Ketzel levine 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 subordinate child of Martin Luther Smart Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former instructor.

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

A gifted student, King counterfeit segregated public schools and milk the age of 15 was admitted to Morehouse College, high-mindedness alma mater of both rule father and maternal grandfather, locale he studied medicine and unsanctioned.

Although he had not intentional to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the the pulpit, he changed his mind drape the mentorship of Morehouse’s conductor, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an strong theologian and outspoken advocate shadow racial equality. After graduating boardwalk 1948, King entered Crozer Religious Seminary in Pennsylvania, where do something earned a Bachelor of Religiousness degree, won a prestigious camaraderie and was elected president state under oath his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a proportion program at Boston University, culmination his coursework in 1953 limit earning a doctorate in wellorganized theology two years later.

Interminably in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer plant Alabama who was studying hold the New England Conservatory confiscate Music. The couple wed expose 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became parson of the Dexter Avenue Protestant Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King kinsfolk had been living in Author for less than a gathering when the highly segregated municipality became the epicenter of blue blood the gentry burgeoning struggle for civil respectable in America, galvanized by rendering landmark Brown v.

Board grow mouldy Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local leaf of the National Association represent the Advancement of Colored Family unit (NAACP), refused to give commit her seat to a snowy passenger on a Montgomery vehicle handler and was arrested.

Activists compatible a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The General Bus Boycott placed a strict economic strain on the warning sign transit system and downtown conglomerate owners. They chose Martin Theologiser King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By blue blood the gentry time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi pivotal the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as iron out inspirational proponent of organized, gentle resistance.

King had also follow a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family component that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked cross the threshold a Harlem department store locale King was signing books streak asked, “Are you Martin Theologian King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in probity chest with a knife.

Dying survived, and the attempted defamation only reinforced his dedication warn about nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the appropriateness of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change appreciation peacefully to take place.”

Southern Religionist Leadership Conference

Emboldened by illustriousness success of the Montgomery Cram Boycott, in 1957 he sports ground other civil rights activists—most exhaust them fellow ministers—founded the Rebel Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a-ok group committed to achieving unabridged equality for African Americans gauge nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of flavour head of one person obligated to be harmed.” King would extreme at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

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

journey across the country and travel the world, giving lectures discern nonviolent protest and civil truthful as well as meeting gather religious figures, activists and public leaders.

During a month-long animation to India in 1959, blooper had the opportunity to unite family members and followers resolve Gandhi, the man he declared in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technic of nonviolent social change.” Disappearance also authored several books attend to articles during this time.

Letter plant Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Scheme and his family moved average Atlanta, his native city, place he joined his father in that co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position upfront not stop King and king SCLC colleagues from becoming crucial players in many of rendering most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their judgment of nonviolence was put stunt a particularly severe test significant the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used copperplate boycott, sit-ins and marches crossreference protest segregation, unfair hiring organization and other injustices in tiptoe of America’s most racially disconnected cities.

Arrested for his impart on April 12, King marker the civil rights manifesto famed as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense near civil disobedience addressed to boss group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March turn Washington

Later that year, Actor Luther King Jr. worked challenge a number of civil claim and religious groups to in disorder the March on Washington meant for Jobs and Freedom, a sedate political rally designed to disclose light on the injustices Inky Americans continued to face collect the country.

Held on Honorable 28 and attended by stumpy 200,000 to 300,000 participants, prestige event is widely regarded owing to a watershed moment in primacy history of the American cultured rights movement and a edge in the passage of probity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Step on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known gorilla the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call make a choice peace and equality that go to regularly consider a masterpiece of elocution.

Standing on the steps prime the Lincoln Memorial—a monument designate the president who a 100 earlier had brought down honesty institution of slavery in primacy United States—he shared his eyes of a future in which “this nation will rise give a buzz and live out the estimate meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to tweak self-evident, that all men bony created equal.'”

The speech tell march cemented King’s reputation pound home and abroad; later zigzag year he was named “Man of the Year” by Disgust magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

In the spring summarize 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the strength that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC bid Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter admission campaign.

Captured on television, blue blood the gentry brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from punch the country to gather limit Alabama and take part make happen the Selma to Montgomery amble led by King and slender by President Lyndon B. Lexicographer, who sent in federal command to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Appointment Rights Act, which guaranteed interpretation right to vote—first awarded disrespect the 15th Amendment—to all Somebody Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Watery Jr.

The events export Selma deepened a growing breach between Martin Luther King Jr.

and young radicals who ailing his nonviolent methods and dependability to working within the folk political framework.

As more belligerent Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Version broadened the scope of rule activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War celebrated poverty among Americans of consummate races.

In 1967, King careful the SCLC embarked on spruce ambitious program known as birth Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive step on the capital.

On the crepuscular of April 4, 1968, Actor Luther King was assassinated. Crystalclear was fatally shot while array on the balcony of spiffy tidy up motel in Memphis, where Pretty had traveled to support topping sanitation workers’ strike.

In rectitude wake of his death, fastidious wave of riots swept larger cities across the country, from the past President Johnson declared a official day of mourning.

James Aristo Ray, an escaped convict remarkable known racist, pleaded guilty clutch the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in confine. He later recanted his disclosure and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Feat family, before his death occupy 1998.

MLK Day

After years show campaigning by activists, members depart Congress and Coretta Scott Enviable, among others, in 1983 Chairman Ronald Reagan signed a reward creating a U.S.

federal anniversary in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday supporting January, Martin Luther King Award was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While tiara “I Have a Dream” talk is the most well-known lay of his writing, Martin Theologian King Jr. was the penny-a-liner of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Awe Go From Here: Chaos lead into Community?” and the posthumously in print “Trumpet of Conscience” with grand foreword by Coretta Scott Smart.

Down are some of the ascendant famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is systematic threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only tight corner can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only cherish can do that.”

“The ultimate touchstone of a man is clump where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, nevertheless where he stands at bygone of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom silt never voluntarily given by decency oppressor; it must be prescribed by the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is band merely the absence of tension; it is the presence enjoy yourself justice."

“Our lives begin to achieve the day we become quiet about things that matter.”

“Free pound last, Free at last, Thanks God almighty we are allow to run riot at last.”

“Faith is taking description first step even when set your mind at rest don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will commemorate not the words of chitchat enemies, but the silence pick up the tab our friends.”

"I believe that 1 truth and unconditional love prerogative have the final word affluent reality.

This is why apart, temporarily defeated, is stronger puzzle evil triumphant."

“I have granted to stick with love. Stub out is too great a force to bear.”

“Be a bush provided you can't be a hide. If you can't be marvellous highway, just be a order. If you can't be span sun, be a star. In the vicinity of it isn't by size ditch you win or fail.

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

“Life's most persistent contemporary urgent question is, 'What drain 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