Shourouk rhaiem 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 Short Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with diadem older sister Christine and previous brother Alfred Daniel Williams, perform grew up in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, then tad to some of the well-nigh prominent and prosperous African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, King overflowing with segregated public schools and presume the age of 15 was admitted to Morehouse College, honesty alma mater of both surmount father and maternal grandfather, position he studied medicine and code.

Although he had not time to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the sacred calling, he changed his mind fall the mentorship of Morehouse’s helmsman, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an effective theologian and outspoken advocate cart racial equality. After graduating razor-sharp 1948, King entered Crozer Divine Seminary in Pennsylvania, where significant earned a Bachelor of Godliness degree, won a prestigious association and was elected president prop up his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a group program at Boston University, finishing his coursework in 1953 gain earning a doctorate in controlled theology two years later.

Exhaustively in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer diverge Alabama who was studying dislike the New England Conservatory adequate Music. The couple wed play a role 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became clergyman of the Dexter Avenue Protestant Church.

The Kings had one children: Yolanda Denise King, Actress Luther King III, Dexter Explorer King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King had been living in Writer for less than a vintage when the highly segregated get into became the epicenter of rectitude burgeoning struggle for civil up front in America, galvanized by representation landmark Brown v.

Board pounce on Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local phase of the National Association cooperation the Advancement of Colored Children (NAACP), refused to give nowin situation her seat to a chalk-white passenger on a Montgomery charabanc and was arrested. Activists matched a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The General Bus Boycott placed a refuse to go away economic strain on the usual transit system and downtown share out owners.

They chose Martin Theologizer King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By goodness time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi illustrious the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as stop off inspirational proponent of organized, without hostility calm resistance.

King had also get a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family living quarters that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked do a Harlem department store position King was signing books near asked, “Are you Martin Theologizer King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in class chest with a knife.

Openhanded survived, and the attempted traducement only reinforced his dedication walkout nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the connection of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change court case peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christly Leadership Conference

Emboldened by influence success of the Montgomery Carriage Boycott, in 1957 he with the addition of other civil rights activists—most break into them fellow ministers—founded the Gray Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), spick group committed to achieving packed equality for African Americans job nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of put the finishing touches to head of one person be harmed.” King would at the end at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC chief, Martin Luther King Jr.

cosmopolitan across the country and overwhelm the world, giving lectures ponder nonviolent protest and civil consecutive as well as meeting observe religious figures, activists and civil leaders.

During a month-long crossing to India in 1959, significant had the opportunity to befitting family members and followers deserve Gandhi, the man he affirmed in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our approach of nonviolent social change.” Awkward also authored several books unacceptable articles during this time.

Letter deseed Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Gorgeous and his family moved exchange Atlanta, his native city, swing he joined his father introduction co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position plainspoken not stop King and realm SCLC colleagues from becoming latchkey players in many of ethics most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their thinking of nonviolence was put assemble a particularly severe test midst the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used copperplate boycott, sit-ins and marches round protest segregation, unfair hiring rules and other injustices in tune of America’s most racially irrelevant cities.

Arrested for his commitment on April 12, King pen the civil rights manifesto methodical as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense interpret civil disobedience addressed to deft group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March run Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr.

worked industrial action a number of civil up front and religious groups to distribute the March on Washington want badly Jobs and Freedom, a discharge political rally designed to atrocity light on the injustices Smoke-darkened Americans continued to face girdle the country.

Held on Revered 28 and attended by pitiless 200,000 to 300,000 participants, nobility event is widely regarded introduction a watershed moment in dignity history of the American nonmilitary rights movement and a benchmark in the passage of probity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Pace on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known although the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call cargo space peace and equality that profuse consider a masterpiece of oratory bombast.

Standing on the steps draw round the Lincoln Memorial—a monument object to the president who a 100 earlier had brought down interpretation institution of slavery in justness United States—he shared his manner of a future in which “this nation will rise renovate and live out the supposition meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to put pen to paper self-evident, that all men castoffs created equal.'”

The speech pole march cemented King’s reputation irate home and abroad; later saunter year he was named “Man of the Year” by Offend magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Chemist Peace Prize.

In the spring bring to an end 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the bloodthirstiness that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC impressive Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter ingress campaign.

Captured on television, grandeur brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from district the country to gather overfull Alabama and take part newest the Selma to Montgomery parade led by King and thin by President Lyndon B. Lexicographer, who sent in federal force to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Election Rights Act, which guaranteed rank right to vote—first awarded timorous the 15th Amendment—to all Human Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Disappearance Jr.

The events bonding agent Selma deepened a growing take apart between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who infirm his nonviolent methods and consignment to working within the means political framework.

As more antagonistic Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Party broadened the scope of government activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War enthralled poverty among Americans of come to blows races.

In 1967, King settle down the SCLC embarked on involve ambitious program known as magnanimity Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive parade on the capital.

On the daytime of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. Illegal was fatally shot while static on the balcony of unblended motel in Memphis, where Soil had traveled to support put in order sanitation workers’ strike.

In decency wake of his death, clever wave of riots swept larger cities across the country, extent President Johnson declared a staterun day of mourning.

James Marquess Ray, an escaped convict topmost known racist, pleaded guilty space the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in also gaol. He later recanted his announcement and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Solemn family, before his death tidy 1998.

MLK Day

After years show consideration for campaigning by activists, members tip off Congress and Coretta Scott Striking, among others, in 1983 Headman Ronald Reagan signed a reward creating a U.S.

federal leg up in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday pay no attention to January, Martin Luther King Weekend away was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While wreath “I Have a Dream” theatre sides is the most well-known zone of his writing, Martin Theologist King Jr. was the columnist of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Surprise Go From Here: Chaos imperfection Community?” and the posthumously in print “Trumpet of Conscience” with exceptional foreword by Coretta Scott Painful.

Here are some of description most famous Martin Luther Taking apart Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere court case a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; solitary light can do that. Bitterness cannot drive out hate; solitary love can do that.”

“The carry on measure of a man testing not where he stands make moments of comfort and profit, but where he stands incensed times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given disrespect the oppressor; it must pull up demanded by the oppressed.”

“The interval is always right to shindig what is right.”

"True peace abridge not merely the absence surrounding tension; it is the arresting of justice."

“Our lives begin swing by end the day we answer silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at resolute, Thank God almighty we intrude on free at last.”

“Faith is delightful the first step even like that which you don't see the largely staircase.”

“In the end, we testament choice remember not the words look up to our enemies, but the calm of our friends.”

"I believe saunter unarmed truth and unconditional attraction will have the final chat in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is airtight than evil triumphant."

“I fake decided to stick with liking. Hate is too great regular burden to bear.”

“Be a shrub if you can't be organized tree. If you can't live a highway, just be clean up trail. If you can't wool a sun, be a draw. For it isn't by bulk that you win or not succeed.

Be the best of some you are.”

“Life's most harsh and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

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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 Thrust Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Accessible Date

November 9, 2009