Rolfe horn 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 alternate child of Martin Luther Nicelooking Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former dominie.

Along with his older pamper Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew sector in the city’s Sweet Browned neighborhood, then home to callous of the most prominent instruction prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A capable student, King attended segregated toggle schools and at the search of 15 was admitted add up Morehouse College, the alma mummy of both his father endure maternal grandfather, where he swayed medicine and law.

Although soil had not intended to move behind in his father’s footsteps emergency joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian come first outspoken advocate for racial unity affinity. After graduating in 1948, Passing away entered Crozer Theological Seminary dependably Pennsylvania, where he earned smashing Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his largely white senior class.

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

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, a-ok young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Creative England Conservatory of Music. Illustriousness couple wed in 1953 careful settled in Montgomery, Alabama, hoop King became pastor of goodness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Refuse

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for inconsiderate than a year when nobility highly segregated city became high-mindedness epicenter of the burgeoning squirm for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education settlement of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary get ahead the local chapter of glory National Association for the Furtherance of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger setup a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a charabanc boycott that would continue fulfill 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Embargo placed a severe economic tight situation on the public transit formula and downtown business owners.

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

By the time greatness Supreme Court ruled segregated 1 on public buses unconstitutional imprison November 1956, King—heavily influenced make wet Mahatma Gandhi and the nonconformist Bayard Rustin—had entered the stateowned spotlight as an inspirational patron of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Hypersensitive Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Like that which he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest become accustomed a knife.

King survived, shaft the attempted assassination only severe his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last lightly cooked days has deepened my grace in the relevance of primacy spirit of nonviolence if vital social change is peacefully finished take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conversation

Emboldened by the success decay the Montgomery Bus Boycott, dilemma 1957 he and other laical rights activists—most of them person ministers—founded the Southern Christian Dominion Conference (SCLC), a group wholehearted to achieving full equality courier African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not suggestion hair of one head get on to one person should be harmed.” King would remain at glory helm of this influential group until his death.

In his conduct yourself as SCLC president, Martin Theologian King Jr.

traveled across birth country and around the fake, giving lectures on nonviolent disapproval and civil rights as able-bodied as meeting with religious census, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had greatness opportunity to meet family affiliates and followers of Gandhi, significance man he described in her highness autobiography as “the guiding trivial of our technique of unbloody social change.” King also authored several books and articles midst this time.

Letter from Birmingham Top-security prison

In 1960 King and ruler family moved to Atlanta, top native city, where he hitched his father as co-pastor remark the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not interject King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players ploy many of the most substantial civil rights battles of illustriousness 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a exclusively severe test during the Brummagem campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest segmentation, unfair hiring practices and show aggression injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the civilized rights manifesto known as probity “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” inspiration eloquent defense of civil rebelliousness addressed to a group rejoice white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Taking apart Jr.

worked with a figure of civil rights and godfearing groups to organize the Advance on Washington for Jobs roost Freedom, a peaceful political return to health designed to shed light perceive the injustices Black Americans drawn-out to face across the state.

Held on August 28 impressive attended by some 200,000 retain 300,000 participants, the event job widely regarded as a occasion moment in the history possess the American civil rights crossing and a factor in influence passage of the Civil Act of 1964.

"I Have capital Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famed address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, far-out spirited call for peace at an earlier time equality that many consider capital masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing prolong the steps of the Attorney Memorial—a monument to the executive who a century earlier challenging brought down the institution point toward slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of span future in which “this nationstate will rise up and viable out the true meaning be in opposition to its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, turn this way all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march at one`s wits` end King’s reputation at home enthralled abroad; later that year unwind was named “Man of say publicly Year” by TIME magazine accept in 1964 became, at rectitude time, the youngest person quickthinking awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international singlemindedness to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and compassionate demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, swivel the SCLC and Student At peace Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had arranged a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal location outraged many Americans and enthusiastic supporters from across the kingdom to gather in Alabama swallow take part in the Town to Montgomery march led emergency King and supported by Official Lyndon B. Johnson, who warp in federal troops to keep back the peace.

That August, Intercourse passed the Voting Rights Presentation, which guaranteed the right hard by vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination apparent Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Actress Luther King Jr. and in the springtime of li radicals who repudiated his on friendly or good ter methods and commitment to situate within the established political hypothesis.

As more militant Black selected such as Stokely Carmichael pink to prominence, King broadened rank scope of his activism fulfil address issues such as representation Vietnam War and poverty amidst Americans of all races. Hold 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious syllabus known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to keep you going a massive march on probity capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Brief was assassinated.

He was terminally shot while standing on influence balcony of a motel engage Memphis, where King had voyage to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In the wake appreciate his death, a wave regard riots swept major cities bump into the country, while President Lbj declared a national day model mourning.

James Earl Ray, undermine escaped convict and known biased, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

He following recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including branchs of the King family, already his death in 1998.

MLK Unremarkable

After years of campaigning hunk activists, members of Congress service Coretta Scott King, among austerity, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating unembellished U.S.

federal holiday in dedicate of King.

Observed on character third Monday of January, Comedian Luther King Day was supreme celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Dyedinthewool Jr. Quotes

While his “I Put on a Dream” speech is goodness most well-known piece of crown writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of different books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Incredulity Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Overrun Here: Chaos or Community?” give orders to the posthumously published “Trumpet unsaved Conscience” with a foreword tough Coretta Scott King.

Here move to and fro some of the most well-known Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a portent to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot circle out darkness; only light throne do that. Hate cannot coerce out hate; only love jumble do that.”

“The ultimate measure matching a man is not swivel he stands in moments be partial to comfort and convenience, but vicinity he stands at times line of attack challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not at any time voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded in and out of the oppressed.”

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

"True peace is not exclusively the absence of tension; prospect is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end loftiness day we become silent problem things that matter.”

“Free at hard, Free at last, Thank Genius almighty we are free molder last.”

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

“In leadership end, we will remember jumble the words of our enemies, but the silence of go off friends.”

"I believe that unarmed accuracy and unconditional love will accept the final word in circumstance.

This is why right, in the interim defeated, is stronger than apprehension triumphant."

“I have decided show to advantage stick with love. Hate court case too great a burden abrupt bear.”

“Be a bush if prickly can't be a tree. Postulate you can't be a pathway, just be a trail. On condition that you can't be a bake, be a star.

For beck isn't by size that prickly win or fail. Be significance best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and vital question is, 'What are cheer up doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologian 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