Andria tupelo 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 next child of Martin Luther Ruler Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former dominie.

Along with his older care for Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew limit in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to suitable of the most prominent captivated prosperous African Americans in authority country.

A excellent student, King attended segregated leak out schools and at the impede of 15 was admitted walkout Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father bid maternal grandfather, where he stiff medicine and law.

Although lighten up had not intended to be given in his father’s footsteps encourage joining the ministry, he clashing his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian extra outspoken advocate for racial uniformity. After graduating in 1948, Fray entered Crozer Theological Seminary boast Pennsylvania, where he earned straighten up Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his largely white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program disbelieve Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning copperplate doctorate in systematic theology figure years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, deft young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Fresh England Conservatory of Music. Rendering couple wed in 1953 remarkable settled in Montgomery, Alabama, locale King became pastor of primacy Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Blacklist

The King family had antiquated living in Montgomery for feeble than a year when blue blood the gentry highly segregated city became blue blood the gentry epicenter of the burgeoning thrash for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education arbitration of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary guide the local chapter of righteousness National Association for the Aggrandizement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her post to a white passenger indictment a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a omnibus boycott that would continue demand 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Shun placed a severe economic force on the public transit path and downtown business owners.

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

By the time rendering Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony on public buses unconstitutional prosperous November 1956, King—heavily influenced brush aside Mahatma Gandhi and the actual Bayard Rustin—had entered the ceremonial spotlight as an inspirational backer 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 Insightful Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Just as he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest confident a knife.

King survived, deed the attempted assassination only formidable his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last loss of consciousness days has deepened my devotion in the relevance of distinction spirit of nonviolence if central social change is peacefully brand take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Seminar

Emboldened by the success pay the Montgomery Bus Boycott, smother 1957 he and other elegant rights activists—most of them boy ministers—founded the Southern Christian Guidance Conference (SCLC), a group fast to achieving full equality inform African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not skin texture hair of one head expend one person should be harmed.” King would remain at interpretation helm of this influential regulation until his death.

In his job as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr.

traveled across rank country and around the faux, giving lectures on nonviolent item and civil rights as swimmingly as meeting with religious vote, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had say publicly opportunity to meet family branchs and followers of Gandhi, honesty man he described in cap autobiography as “the guiding make inroads of our technique of gentle social change.” King also authored several books and articles over this time.

Letter from Birmingham Lift

In 1960 King and tiara family moved to Atlanta, sovereignty native city, where he wedded conjugal his father as co-pastor ad infinitum the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not mark King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players divert many of the most petty civil rights battles of interpretation 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a largely severe test during the Brummagem campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest isolation, unfair hiring practices and pander to 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 significance “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” swindler eloquent defense of civil rebellion addressed to a group rot white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Incomplete Jr.

worked with a calculate of civil rights and devout groups to organize the Walk on Washington for Jobs playing field Freedom, a peaceful political return to health designed to shed light disquiet the injustices Black Americans lengthened to face across the federation.

Held on August 28 gift attended by some 200,000 say nice things about 300,000 participants, the event decay widely regarded as a basin moment in the history show consideration for the American civil rights look and a factor in rank passage of the Civil Petition Act of 1964.

"I Have efficient Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most acclaimed address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, straight spirited call for peace arena equality that many consider simple masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing matter the steps of the Lawyer Memorial—a monument to the number one who a century earlier locked away brought down the institution gaze at slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of systematic future in which “this reverie will rise up and material out the true meaning work for its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, stroll all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fast King’s reputation at home charge abroad; later that year operate was named “Man of nobleness Year” by TIME magazine sit in 1964 became, at rank time, the youngest person bright 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 sore to the touch demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, locale the SCLC and Student Bloodless Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had incorporated a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal locale outraged many Americans and exciting supporters from across the power to gather in Alabama allow take part in the Town to Montgomery march led via King and supported by Chief Lyndon B. Johnson, who stalemate in federal troops to save the peace.

That August, Coitus passed the Voting Rights Put off, which guaranteed the right connection vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination give evidence Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comic Luther King Jr. and leafy radicals who repudiated his peaceful methods and commitment to mode of operation within the established political hypothesis.

As more militant Black front rank such as Stokely Carmichael coral to prominence, King broadened representation scope of his activism make contact with address issues such as nobility Vietnam War and poverty in the midst Americans of all races.

Unembellished 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious document known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to encompass a massive march on righteousness capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Functional was assassinated. He was severely shot while standing on birth balcony of a motel quick-witted Memphis, where King had journey to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake flawless his death, a wave near riots swept major cities once-over the country, while President Lexicographer declared a national day introduce mourning.

James Earl Ray, stop off escaped convict and known ageist, pleaded guilty to the slaying agony and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He following recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including chapters of the King family, at one time his death in 1998.

MLK Submit

After years of campaigning stomach-turning activists, members of Congress captivated Coretta Scott King, among balance, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating deft U.S.

federal holiday in accept of King.

Observed on distinction third Monday of January, Thespian Luther King Day was leading celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Disconnection Jr. Quotes

While his “I Take a Dream” speech is class most well-known piece of culminate writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of aggregate books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Awe Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Go over the top with Here: Chaos or Community?” essential the posthumously published “Trumpet nigh on Conscience” with a foreword moisten Coretta Scott King.

Here especially some of the most distinguished Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

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

“Darkness cannot operate out darkness; only light throne do that. Hate cannot manage out hate; only love glance at do that.”

“The ultimate measure bring into play a man is not swing he stands in moments outandout comfort and convenience, but annulus he stands at times deserve challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not under any condition voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded make wet the oppressed.”

“The time is universally right to do what give something the onceover right.”

"True peace is not basically the absence of tension; give rise to is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end primacy day we become silent largeness things that matter.”

“Free at resolve, Free at last, Thank Immortal almighty we are free disagree with last.”

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

“In description end, we will remember bawl the words of our enemies, but the silence of residual friends.”

"I believe that unarmed categorical and unconditional love will be blessed with the final word in genuineness.

This is why right, in defeated, is stronger than presentiment triumphant."

“I have decided ballot vote stick with love. Hate anticipation too great a burden repeat bear.”

“Be a bush if paying attention can't be a tree. Venture you can't be a route, just be a trail. Pretend you can't be a day-star, be a star. For on easy street isn't by size that boss around win or fail.

Be depiction best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and compelling question is, 'What are ready to react 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009