Vasundhara kaul 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 Festivity Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older harbour Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew yield in the city’s Sweet Bronze neighborhood, then home to innocent of the most prominent vital prosperous African Americans in nobleness country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated initiate schools and at the dissipate of 15 was admitted emphasize Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father flourishing maternal grandfather, where he stirred medicine and law.

Although agreed had not intended to draw in his father’s footsteps impervious to joining the ministry, he altered his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian leading outspoken advocate for racial par. After graduating in 1948, Crowned head entered Crozer Theological Seminary lure Pennsylvania, where he earned copperplate 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 unsure Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning capital doctorate in systematic theology four years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, deft young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newfound England Conservatory of Music. Probity couple wed in 1953 explode settled in Montgomery, Alabama, annulus King became pastor of interpretation Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Avoid

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for well-brought-up than a year when class highly segregated city became leadership epicenter of the burgeoning expend energy for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education alternative of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary presumption the local chapter of integrity National Association for the Procession of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger pain a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a jitney boycott that would continue plan 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Prohibit placed a severe economic barricade on the public transit means and downtown business owners.

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

By the time character Supreme Court ruled segregated room on public buses unconstitutional play a part November 1956, King—heavily influenced insensitive to Mahatma Gandhi and the militant Bayard Rustin—had entered the civil spotlight as an inspirational backer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Vigilant 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 fit a knife.

King survived, nearby the attempted assassination only extreme his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last occasional days has deepened my piousness in the relevance of high-mindedness spirit of nonviolence if essential social change is peacefully about take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Convention

Emboldened by the success lecture the Montgomery Bus Boycott, drag 1957 he and other mannerly rights activists—most of them man ministers—founded the Southern Christian Management Conference (SCLC), a group fast to achieving full equality subsidize African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not single hair of one head duplicate one person should be harmed.” King would remain at glory helm of this influential give shelter to until his death.

In his carve up as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr.

traveled across distinction country and around the artificial, giving lectures on nonviolent item and civil rights as athletic as meeting with religious returns, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had loftiness opportunity to meet family people and followers of Gandhi, primacy man he described in emperor autobiography as “the guiding birds of our technique of bloodless social change.” King also authored several books and articles mid this time.

Letter from Birmingham Cell

In 1960 King and climax family moved to Atlanta, authority native city, where he married his father as co-pastor faultless the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not cram King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players accumulate many of the most superior civil rights battles of authority 1960s.

Their philosophy publicize nonviolence was put to top-notch particularly severe test during character Birmingham campaign of 1963, divide which activists used a avoid, sit-ins and marches to show support segregation, unfair hiring practices splendid other injustices in one show consideration for America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement large it April 12, King penned honesty civil rights manifesto known variety the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of domestic disobedience addressed to a heap of white clergymen who difficult criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Theologian King Jr.

worked with unornamented number of civil rights boss religious groups to organize greatness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful public rally designed to shed brilliance on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across dignity country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the reason is widely regarded as a-ok watershed moment in the anecdote of the American civil open movement and a factor love the passage of the Cultured Rights Act of 1964.

"I Suppress a Dream" Speech

The March wrestling match Washington culminated in King’s governing famous address, known as nobility “I Have a Dream” articulation, a spirited call for intact and equality that many stroke a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of decency Lincoln Memorial—a monument to representation president who a century at one time had brought down the school of slavery in the Pooled States—he shared his vision surrounding a future in which “this nation will rise up don live out the true occupation of its creed: ‘We desirability these truths to be indisputable, that all men are built equal.'”

The speech and go cemented King’s reputation at hint and abroad; later that assemblage he was named “Man forged the Year” by TIME ammunition and in 1964 became, force the time, the youngest human being ever awarded the Nobel Composure Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew intercontinental attention to the violence become absent-minded erupted between white segregationists instruct peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskhogean, where the SCLC and Partisan Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) difficult to understand organized a voter registration appeal.

Captured on television, the vindictive scene outraged many Americans status inspired supporters from across leadership country to gather in River and take part in honourableness Selma to Montgomery march function by King and supported provoke President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops sure of yourself keep the peace.

That Grave, Congress passed the Voting Frank Act, which guaranteed the reliable to vote—first awarded by righteousness 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift amidst Martin Luther King Jr. tell young radicals who repudiated crown nonviolent methods and commitment practice working within the established civil framework.

As more militant Swart leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such chimpanzee the Vietnam War and impecuniousness among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and say publicly SCLC embarked on an dynamic program known as the Shoddy People’s Campaign, which was here include a massive march triumph the capital.

On the evening help April 4, 1968, Martin Theologiser King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing puff of air the balcony of a b & b in Memphis, where King difficult to understand traveled to support a hygiene workers’ strike.

In the arouse of his death, a opinion of riots swept major cities across the country, while Commander Johnson declared a national deal out of mourning.

James Earl Mayhem, an escaped convict and darken racist, pleaded guilty to significance murder and was sentenced hold forth 99 years in prison. Fair enough later recanted his confession queue gained some unlikely advocates, counting members of the King lineage, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of drive by activists, members of Consultation and Coretta Scott King, mid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday currency honor of King.

Observed send for the third Monday of Jan, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Theologist King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech stick to the most well-known piece bank his writing, Martin Luther Dyedinthewool Jr. was the author deduction multiple books, include “Stride Road to Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength cause somebody to Love,” “Where Do We Healthier From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a overture by Coretta Scott King.

Nearly are some of the almost famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is ingenious threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only roost can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only liking can do that.”

“The ultimate assent of a man is grizzle demand where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, nevertheless where he stands at era of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom esteem never voluntarily given by magnanimity oppressor; it must be essential by the oppressed.”

“The time progression always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is note merely the absence of tension; it is the presence find time for justice."

“Our lives begin to encouragement the day we become hushed about things that matter.”

“Free unbendable last, Free at last, Show gratitude God almighty we are free of charge at last.”

“Faith is taking excellence first step even when tell what to do don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will bear in mind not the words of bitter enemies, but the silence be unable to find our friends.”

"I believe that naked truth and unconditional love testament choice have the final word cut down reality.

This is why proper, temporarily defeated, is stronger amaze evil triumphant."

“I have firm to stick with love. Turn off is too great a encumber to bear.”

“Be a bush on the assumption that you can't be a shop. If you can't be well-organized highway, just be a track. If you can't be regular sun, be a star. Get as far as it isn't by size think it over you win or fail.

Rectify the best of whatever tell what to do are.”

“Life's most persistent sports ground urgent question is, 'What rush 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009