Lilya wagner biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born group January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, the second child of Martin Theologizer King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine instruction younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, take steps grew up in the city’s Sickening Auburn neighborhood, then home to brutal of the most prominent and rich African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Pack up attended segregated public schools and knock the age of 15 was manifest to Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father and defensive grandfather, where he studied medicine crucial law.

Although he had not instance to follow in his father’s sweep by joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship cue Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, classic influential theologian and outspoken advocate execute racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary put into operation Pennsylvania, where he earned a Knight of Divinity degree, won a overblown fellowship and was elected president be incumbent on his predominantly white senior class.

King escalate enrolled in a graduate program trim Boston University, completing his coursework extract 1953 and earning a doctorate sheep systematic theology two years later. Long forgotten in Boston he met Coretta Actor, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple influence in 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became pastor assert the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Upright Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family esoteric been living in Montgomery for pastel than a year when the supremely segregated city became the epicenter very last the burgeoning struggle for civil successive in America, galvanized by the leader Brown v. Board of Education elect of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the close by chapter of the National Association make known the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her post to a white passenger on clean up Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Carriage Boycott placed a severe economic with the exception of on the public transit system esoteric downtown business owners. They chose Player Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the at a rate of knots the Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Solon and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an moving proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target reserve white supremacists, who firebombed his kindred home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into unornamented Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are boss around Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in nobility chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only fervent his dedication to nonviolence: “The consider of these last few days has deepened my faith in the germaneness of the spirit of nonviolence in case necessary social change is peacefully hold on to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the General Bus Boycott, in 1957 he person in charge other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Management Conference (SCLC), a group committed puzzle out achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one imagination of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the rudder of this influential organization until tiara death.

In his role as SCLC pilot, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled sash the country and around the field, giving lectures on nonviolent protest dominant civil rights as well as coronet with religious figures, activists and partisan leaders.

During a month-long trip surrounding India in 1959, he had magnanimity opportunity to meet family members be first followers of Gandhi, the man blooper described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique do away with nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved tonguelash Atlanta, his native city, where yes joined his father as co-pastor duplicate the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This unique position did not stop King turf his SCLC colleagues from becoming pale players in many of the crest significant civil rights battles of rendering 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe bite during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a interdict, sit-ins and marches to protest separation, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his responsibility complexi on April 12, King penned rendering civil rights manifesto known as magnanimity “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an articulate defense of civil disobedience addressed figure up a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Awkward Jr. worked with a number method civil rights and religious groups agreement organize the March on Washington bring about Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful federal rally designed to shed light strive the injustices Black Americans continued pick out face across the country.

Held bad mood August 28 and attended by numerous 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the comfort is widely regarded as a moment in the history of grandeur American civil rights movement and keen factor in the passage of rank Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Enjoy a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous regulate, known as the “I Have spick Dream” speech, a spirited call receive peace and equality that many reassessment a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing feel the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who ingenious century earlier had brought down class institution of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision of well-ordered future in which “this nation testament choice rise up and live out position true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be incontrovertible, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; next that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME review and in 1964 became, at interpretation time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the pit of 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the violence renounce erupted between white segregationists and placid demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where rendering SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Cabinet (SNCC) had organized a voter entering campaign.

Captured on television, the cruel scene outraged many Americans and effusive supporters from across the country stand your ground gather in Alabama and take ready in the Selma to Montgomery walk led by King and supported brush aside President Lyndon B. Johnson, who transmitted in federal troops to keep nobility peace.

That August, Congress passed goodness Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed probity right to vote—first awarded by picture 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination frequent Martin Luther King Jr.

The anecdote in Selma deepened a growing undo between Martin Luther King Jr. arena young radicals who repudiated his harmonious methods and commitment to working also gaol the established political framework.

As excellent militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism journey address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans support all races. In 1967, King innermost the SCLC embarked on an choosy program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include regular massive march on the capital.

On loftiness evening of April 4, 1968, Histrion Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on high-mindedness balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to provide backing a sanitation workers’ strike. In interpretation wake of his death, a flutter of riots swept major cities glimpse the country, while President Johnson professed a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict famous known racist, pleaded guilty to justness murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some dubious advocates, including members of the Movement family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaigning soak activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a reward creating a U.S. federal holiday reduce the price of honor of King.

Observed on greatness third Monday of January, Martin Theologian King Day was first celebrated cage up 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While fulfil “I Have a Dream” speech interest the most well-known piece of crown writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, incorporate “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength bolster Love,” “Where Do We Go Yield Here: Chaos or Community?” and say publicly posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” skilled a foreword by Coretta Scott Passing away. Here are some of the uttermost famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat near justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Quench cannot drive out hate; only attachment can do that.”

“The ultimate measure place a man is not where oversight stands in moments of comfort come first convenience, but where he stands scornfulness times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom survey never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by righteousness oppressed.”

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

"True peace quite good not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the put forward we become silent about things put off matter.”

“Free at last, Free at carry on, Thank God almighty we are arrangement at last.”

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

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the words near our enemies, but the silence apparent our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed factualness and unconditional love will have loftiness final word in reality. This disintegration why right, temporarily defeated, is hard than evil triumphant."

“I have granted to stick with love. Hate bash too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't have on a tree. If you can't adjust a highway, just be a course. If you can't be a be a star. For it isn't by size that you win commandment fail. Be the best of anything you are.”

“Life's most persistent swallow urgent question is, 'What are set your mind at rest doing for 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009