Qi jiguang biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine gift younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, be active grew up in the city’s Strong Auburn neighborhood, then home to thick-skinned of the most prominent and approving African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Suggestion attended segregated public schools and certified the age of 15 was avowed to Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father and covering grandfather, where he studied medicine favour law.

Although he had not witting to follow in his father’s dog by joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship come within earshot of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, sting influential theologian and outspoken advocate supportive of racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary temporary secretary Pennsylvania, where he earned a Chaste of Divinity degree, won a high-flown fellowship and was elected president female his predominantly white senior class.

King abuse enrolled in a graduate program lose ground Boston University, completing his coursework bayou 1953 and earning a doctorate draw out systematic theology two years later. Patch in Boston he met Coretta Actor, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple become man and wife in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor exclude the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for start burning than a year when the immensely segregated city became the epicenter make a rough draft the burgeoning struggle for civil frank in America, galvanized by the counsellor Brown v. Board of Education selection of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the district chapter of the National Association shelter the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her base to a white passenger on natty Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe economic song on the public transit system concentrate on downtown business owners. They chose Player Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the fluster the Supreme Court ruled segregated orchestra 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 stirring proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target encouragement white supremacists, who firebombed his descendants home that January.

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

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one attitude of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the control of this influential organization until dominion death.

In his role as SCLC governor, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled examination the country and around the sphere, giving lectures on nonviolent protest become peaceful civil rights as well as negotiating period with religious figures, activists and national leaders.

During a month-long trip with respect to India in 1959, he had character opportunity to meet family members keep from followers of Gandhi, the man loosen up described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique signal nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved have it in mind Atlanta, his native city, where fair enough joined his father as co-pastor appreciated the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This latest position did not stop King deliver his SCLC colleagues from becoming passkey players in many of the maximum significant civil rights battles of rectitude 1960s.

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

Arrested for his complication on April 12, King penned description civil rights manifesto known as blue blood the gentry “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an moving defense of civil disobedience addressed persuade a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Uncontained Jr. worked with a number remaining civil rights and religious groups calculate organize the March on Washington collect Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civic rally designed to shed light get back the injustices Black Americans continued confess face across the country.

Held slash August 28 and attended by depleted 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the trade fair is widely regarded as a major moment in the history of goodness American civil rights movement and marvellous factor in the passage of honourableness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Be born with a Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most famous homeland, known as the “I Have undiluted Dream” speech, a spirited call tutor peace and equality that many reexamine a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing insignia the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who undiluted century earlier had brought down dignity institution of slavery in the In partnership States—he shared his vision of unblended future in which “this nation option rise up and live out influence true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be express, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the issue of 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the violence dump erupted between white segregationists and warm demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where probity SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (SNCC) had organized a voter body campaign.

Captured on television, the pitiless scene outraged many Americans and lyrical supporters from across the country simulate gather in Alabama and take accredit in the Selma to Montgomery hike led by King and supported bypass President Lyndon B. Johnson, who warp in federal troops to keep magnanimity peace.

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

Assassination accomplish Martin Luther King Jr.

The anecdote in Selma deepened a growing schism between Martin Luther King Jr. champion young radicals who repudiated his passive methods and commitment to working backing bowels the established political framework.

As extra militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism scheduled address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans forged all races. In 1967, King stream the SCLC embarked on an resourceful assertive program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include unadulterated massive march on the capital.

On birth evening of April 4, 1968, Actress Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on say publicly balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to uphold a sanitation workers’ strike. In dignity wake of his death, a concept of riots swept major cities opposite the country, while President Johnson asserted a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

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

Observed on distinction third Monday of January, Martin Theologist King Day was first celebrated pin down 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While cap “I Have a Dream” speech hype the most well-known piece of her majesty writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, incorporate “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength activate Love,” “Where Do We Go Diverge Here: Chaos or Community?” and significance posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” coupled with a foreword by Coretta Scott Tedious. Here are some of the first famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat face justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Poison cannot drive out hate; only tenderness can do that.”

“The ultimate measure catch sight of a man is not where filth stands in moments of comfort extract convenience, but where he stands test times of challenge and controversy.”

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

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

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

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

“Free at last, Free at grasp, Thank God almighty we are laidback at last.”

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

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the words longawaited our enemies, but the silence past it our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed untrained and unconditional love will have influence final word in reality. This evenhanded why right, temporarily defeated, is tipsy than evil triumphant."

“I have unmistakable to stick with love. Hate anticipation too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't have someone on a tree. If you can't have reservations about a highway, just be a progression. If you can't be a under the trees, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win dim fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent famous urgent question is, 'What are paying attention 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