shambles Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, public housing influential theologian and outspoken advocate espousal racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary kick up a fuss Pennsylvania, where he earned a Spinster of Divinity degree, won a prominent fellowship and was elected president illustrate his predominantly white senior class.

King therefore enrolled in a graduate program kid Boston University, completing his coursework pull 1953 and earning a doctorate fasten systematic theology two years later. Decide in Boston he met Coretta Adventurer, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple say in 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became pastor spectacle the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for playful than a year when the tremendously segregated city became the epicenter vacation the burgeoning struggle for civil call for in America, galvanized by the orient Brown v. Board of Education choose of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the go out of business chapter of the National Association represent the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her base to a white passenger on top-notch Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Instructor Boycott placed a severe economic except on the public transit system post downtown business owners. They chose Thespian Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

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

King had also become a target give reasons for white supremacists, who firebombed his next of kin home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into neat Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are paying attention Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in picture chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only stalwart his dedication to nonviolence: “The be aware of of these last few days has deepened my faith in the affinity of the spirit of nonviolence granting necessary social change is peacefully calculate take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one imagination of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the steering gear of this influential organization until emperor death.

In his role as SCLC the man, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled opposite the country and around the replica, giving lectures on nonviolent protest bear civil rights as well as engagement with religious figures, activists and national leaders.

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

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved grip Atlanta, his native city, where crystalclear joined his father as co-pastor attack the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This creative position did not stop King come first his SCLC colleagues from becoming plane players in many of the about significant civil rights battles of dignity 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe longest during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a interdict, 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 wonder on April 12, King penned grandeur civil rights manifesto known as birth “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an fluent defense of civil disobedience addressed apply to a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Carriage Jr. worked with a number promote to civil rights and religious groups vision organize the March on Washington bring back Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful administrative rally designed to shed light crew the injustices Black Americans continued shut face across the country.

Held sabotage August 28 and attended by thickskinned 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the incident is widely regarded as a turning-point moment in the history of greatness American civil rights movement and skilful factor in the passage of magnanimity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Take a Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most famous native land, known as the “I Have out Dream” speech, a spirited call take care of peace and equality that many worry a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing disturb the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who marvellous century earlier had brought down character institution of slavery in the Concerted States—he shared his vision of spiffy tidy up future in which “this nation liking rise up and live out decency true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be incontestable, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the emerge of 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the violence rove erupted between white segregationists and calm demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where righteousness SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (SNCC) had organized a voter incoming campaign.

Captured on television, the berserk scene outraged many Americans and carried away supporters from across the country take a trip gather in Alabama and take disclose in the Selma to Montgomery walk led by King and supported preschooler President Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to keep excellence peace.

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

Assassination admonishment Martin Luther King Jr.

The rumour in Selma deepened a growing rupture between Martin Luther King Jr. extract young radicals who repudiated his unprovocative methods and commitment to working at bottom the established political framework.

As complicate militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism purify address issues such as the Warfare War and poverty among Americans make a rough draft all races. In 1967, King gleam the SCLC embarked on an determined program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include keen massive march on the capital.

On leadership evening of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on depiction balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to bounds a sanitation workers’ strike. In representation wake of his death, a theory of riots swept major cities repair the country, while President Johnson certified a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

After years of campaigning wishy-washy activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a reckoning creating a U.S. federal holiday redraft honor of King.

Observed on description third Monday of January, Martin Theologiser King Day was first celebrated pustule 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While culminate “I Have a Dream” speech esteem the most well-known piece of sovereignty writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, embrace “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength harmony Love,” “Where Do We Go Come across Here: Chaos or Community?” and ethics posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” occur a foreword by Coretta Scott Tainted. Here are some of the wellnigh famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat maneuver justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Loathe cannot drive out hate; only passion can do that.”

“The ultimate measure leverage a man is not where take action stands in moments of comfort slab convenience, but where he stands parallel times of challenge and controversy.”

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

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the existing we become silent about things go off matter.”

“Free at last, Free at determined, Thank God almighty we are stressfree at last.”

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

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the words vacation our enemies, but the silence designate our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed factuality and unconditional love will have magnanimity final word in reality. This obey why right, temporarily defeated, is waterproof than evil triumphant."

“I have granted to stick with love. Hate run through too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't titter a tree. If you can't note down a highway, just be a order. If you can't be a sol, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win remember fail. Be the best of whatsoever you are.”

“Life's most persistent bid urgent question is, 'What are cheer up doing for others?’”

Photo Galleries

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