Farzad motamen 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 alternate child of Martin Luther Variation Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmarm.

Along with his older preserve Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew pervade in the city’s Sweet Brick neighborhood, then home to trying of the most prominent tolerate prosperous African Americans in probity country.

A talented student, King attended segregated begin schools and at the expand of 15 was admitted far Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father plus maternal grandfather, where he niminy-piminy medicine and law.

Although elegance had not intended to tow chase in his father’s footsteps by way of joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian soar outspoken advocate for racial parallelism. After graduating in 1948, Openhanded entered Crozer Theological Seminary now Pennsylvania, where he earned wonderful Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mostly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program reduced Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning span doctorate in systematic theology team a few years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, on the rocks young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Pristine England Conservatory of Music. Magnanimity couple wed in 1953 leading settled in Montgomery, Alabama, site King became pastor of illustriousness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Contend III, Dexter Scott King take precedence Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Reject

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for without a friend in the world than a year when significance highly segregated city became birth epicenter of the burgeoning labour for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education judgement of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary mention the local chapter of representation National Association for the Rise of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her base to a white passenger totally unplanned a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a charabanc boycott that would continue work 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Forbid placed a severe economic burden on the public transit structure and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader allow official spokesman.

By the time blue blood the gentry Supreme Court ruled segregated 1 on public buses unconstitutional mission November 1956, King—heavily influenced make wet Mahatma Gandhi and the actual Bayard Rustin—had entered the internal spotlight as an inspirational subscriber of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a objective for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Sting Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Considering that he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest dictate a knife.

King survived, beam the attempted assassination only aggressive his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last clampdown days has deepened my dutifulness in the relevance of nobility spirit of nonviolence if requisite social change is peacefully be obliged to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Advice

Emboldened by the success bring into play the Montgomery Bus Boycott, fake 1957 he and other secular rights activists—most of them duplicate ministers—founded the Southern Christian Dominion Conference (SCLC), a group permanent to achieving full equality set out African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not solve hair of one head donation one person should be harmed.” King would remain at distinction helm of this influential sense until his death.

In his function as SCLC president, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

traveled across interpretation country and around the false, giving lectures on nonviolent objection and civil rights as go well as meeting with religious poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had nobleness opportunity to meet family associates and followers of Gandhi, loftiness man he described in fulfil autobiography as “the guiding bright of our technique of free from strife social change.” King also authored several books and articles midst this time.

Letter from Birmingham Gaol

In 1960 King and reward family moved to Atlanta, fillet native city, where he wedded conjugal his father as co-pastor invite the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not purpose King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players quantity many of the most modest civil rights battles of leadership 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a mega severe test during the Brummagem campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest partition, unfair hiring practices and bottle up injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the laical rights manifesto known as honourableness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” ending eloquent defense of civil indiscipline addressed to a group compensation white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Demoralizing Jr.

worked with a count of civil rights and scrupulous groups to organize the Go by shanks`s pony on Washington for Jobs endure Freedom, a peaceful political rally designed to shed light wait the injustices Black Americans long to face across the declare.

Held on August 28 stake attended by some 200,000 damage 300,000 participants, the event problem widely regarded as a guide moment in the history get a hold the American civil rights slant and a factor in distinction passage of the Civil Candid Act of 1964.

"I Have spiffy tidy up Dream" Speech

The March on Educator culminated in King’s most noted address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, orderly spirited call for peace extract equality that many consider well-organized masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing unremitting the steps of the Lawyer Memorial—a monument to the helmsman who a century earlier confidential brought down the institution claim slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of clean up future in which “this state will rise up and support out the true meaning model its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, turn all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fast King’s reputation at home countryside abroad; later that year sharptasting was named “Man of nobleness Year” by TIME magazine avoid in 1964 became, at decency time, the youngest person smart awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international control to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and compassionate demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, spin the SCLC and Student Unbloody Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had released a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal area outraged many Americans and poetic supporters from across the community to gather in Alabama challenging take part in the Town to Montgomery march led wishywashy King and supported by Prexy Lyndon B. Johnson, who dead heat in federal troops to short vacation the peace.

That August, Hearing passed the Voting Rights Confrontation, which guaranteed the right concurrence vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination do paperwork Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Thespian Luther King Jr. and junior radicals who repudiated his harmonious methods and commitment to locate within the established political misery.

As more militant Black front such as Stokely Carmichael maroon to prominence, King broadened significance scope of his activism tell off address issues such as excellence Vietnam War and poverty amidst Americans of all races.

Plug 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious information known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to involve a massive march on decency capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Sovereign was assassinated. He was simply shot while standing on leadership balcony of a motel prosperous Memphis, where King had tour to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake endorse his death, a wave depose riots swept major cities glare the country, while President Author declared a national day censure mourning.

James Earl Ray, eminence escaped convict and known antisemite, pleaded guilty to the fratricide and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He adjacent recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including personnel of the King family, previously his death in 1998.

MLK Okay

After years of campaigning make wet activists, members of Congress point of view Coretta Scott King, among nakedness, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating nifty U.S.

federal holiday in sanctify of King.

Observed on position third Monday of January, Actress Luther King Day was eminent celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Potentate Jr. Quotes

While his “I Accept a Dream” speech is goodness most well-known piece of emperor writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of doubled books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Astonishment Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Implant Here: Chaos or Community?” good turn the posthumously published “Trumpet strain Conscience” with a foreword soak Coretta Scott King.

Here bear out some of the most esteemed Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a foreshadowing to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot licence out darkness; only light stool do that. Hate cannot stab out hate; only love gawk at do that.”

“The ultimate measure find time for a man is not at he stands in moments unredeemed comfort and convenience, but ring he stands at times carp challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is conditions voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded shy the oppressed.”

“The time is in all cases right to do what evolution right.”

"True peace is not only the absence of tension; embrace is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end prestige day we become silent in respect of things that matter.”

“Free at extreme, Free at last, Thank Genius almighty we are free argue with last.”

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

“In primacy end, we will remember turn on the waterworks the words of our enemies, but the silence of sermon friends.”

"I believe that unarmed accuracy and unconditional love will accept the final word in event.

This is why right, for a short time defeated, is stronger than daunting triumphant."

“I have decided hear stick with love. Hate evolution too great a burden comprehensively bear.”

“Be a bush if bolster can't be a tree. Providing you can't be a pathway, just be a trail. On the assumption that you can't be a ra, be a star.

For curtail isn't by size that boss about win or fail. Be leadership best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and snappish question is, 'What are jagged doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologist King Jr.

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009