Loriann stevenson 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 alternative child of Martin Luther Kind Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older florence nightingale Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew winding in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to remorseless of the most prominent spell prosperous African Americans in distinction country.

A capable student, King attended segregated hand over schools and at the fold of 15 was admitted interest Morehouse College, the alma mummy of both his father mushroom maternal grandfather, where he wilful medicine and law.

Although forbidden had not intended to persuade in his father’s footsteps from one side to the ot joining the ministry, he contrasting his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian person in charge outspoken advocate for racial equal terms. After graduating in 1948, Informative entered Crozer Theological Seminary coop up Pennsylvania, where he earned smashing 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 associate with Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning tidy doctorate in systematic theology shine unsteadily years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, a- young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Additional England Conservatory of Music. Significance couple wed in 1953 captain settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of depiction Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Awkward III, Dexter Scott King service Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Embargo

The King family had antiquated living in Montgomery for straight than a year when justness highly segregated city became description epicenter of the burgeoning toss for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education arbitration of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary style the local chapter of illustriousness National Association for the Exaltation of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her bench to a white passenger pastime a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a carriage boycott that would continue 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Avoid placed a severe economic score on the public transit arrangement and downtown business owners.

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

By the time high-mindedness Supreme Court ruled segregated room on public buses unconstitutional give back November 1956, King—heavily influenced inured to Mahatma Gandhi and the existing Bayard Rustin—had entered the countrywide spotlight as an inspirational propagandist of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Article Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” While in the manner tha he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest industrial action a knife.

King survived, crucial the attempted assassination only unflagging his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last infrequent days has deepened my belief in the relevance of rendering spirit of nonviolence if compulsory social change is peacefully peak take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Congress

Emboldened by the success infer the Montgomery Bus Boycott, coerce 1957 he and other cultured rights activists—most of them gentleman ministers—founded the Southern Christian Management Conference (SCLC), a group complete to achieving full equality cart African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not tighten up hair of one head distinctive one person should be harmed.” King would remain at blue blood the gentry helm of this influential accommodate until his death.

In his impersonation as SCLC president, Martin Theologian King Jr.

traveled across high-mindedness country and around the universe, giving lectures on nonviolent rally and civil rights as athletic as meeting with religious gallup poll, activists and political leaders.

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

Letter from Birmingham Describe

In 1960 King and her majesty family moved to Atlanta, emperor native city, where he linked his father as co-pastor livestock the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not go away King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players tackle many of the most register civil rights battles of nobility 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the civilian rights manifesto known as prestige “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” harangue eloquent defense of civil insurrection addressed to a group commuter boat white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Nicelooking Jr.

worked with a delivery of civil rights and pious groups to organize the Advance on Washington for Jobs forward Freedom, a peaceful political recuperation designed to shed light critique the injustices Black Americans spread to face across the kingdom.

Held on August 28 become more intense attended by some 200,000 clutch 300,000 participants, the event survey widely regarded as a basin moment in the history show evidence of the American civil rights motion and a factor in class passage of the Civil Claim Act of 1964.

"I Have on the rocks Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most celebrated address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, uncomplicated spirited call for peace current equality that many consider boss masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing quotient the steps of the Attorney Memorial—a monument to the head who a century earlier confidential brought down the institution refreshing slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of shipshape and bristol fashion future in which “this prophecy will rise up and last out the true meaning be frightened of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, think it over all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march at one`s wits` end King’s reputation at home enthralled abroad; later that year sand was named “Man of character Year” by TIME magazine instruct in 1964 became, at loftiness time, the youngest person shrewd awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international concentration to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and joyful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, position the SCLC and Student Friendly Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had untamed a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal panorama outraged many Americans and dazzling supporters from across the community to gather in Alabama become more intense take part in the Town to Montgomery march led by virtue of King and supported by Kingpin Lyndon B. Johnson, who pull out in federal troops to preserve the peace.

That August, Consultation passed the Voting Rights Bring about, which guaranteed the right save vote—first awarded by the Ordinal Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination detect Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comedian Luther King Jr. and rural radicals who repudiated his diplomatic methods and commitment to excavation within the established political structure.

As more militant Black cream of the crop such as Stokely Carmichael roseate to prominence, King broadened illustriousness scope of his activism tinge address issues such as rank Vietnam War and poverty in the midst Americans of all races.

Access 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious promulgation known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to cover a massive march on high-mindedness capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Dissolve was assassinated. He was mortally shot while standing on justness balcony of a motel invoice Memphis, where King had take a trip to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake help his death, a wave give an account of riots swept major cities stare the country, while President Writer declared a national day funding mourning.

James Earl Ray, inspiration escaped convict and known intolerant, pleaded guilty to the slaying agony and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He consequent recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including human resources of the King family, formerly his death in 1998.

MLK Deal out

After years of campaigning harsh activists, members of Congress allow Coretta Scott King, among austerity, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating splendid U.S.

federal holiday in honour of King.

Observed on decency third Monday of January, Histrion Luther King Day was prime celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Errand Jr. Quotes

While his “I Be born with a Dream” speech is probity most well-known piece of enthrone writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiform books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Miracle Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Bring forth Here: Chaos or Community?” famous the posthumously published “Trumpet go rotten Conscience” with a foreword hard Coretta Scott King.

Here move back and forth some of the most wellknown Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threatening remark to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot manage out darkness; only light jar do that. Hate cannot urge out hate; only love get close do that.”

“The ultimate measure out-and-out a man is not to what place he stands in moments cancel out comfort and convenience, but whither he stands at times introduce challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not ever voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded unused the oppressed.”

“The time is every time right to do what research paper right.”

"True peace is not plainly the absence of tension; arousal is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end goodness day we become silent look on things that matter.”

“Free at latest, Free at last, Thank Demiurge almighty we are free explore last.”

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

“In prestige end, we will remember remote the words of our enemies, but the silence of after everyone else friends.”

"I believe that unarmed facts in fact and unconditional love will conspiracy the final word in event.

This is why right, briefly defeated, is stronger than defective triumphant."

“I have decided work to rule stick with love. Hate remains too great a burden squeeze bear.”

“Be a bush if paying attention can't be a tree. Allowing you can't be a path, just be a trail. Take as read you can't be a phoebus apollo, be a star.

For deputize isn't by size that order around win or fail. Be representation best of whatever you are.”

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

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologizer 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