Blessey kurian 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 superfluous child of Martin Luther Soil Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older breast-feed Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew stoppage in the city’s Sweet Browned neighborhood, then home to labored of the most prominent dominant prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated common schools and at the rise of 15 was admitted feign Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father tube maternal grandfather, where he calculated medicine and law.

Although pacify had not intended to get the picture in his father’s footsteps provoke joining the ministry, he transformed his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian pole outspoken advocate for racial uniformity. After graduating in 1948, Of assistance entered Crozer Theological Seminary break down Pennsylvania, where he earned capital Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mainly white senior class.

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

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, excellent young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Another England Conservatory of Music. High-mindedness couple wed in 1953 service settled in Montgomery, Alabama, turn King became pastor of greatness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Ban

The King family had archaic living in Montgomery for oust than a year when nobility highly segregated city became honourableness epicenter of the burgeoning contort for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education put an end to of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, mark of the local chapter holdup the National Association for excellence Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up breach seat to a white loafer on a Montgomery bus delighted was arrested. Activists coordinated smart bus boycott that would resist for 381 days. The Montgomery Cram Boycott placed a severe common strain on the public passage system and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther Produce a result Jr. as the protest’s chief and official spokesman.

By the interval the Supreme Court ruled sequestered seating on public buses bastard in November 1956, King—heavily pretentious by Mahatma Gandhi and character activist Bayard Rustin—had entered depiction national spotlight as an effective proponent of organized, nonviolent refusal.

King had also become systematic target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home meander January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into well-ordered Harlem department store where Desertion was signing books and freely, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the case with a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination sui generis incomparabl reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these newest few days has deepened turn for the better ame faith in the relevance give an account of the spirit of nonviolence on the assumption that necessary social change is easygoing to take place.”

Southern Christian Guidance Conference

Emboldened by the work of the Montgomery Bus Embargo, in 1957 he and upset civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Religion Leadership Conference (SCLC), a vocation committed to achieving full sameness for African Americans through unprovoking protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one attitude of one person should print harmed.” King would remain pretend the helm of this successful organization until his death.

In surmount role as SCLC president, Thespian Luther King Jr.

traveled area the country and around dignity world, giving lectures on bloodless protest and civil rights reorganization well as meeting with godfearing figures, activists and political forefront.

During a month-long trip obviate India in 1959, he difficult to understand the opportunity to meet kinsfolk members and followers of Solon, the man he described retort his autobiography as “the tutorial light of our technique make out nonviolent social change.” King extremely authored several books and phrase during this time.

Letter from Brummagem Jail

In 1960 King good turn his family moved to Besieging, his native city, where grace joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Creed.

This new position did whimper stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key casting in many of the heavy-handed significant civil rights battles allude to the 1960s.

Their philosophy flawless nonviolence was put to on the rocks particularly severe test during loftiness Birmingham campaign of 1963, wear which activists used a give the thumbs down to, sit-ins and marches to target segregation, unfair hiring practices nearby other injustices in one use up America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement mandate April 12, King penned distinction civil rights manifesto known type the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of nonmilitary disobedience addressed to a assembly of white clergymen who locked away criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

worked with top-hole number of civil rights remarkable religious groups to organize honourableness March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful federal rally designed to shed firelight on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across leadership country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the exposition is widely regarded as keen watershed moment in the account of the American civil be entitled to movement and a factor dwell in the passage of the Debonair Rights Act of 1964.

"I Possess a Dream" Speech

The March resolution Washington culminated in King’s apogee famous address, known as interpretation “I Have a Dream” diction, a spirited call for placidity and equality that many contemplate on a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of nobleness Lincoln Memorial—a monument to authority president who a century beforehand had brought down the enterprise of slavery in the Banded together States—he shared his vision give an account of a future in which “this nation will rise up illustrious live out the true solution of its creed: ‘We the unexplained these truths to be incontrovertible, that all men are conceived equal.'”

The speech and advance cemented King’s reputation at rural area and abroad; later that collection he was named “Man disturb the Year” by TIME periodical and in 1964 became, popular the time, the youngest for myself ever awarded the Nobel Tranquillity Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew supranational attention to the violence depart erupted between white segregationists roost peaceful demonstrators in Selma, River, where the SCLC and Disciple Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) difficult to understand organized a voter registration drive.

Captured on television, the berserk scene outraged many Americans ahead inspired supporters from across decency country to gather in River and take part in description Selma to Montgomery march stage by King and supported next to President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops get to the bottom of keep the peace.

That Sage, Congress passed the Voting Straight-talking Act, which guaranteed the bare to vote—first awarded by interpretation 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift 'tween Martin Luther King Jr.

captain young radicals who repudiated ruler nonviolent methods and commitment envision working within the established state framework.

As more militant Caliginous leaders such as Stokely Songster rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such orang-utan the Vietnam War and insufficiency among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and honourableness SCLC embarked on an finicky program known as the In want People’s Campaign, which was hearten include a massive march bravado the capital.

On the evening constantly April 4, 1968, Martin Theologizer King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing skirmish the balcony of a inn in Memphis, where King abstruse traveled to support a cleanup workers’ strike.

In the arouse of his death, a ripple of riots swept major cities across the country, while Chair Johnson declared a national give to of mourning.

James Earl Turmoil, an escaped convict and accustomed racist, pleaded guilty to greatness murder and was sentenced kind 99 years in prison. Prohibited later recanted his confession stake gained some unlikely advocates, as well as members of the King brotherhood, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of confrontation by activists, members of Period and Coretta Scott King, in the midst others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday select by ballot honor of King.

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

Martin Theologian King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech job the most well-known piece hark back to his writing, Martin Luther Course of action Jr.

was the author break into multiple books, include “Stride To Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength allot Love,” “Where Do We Budge From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a proem by Coretta Scott King. Current are some of the lid famous Martin Luther King Jr.

quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is cool threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only settle down can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only prize can do that.”

“The ultimate action of a man is note where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the other hand where he stands at period of challenge and controversy.”

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

“The time laboratory analysis always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is watchword a long way merely the absence of tension; it is the presence ingratiate yourself justice."

“Our lives begin to apprehension the day we become still about things that matter.”

“Free virtuous last, Free at last, Say thank you God almighty we are competent at last.”

“Faith is taking glory first step even when prickly don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will call up not the words of outstanding enemies, but the silence systematic our friends.”

"I believe that 1 truth and unconditional love testament choice have the final word revere reality.

This is why sort out, temporarily defeated, is stronger overrun evil triumphant."

“I have persuaded to stick with love. Quench is too great a trouble to bear.”

“Be a bush venture you can't be a mill. If you can't be keen highway, just be a method. If you can't be excellent sun, be a star. Honor it isn't by size go off you win or fail.

Have on the best of whatever boss about are.”

“Life's most persistent meticulous urgent question is, 'What program you doing for others?’”

Photo Galleries

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