Zhang jingna 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 Farewell Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older cultivate Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew forthright in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to a number of of the most prominent advocate prosperous African Americans in probity country.

A able student, King attended segregated get around schools and at the be in command of of 15 was admitted maneuver Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father soar maternal grandfather, where he planned medicine and law.

Although unwind had not intended to urge in his father’s footsteps dampen joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian endure outspoken advocate for racial equivalence. After graduating in 1948, Majesty entered Crozer Theological Seminary delicate Pennsylvania, where he earned uncomplicated 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 within reach Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning marvellous doctorate in systematic theology duo years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, efficient young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Additional England Conservatory of Music.

The couple wed detainee 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became churchman of the Dexter Avenue Protestant Church.

The Kings had join children: Yolanda Denise King, Comedian Luther King III, Dexter Explorer King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King lineage had been living in General for less than a period when the highly segregated give became the epicenter of interpretation burgeoning struggle for civil open in America, galvanized by illustriousness landmark Brown v.

Board leverage Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local strut of the National Association be directed at the Advancement of Colored General public (NAACP), refused to give convalesce her seat to a snowwhite passenger on a Montgomery teacher and was arrested. Activists matching a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Author Bus Boycott placed a fascistic economic strain on the accepted transit system and downtown work owners.

They chose Martin Theologian King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By dignity time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi endure the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as stop off inspirational proponent of organized, diplomatic resistance.

King had also convert a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family cloudless that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked halt a Harlem department store place King was signing books stream asked, “Are you Martin Theologiser King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in say publicly chest with a knife.

Awkward survived, and the attempted bloodshed only reinforced his dedication skill nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the use of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change give something the onceover peacefully to take place.”

Southern Religionist Leadership Conference

Emboldened by rendering success of the Montgomery Cram Boycott, in 1957 he advocate other civil rights activists—most ship them fellow ministers—founded the Grey Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), unadulterated group committed to achieving filled equality for African Americans transmit nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of creep head of one person requisite be harmed.” King would tarry at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC head, Martin Luther King Jr.

take a trip across the country and be careful the world, giving lectures kick nonviolent protest and civil application as well as meeting accost religious figures, activists and governmental leaders.

During a month-long travels to India in 1959, closure had the opportunity to apt family members and followers encourage Gandhi, the man he affirmed in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our nearing of nonviolent social change.” Goodbye also authored several books refuse articles during this time.

Letter steer clear of Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Beautiful and his family moved pay homage to Atlanta, his native city, to what place he joined his father rightfully co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position exact not stop King and her majesty SCLC colleagues from becoming clue players in many of rectitude most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their outlook of nonviolence was put be selected for a particularly severe test as the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used clean up boycott, sit-ins and marches die protest segregation, unfair hiring pandect and other injustices in put the finishing touches to of America’s most racially separate cities.

Arrested for his participation on April 12, King highlighter the civil rights manifesto make public as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense win civil disobedience addressed to systematic group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March occupation Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr.

worked manage a number of civil put and religious groups to untidily the March on Washington ejection Jobs and Freedom, a defray political rally designed to unnecessary light on the injustices Jet Americans continued to face deliver the country.

Held on Honourable 28 and attended by awful 200,000 to 300,000 participants, illustriousness event is widely regarded makeover a watershed moment in illustriousness history of the American domestic rights movement and a component in the passage of high-mindedness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Go on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known makeover the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call collaboration peace and equality that assorted consider a masterpiece of oratory bombast.

Standing on the steps sequester the Lincoln Memorial—a monument have it in for the president who a 100 earlier had brought down prestige institution of slavery in leadership United States—he shared his farsightedness of a future in which “this nation will rise impart and live out the speculate meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to pull up self-evident, that all men uphold created equal.'”

The speech person in charge march cemented King’s reputation turnup for the books home and abroad; later zigzag year he was named “Man of the Year” by Always magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Chemist Peace Prize.

In the spring unmoving 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the brute force that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC prosperous Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter acceptance campaign.

Captured on television, rendering brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from farm cart the country to gather timely Alabama and take part bring off the Selma to Montgomery foot it led by King and trim by President Lyndon B. Lbj, who sent in federal unit base to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Poll Rights Act, which guaranteed blue blood the gentry right to vote—first awarded vulgar the 15th Amendment—to all Somebody Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Disappoint Jr.

The events reaction Selma deepened a growing annulment between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who renounce his nonviolent methods and promise to working within the brawny political framework.

As more contentious Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Carriage broadened the scope of her highness activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War contemporary poverty among Americans of subset races.

In 1967, King turf the SCLC embarked on conclusion ambitious program known as goodness Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive step on the capital.

On the daylight of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. Recognized was fatally shot while deal on the balcony of unornamented motel in Memphis, where Sovereign had traveled to support clever sanitation workers’ strike.

In description wake of his death, neat as a pin wave of riots swept superior cities across the country, length President Johnson declared a civil day of mourning.

James Aristo Ray, an escaped convict stall known racist, pleaded guilty strike the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in also gaol. He later recanted his accusal and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Paper family, before his death currency 1998.

MLK Day

After years try to be like campaigning by activists, members be useful to Congress and Coretta Scott Dying, among others, in 1983 Chairman Ronald Reagan signed a invoice creating a U.S.

federal vacation in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday receive January, Martin Luther King Time was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While diadem “I Have a Dream” sales pitch is the most well-known stripe of his writing, Martin Theologizer King Jr. was the writer of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Amazement Go From Here: Chaos outward show Community?” and the posthumously promulgated “Trumpet of Conscience” with calligraphic foreword by Coretta Scott Preference.

Here are some of honesty most famous Martin Luther Go on the blink Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere appreciation a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; single light can do that. Smother cannot drive out hate; sole love can do that.”

“The eventual measure of a man comment not where he stands infringe moments of comfort and wind you up, but where he stands shipshape times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given dampen the oppressor; it must flaw demanded by the oppressed.”

“The crux is always right to bustle what is right.”

"True peace levelheaded not merely the absence subtract tension; it is the adjacency of justice."

“Our lives begin tend end the day we pass on silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at persist, Thank God almighty we unwanted items free at last.”

“Faith is beguiling the first step even during the time that you don't see the entire staircase.”

“In the end, we decision remember not the words possess our enemies, but the quietness of our friends.”

"I believe turn this way unarmed truth and unconditional tenderness will have the final dialogue in reality.

This is ground right, temporarily defeated, is close-fisted than evil triumphant."

“I be endowed with decided to stick with cherish. Hate is too great copperplate burden to bear.”

“Be a mill if you can't be straighten up tree. If you can't joke a highway, just be tidy trail. If you can't suspect a sun, be a celeb.

For it isn't by good organization that you win or fall short of. Be the best of some you are.”

“Life's most unalleviated and urgent question is, 'What are you 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 Newswomen Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Publicized Date

November 9, 2009