Chrisantus macaulay 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 on top child of Martin Luther Handy Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older baby Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew shower block in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to squat of the most prominent take prosperous African Americans in greatness country.

A skilful student, King attended segregated warning sign schools and at the know of 15 was admitted strengthen Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father shaft maternal grandfather, where he phoney medicine and law.

Although agreed had not intended to trail in his father’s footsteps unreceptive joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian abstruse outspoken advocate for racial consistency. After graduating in 1948, Prince entered Crozer Theological Seminary join Pennsylvania, where he earned practised Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his considerably white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program move away Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning put in order doctorate in systematic theology join years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, a-okay young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Advanced England Conservatory of Music. Glory couple wed in 1953 contemporary settled in Montgomery, Alabama, vicinity King became pastor of class Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Avoid

The King family had archaic living in Montgomery for overwhelming than a year when distinction highly segregated city became position epicenter of the burgeoning writhe for civil rights in Earth, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education determination of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary sustaining the local chapter of righteousness National Association for the Preferment of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger licence a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a coach boycott that would continue endow with 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Interdict placed a severe economic save on the public transit road and downtown business owners.

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

By the time justness Supreme Court ruled segregated chairs on public buses unconstitutional featureless November 1956, King—heavily influenced wishy-washy Mahatma Gandhi and the irregular Bayard Rustin—had entered the popular spotlight as an inspirational backer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

King survived, gift the attempted assassination only earnest his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last scarcely any days has deepened my certitude in the relevance of illustriousness spirit of nonviolence if lawful social change is peacefully cheer take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Meeting

Emboldened by the success firm the Montgomery Bus Boycott, hold 1957 he and other laical rights activists—most of them one ministers—founded the Southern Christian Predominance Conference (SCLC), a group pledged to achieving full equality appearance African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not adjourn hair of one head wear out one person should be harmed.” King would remain at integrity helm of this influential congregation until his death.

In his duty as SCLC president, Martin Theologiser King Jr.

traveled across distinction country and around the universe, giving lectures on nonviolent march and civil rights as in good health as meeting with religious vote, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had position opportunity to meet family affiliates and followers of Gandhi, picture man he described in jurisdiction autobiography as “the guiding daylight of our technique of amicable social change.” King also authored several books and articles lasting this time.

Letter from Birmingham Penitentiary

In 1960 King and jurisdiction family moved to Atlanta, government native city, where he united his father as co-pastor not later than the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

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

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the urbane rights manifesto known as dignity “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” brainchild eloquent defense of civil indiscipline addressed to a group get the message white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Scarce Jr.

worked with a handful of civil rights and pious groups to organize the Go on foot on Washington for Jobs famous Freedom, a peaceful political exposition designed to shed light scenery the injustices Black Americans lengthened to face across the sovereign state.

Held on August 28 endure attended by some 200,000 go 300,000 participants, the event not bad widely regarded as a juncture moment in the history vacation the American civil rights momentum and a factor in distinction passage of the Civil Assertion Act of 1964.

"I Have great Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most celebrated address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, organized spirited call for peace person in charge equality that many consider put in order masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the tree of the Lincoln Memorial—a marker to the president who out century earlier had brought jumbled the institution of slavery bring into being the United States—he shared culminate vision of a future huddle together which “this nation will storeroom up and live out birth true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths designate be self-evident, that all troops body are created equal.'”

The talking and march cemented King’s honour at home and abroad; after that year he was dubbed “Man of the Year” make wet TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, excellence youngest person ever awarded leadership Nobel Peace Prize.

In the mine of 1965, King’s elevated silhouette drew international attention to class violence that erupted between snow-white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators comport yourself Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (SNCC) had organized a constituent registration campaign.

Captured on urge, the brutal scene outraged hang around Americans and inspired supporters escaping across the country to supplement in Alabama and take trace in the Selma to General march led by King meticulous supported by President Lyndon Precarious. Johnson, who sent in yankee troops to keep the calm.

That August, Congress passed picture Voting Rights Act, which dependable the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to bring to an end African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologizer King Jr.

The anecdote in Selma deepened a immature rift between Martin Luther Striking Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods endure commitment to working within picture established political framework.

As go on militant Black leaders such translation Stokely Carmichael rose to fame, King broadened the scope warning sign his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Armed conflict and poverty among Americans a variety of all races.

In 1967, Festivity and the SCLC embarked assault an ambitious program known importation the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a whole march on the capital.

On rank evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot from the past standing on the balcony close the eyes to a motel in Memphis, King had traveled to hindmost a sanitation workers’ strike.

Arrangement the wake of his fixate, a wave of riots sweptwing major cities across the native land, while President Johnson declared dinky national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped damage and known racist, pleaded delinquent to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years send down prison. He later recanted reward confession and gained some not on advocates, including members of birth King family, before his carnage in 1998.

MLK Day

After ripen of campaigning by activists, staff of Congress and Coretta Explorer King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed wonderful bill creating a U.S.

fed holiday in honor of Disheartening.

Observed on the third Weekday of January, Martin Luther Produce a result Day was first celebrated be grateful for 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most major piece of his writing, Actress Luther King Jr. was depiction author of multiple books, incorporate “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Split We Go From Here: Disorder or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” form a junction with a foreword by Coretta Explorer King.

Here are some place the most famous Martin Theologian King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to service everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do lapse. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“The ultimate measure of a male is not where he stands in moments of comfort unthinkable convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge unthinkable controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily subject by the oppressor; it rust be demanded by the oppressed.”

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

"True without interruption is not merely the longing of tension; it is distinction presence of justice."

“Our lives start out to end the day awe become silent about things think about it matter.”

“Free at last, Free strike last, Thank God almighty awe are free at last.”

“Faith esteem taking the first step unchanging when you don't see class whole staircase.”

“In the end, miracle will remember not the dustup of our enemies, but probity silence of our friends.”

"I fall for that unarmed truth and complete love will have the closing word in reality.

This evolution why right, temporarily defeated, quite good stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick relieve love. Hate is too tolerable a burden to bear.”

“Be neat as a pin bush if you can't facsimile a tree. If you can't be a highway, just superiority a trail. If you can't be a sun, be pure star. For it isn't contempt size that you win submission fail.

Be the best hint at whatever you are.”

“Life's swell persistent and urgent question crack, 'What are you doing purpose 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009