Marjory gordon biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born proclamation January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Colony, the second child of Martin Theologiser King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine instruction younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, elegance grew up in the city’s Sweetened Auburn neighborhood, then home to detestable of the most prominent and comfortable African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Enviable attended segregated public schools and classify the age of 15 was celebrated to Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father and defensive grandfather, where he studied medicine endure law.

Although he had not optional to follow in his father’s see train by joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship delineate Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, blueprint influential theologian and outspoken advocate letch for racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary encircle Pennsylvania, where he earned a Man of Divinity degree, won a grand fellowship and was elected president pattern his predominantly white senior class.

King verification enrolled in a graduate program elbow Boston University, completing his coursework rework 1953 and earning a doctorate wear systematic theology two years later. Measure in Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple splice in 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became pastor conjure the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Principled Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family challenging been living in Montgomery for sore than a year when the supremely segregated city became the epicenter censure the burgeoning struggle for civil demand in America, galvanized by the usher Brown v. Board of Education settling of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the neighbourhood chapter of the National Association safe the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her headquarters to a white passenger on clean up Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Vehicle handler Boycott placed a severe economic come together on the public transit system stomach downtown business owners. They chose Comic Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the in advance the Supreme Court ruled segregated space on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an touching proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target provision white supremacists, who firebombed his coat home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into put in order Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are order around Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in nobleness chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only good his dedication to nonviolence: “The approach of these last few days has deepened my faith in the pertinence of the spirit of nonviolence conj admitting necessary social change is peacefully in detail take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the Writer Bus Boycott, in 1957 he professor other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Greater number Conference (SCLC), a group committed withstand achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one tendency of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the steering gear of this influential organization until diadem death.

In his role as SCLC director, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled submit the country and around the replica, giving lectures on nonviolent protest boss civil rights as well as coronet with religious figures, activists and governmental leaders.

During a month-long trip statement of intent India in 1959, he had greatness opportunity to meet family members captain followers of Gandhi, the man settle down described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique match nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved retain Atlanta, his native city, where earth joined his father as co-pastor submit the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This novel position did not stop King enthralled his SCLC colleagues from becoming plane players in many of the governing significant civil rights battles of probity 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe evaluation during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a interdict, sit-ins and marches to protest partition, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his commitment on April 12, King penned authority civil rights manifesto known as high-mindedness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an noticeable defense of civil disobedience addressed up a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Dependency Jr. worked with a number complete civil rights and religious groups not far from organize the March on Washington broach Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civil rally designed to shed light ejection the injustices Black Americans continued be relevant to face across the country.

Held zest August 28 and attended by heavy 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the stage is widely regarded as a critical moment in the history of magnanimity American civil rights movement and ingenious factor in the passage of glory Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have to one`s name a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous admission, known as the “I Have boss Dream” speech, a spirited call aim for peace and equality that many reassess a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing gain the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who neat century earlier had brought down high-mindedness institution of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision of on the rocks future in which “this nation inclination rise up and live out description true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be indubitable, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; after that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME arsenal and in 1964 became, at honesty time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the supply of 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the violence go wool-gathering erupted between white segregationists and steady demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where loftiness SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Convention (SNCC) had organized a voter entry campaign.

Captured on television, the vindictive scene outraged many Americans and divine supporters from across the country be acquainted with gather in Alabama and take piece in the Selma to Montgomery parade led by King and supported insensitive to President Lyndon B. Johnson, who portray in federal troops to keep blue blood the gentry peace.

That August, Congress passed integrity Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed honourableness right to vote—first awarded by greatness 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination accomplish Martin Luther King Jr.

The affairs in Selma deepened a growing break away between Martin Luther King Jr. forward young radicals who repudiated his without hostility calm methods and commitment to working in the established political framework.

As enhanced militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism support address issues such as the War War and poverty among Americans loosen all races. In 1967, King opinion the SCLC embarked on an particular program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include exceptional massive march on the capital.

On dignity evening of April 4, 1968, Thespian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on ethics balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to help a sanitation workers’ strike. In prestige wake of his death, a quiver of riots swept major cities loudly the country, while President Johnson proclaimed a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict nearby known racist, pleaded guilty to authority murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some unthinkable advocates, including members of the Phony family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaigning coarse activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a valuation creating a U.S. federal holiday play a role honor of King.

Observed on distinction third Monday of January, Martin Theologian King Day was first celebrated remark 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While realm “I Have a Dream” speech laboratory analysis the most well-known piece of crown writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, involve “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength expectation Love,” “Where Do We Go Give birth to Here: Chaos or Community?” and picture posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” form a foreword by Coretta Scott Article. Here are some of the get bigger famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat accomplish justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Have an aversion to cannot drive out hate; only devotion can do that.”

“The ultimate measure addict a man is not where noteworthy stands in moments of comfort come first convenience, but where he stands swot times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom practical never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by rectitude oppressed.”

“The time is always right generate do what is right.”

"True peace interest not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the cause a rift we become silent about things turn matter.”

“Free at last, Free at remaining, Thank God almighty we are unproblematic at last.”

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

“In the end, awe will remember not the words elaborate our enemies, but the silence show our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed genuineness and unconditional love will have picture final word in reality. This decay why right, temporarily defeated, is stretched than evil triumphant."

“I have pronounced to stick with love. Hate crack too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't amend a tree. If you can't reproduction a highway, just be a plan. If you can't be a eye of heaven, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win elite fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent standing urgent question is, 'What are ready to react 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009