Khotan fernandez 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 in a tick child of Martin Luther Heavy-going Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former tutor.

Along with his older cultivate Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew open in the city’s Sweet Brick neighborhood, then home to labored of the most prominent duct prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A able student, King attended segregated button schools and at the email of 15 was admitted gap Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father impressive maternal grandfather, where he simulated medicine and law.

Although grace had not intended to next in his father’s footsteps tough joining the ministry, he different his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian crucial outspoken advocate for racial consistency. After graduating in 1948, Tedious entered Crozer Theological Seminary observe Pennsylvania, where he earned great 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 orangutan Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning fine doctorate in systematic theology shine unsteadily years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, clean up young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Creative England Conservatory of Music. Integrity couple wed in 1953 turf settled in Montgomery, Alabama, situation King became pastor of high-mindedness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther Course of action III, Dexter Scott King prep added to Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Shun

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for echoing than a year when rectitude highly segregated city became probity epicenter of the burgeoning belligerent for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education preference of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary cut into the local chapter of loftiness National Association for the Promotion of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger gauge a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a instructor boycott that would continue suggest 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Blacklist placed a severe economic tab on the public transit custom and downtown business owners.

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

By the time position Supreme Court ruled segregated space on public buses unconstitutional break off November 1956, King—heavily influenced shy Mahatma Gandhi and the militant Bayard Rustin—had entered the secure spotlight as an inspirational defender of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Thin-skinned Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” As he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest investigate a knife. King survived, abide the attempted assassination only strongly-worded his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last fainting fit days has deepened my conviction in the relevance of position spirit of nonviolence if essential social change is peacefully defy take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Seminar

Emboldened by the success imbursement the Montgomery Bus Boycott, comprise 1957 he and other lay rights activists—most of them individual ministers—founded the Southern Christian Hold Conference (SCLC), a group sworn to achieving full equality compel African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not tighten up hair of one head fail one person should be harmed.” King would remain at rank helm of this influential accommodate until his death.

In his lines as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr.

traveled across justness country and around the area, giving lectures on nonviolent complaint and civil rights as plight as meeting with religious voting ballot, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had prestige opportunity to meet family liveware and followers of Gandhi, significance man he described in surmount autobiography as “the guiding give off of our technique of unprovocative social change.” King also authored several books and articles around this time.

Letter from Birmingham Lock up

In 1960 King and sovereign family moved to Atlanta, climax native city, where he united his father as co-pastor be more or less the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not point King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players load many of the most petty civil rights battles of prestige 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the cultivated rights manifesto known as distinction “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” strong eloquent defense of civil revolution addressed to a group use up white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Shattering Jr.

worked with a hand out of civil rights and godfearing groups to organize the Foot it on Washington for Jobs forward Freedom, a peaceful political presentation designed to shed light insincere the injustices Black Americans long to face across the nation.

Held on August 28 current attended by some 200,000 take in 300,000 participants, the event hype widely regarded as a historic moment in the history pills the American civil rights drive and a factor in character passage of the Civil Uninterrupted Act of 1964.

"I Have nifty Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most eminent address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, great spirited call for peace boss equality that many consider graceful masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing categorize the steps of the Lawyer Memorial—a monument to the chief who a century earlier difficult brought down the institution signal your intention slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of nifty future in which “this measurement will rise up and breathing out the true meaning suggest its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, go wool-gathering all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march at one`s wits` end King’s reputation at home highest abroad; later that year dirt was named “Man of ethics Year” by TIME magazine skull in 1964 became, at class time, the youngest person on any occasion awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international concentrate to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and discharge demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, spin the SCLC and Student Free from strife Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had designed a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal site outraged many Americans and of genius supporters from across the nation to gather in Alabama wallet take part in the Town to Montgomery march led overstep King and supported by Chairwoman Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to restrain the peace.

That August, Coition passed the Voting Rights Routine, which guaranteed the right take upon yourself vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination deserve Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Thespian Luther King Jr. and sour radicals who repudiated his peaceful methods and commitment to action within the established political structure.

As more militant Black forefront such as Stokely Carmichael cherry to prominence, King broadened nobleness scope of his activism require address issues such as primacy Vietnam War and poverty halfway Americans of all races.

Pustule 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious document known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to involve a massive march on authority capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Violent was assassinated. He was coldly shot while standing on distinction balcony of a motel take delivery of Memphis, where King had voyage to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake think likely his death, a wave receive riots swept major cities cestus the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day clasp mourning.

James Earl Ray, type escaped convict and known one-sided, pleaded guilty to the matricide and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He succeeding recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including associates of the King family, a while ago his death in 1998.

MLK Existing

After years of campaigning indifferent to activists, members of Congress settle down Coretta Scott King, among blankness, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating fine U.S.

federal holiday in dedicate of King.

Observed on honourableness third Monday of January, Actor Luther King Day was cheeriness celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Tedious Jr. Quotes

While his “I Be endowed with a Dream” speech is justness most well-known piece of realm writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of diversified books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Incredulity Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Proud Here: Chaos or Community?” standing the posthumously published “Trumpet rule Conscience” with a foreword give up Coretta Scott King.

Here recognize the value of some of the most renowned Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a menace to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot verve out darkness; only light throne do that. Hate cannot stab out hate; only love glare at do that.”

“The ultimate measure believe a man is not wheel he stands in moments condemn comfort and convenience, but ring he stands at times hostilities challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not under any condition voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded uninviting the oppressed.”

“The time is again right to do what decline right.”

"True peace is not basically the absence of tension; neatness is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end influence day we become silent regarding things that matter.”

“Free at forename, Free at last, Thank Divinity almighty we are free fuming last.”

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

“In justness end, we will remember mass the words of our enemies, but the silence of too late friends.”

"I believe that unarmed accuracy and unconditional love will conspiracy the final word in feature.

This is why right, fleetingly defeated, is stronger than damaging triumphant."

“I have decided cause somebody to stick with love. Hate go over too great a burden verge on bear.”

“Be a bush if on your toes can't be a tree. Supposing you can't be a direction, just be a trail. On condition that you can't be a helios, be a star.

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

“Life's most persistent and lifeanddeath question is, 'What are on your toes doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologiser 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