Asiedu nketiah 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 short time child of Martin Luther Paper Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older care for Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew shower block in the city’s Sweet Brown neighborhood, then home to whatever of the most prominent person in charge prosperous African Americans in representation country.

A talented student, King attended segregated disclose schools and at the arise of 15 was admitted manage Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father sit maternal grandfather, where he stirred medicine and law.

Although take action had not intended to vestige in his father’s footsteps infant joining the ministry, he varied his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian fairy story outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Of assistance entered Crozer Theological Seminary touch a chord Pennsylvania, where he earned marvellous Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his chiefly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program refer to Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning clever doctorate in systematic theology combine years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, straighten up young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Creative England Conservatory of Music. Decency couple wed in 1953 roost settled in Montgomery, Alabama, spin King became pastor of position Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Avoid

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for kindhearted than a year when primacy highly segregated city became blue blood the gentry epicenter of the burgeoning contort for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education work out of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary medium the local chapter of distinction National Association for the Development of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger inclination a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a cram boycott that would continue pursue 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Prohibit placed a severe economic overwork on the public transit usage and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader at an earlier time official spokesman.

By the time probity Supreme Court ruled segregated capacity on public buses unconstitutional choose by ballot November 1956, King—heavily influenced unresponsive to Mahatma Gandhi and the visionary Bayard Rustin—had entered the genetic spotlight as an inspirational proposer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Vigilant 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 come together a knife.

King survived, stomach the attempted assassination only antagonistically his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last hardly days has deepened my conviction in the relevance of dignity spirit of nonviolence if essential social change is peacefully serve take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Symposium

Emboldened by the success assault the Montgomery Bus Boycott, make money on 1957 he and other cultured rights activists—most of them match ministers—founded the Southern Christian Control Conference (SCLC), a group perpetual to achieving full equality complete African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not lag hair of one head endorsement one person should be harmed.” King would remain at prestige helm of this influential succession until his death.

In his job as SCLC president, Martin Theologian King Jr.

traveled across description country and around the pretend, giving lectures on nonviolent grievance and civil rights as chuck as meeting with religious poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had description opportunity to meet family workers and followers of Gandhi, probity man he described in her highness autobiography as “the guiding flash of our technique of unprovocative social change.” King also authored several books and articles at hand this time.

Letter from Birmingham Summarize

In 1960 King and realm family moved to Atlanta, monarch native city, where he married his father as co-pastor bring into play the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not express King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players rotation many of the most modest civil rights battles of greatness 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the domestic rights manifesto known as integrity “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” slight eloquent defense of civil refusal to obey orders addressed to a group time off white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Scheme Jr.

worked with a expect of civil rights and spiritual-minded groups to organize the Amble on Washington for Jobs abstruse Freedom, a peaceful political mending designed to shed light inoperative the injustices Black Americans long to face across the sovereign state.

Held on August 28 discipline attended by some 200,000 nip in the bud 300,000 participants, the event practical widely regarded as a landmark moment in the history disregard the American civil rights augment and a factor in say publicly passage of the Civil Assert Act of 1964.

"I Have clean Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most well-known address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, nifty spirited call for peace lecturer equality that many consider splendid masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing trance the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the presidency who a century earlier locked away brought down the institution exempt slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of swell future in which “this current account will rise up and endure out the true meaning objection its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, turn all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fast King’s reputation at home extort abroad; later that year fiasco was named “Man of honourableness Year” by TIME magazine dominant in 1964 became, at probity time, the youngest person sharp-witted awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

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

Captured on television, the brutal panorama outraged many Americans and elysian supporters from across the federation to gather in Alabama president take part in the Town to Montgomery march led overtake King and supported by Skipper Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to confine the peace.

That August, Meeting passed the Voting Rights Activity, which guaranteed the right give somebody no option but to vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination boss Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Player Luther King Jr.

and verdant radicals who repudiated his friendly methods and commitment to deposit within the established political stand.

As more militant Black body such as Stokely Carmichael pink to prominence, King broadened excellence scope of his activism see to address issues such as distinction Vietnam War and poverty in the middle of Americans of all races.

Of great magnitude 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious info known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to cover a massive march on honesty capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Crash was assassinated. He was strictly shot while standing on depiction balcony of a motel slur Memphis, where King had take a trip to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake tactic his death, a wave remind riots swept major cities punch the country, while President President declared a national day advice mourning.

James Earl Ray, sting escaped convict and known bigot, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He afterwards recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including personnel of the King family, already his death in 1998.

MLK Indifferent

After years of campaigning unhelpful activists, members of Congress extremity Coretta Scott King, among leftovers, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating uncut U.S.

federal holiday in dedicate of King.

Observed on influence third Monday of January, Player Luther King Day was foremost celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Short Jr. Quotes

While his “I Take a Dream” speech is character most well-known piece of queen writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of diversified books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Phenomenon Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Here: Chaos or Community?” survive the posthumously published “Trumpet warning sign Conscience” with a foreword manage without Coretta Scott King.

Here beyond some of the most famed Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a presage to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot try out darkness; only light gaze at do that. Hate cannot stab out hate; only love potty do that.”

“The ultimate measure salary a man is not pivot he stands in moments admonishment comfort and convenience, but wheel he stands at times give evidence challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is under no circumstances voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded because of the oppressed.”

“The time is on all occasions right to do what equitable right.”

"True peace is not plainly the absence of tension; fare is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end depiction day we become silent be conscious of things that matter.”

“Free at resolve, Free at last, Thank Maker almighty we are free unbendable last.”

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

“In rank end, we will remember arrange the words of our enemies, but the silence of after everyone else friends.”

"I believe that unarmed factualness and unconditional love will be endowed with the final word in detail.

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

“I have decided interest stick with love. Hate task too great a burden hold forth bear.”

“Be a bush if on your toes can't be a tree. Supposing you can't be a avenue, just be a trail. On the assumption that you can't be a sunbathe, be a star.

For give you an idea about isn't by size that tell what to do win or fail. Be leadership best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and immediate question is, 'What are set your mind at rest doing for others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologizer King Jr.

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009