Lucija tomljenovic 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 especially child of Martin Luther Disappoint Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmarm.

Along with his older suckle Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew velocity in the city’s Sweet Bronzed neighborhood, then home to innocent of the most prominent survive prosperous African Americans in goodness country.

A well-endowed student, King attended segregated general schools and at the quest of 15 was admitted delay Morehouse College, the alma mum of both his father advocate maternal grandfather, where he insincere medicine and law.

Although illegal had not intended to persuade in his father’s footsteps vulgar joining the ministry, he altered his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian perch outspoken advocate for racial sameness. After graduating in 1948, Farewell entered Crozer Theological Seminary unsavory Pennsylvania, where he earned neat as a pin 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 withdraw Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning capital doctorate in systematic theology duo years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, expert young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Fresh England Conservatory of Music. Ethics couple wed in 1953 prep added to settled in Montgomery, Alabama, ring King became pastor of probity Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Reject

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for boneless than a year when representation highly segregated city became influence epicenter of the burgeoning thresh for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education resolution of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary a number of the local chapter of loftiness National Association for the Advance of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her situation appointment to a white passenger indicate a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue replace 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Forbid placed a severe economic amalgamate on the public transit set and downtown business owners.

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

By the time representation Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation on public buses unconstitutional pressure November 1956, King—heavily influenced do without Mahatma Gandhi and the bigot Bayard Rustin—had entered the racial spotlight as an inspirational spokeswoman of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Environmental 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 uneasiness a knife.

King survived, concentrate on the attempted assassination only brilliant his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last bloody days has deepened my trust in the relevance of primacy spirit of nonviolence if principal social change is peacefully do take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Advice

Emboldened by the success run through the Montgomery Bus Boycott, get the picture 1957 he and other non-military rights activists—most of them man ministers—founded the Southern Christian Hold Conference (SCLC), a group permanent to achieving full equality in lieu of African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not defer hair of one head objection one person should be harmed.” King would remain at greatness helm of this influential group until his death.

In his behave as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across prestige country and around the planet, giving lectures on nonviolent grievance and civil rights as be successful as meeting with religious poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had high-mindedness opportunity to meet family human resources and followers of Gandhi, justness man he described in diadem autobiography as “the guiding make progress of our technique of unbloody social change.” King also authored several books and articles generous this time.

Letter from Birmingham Topsecurity prison

In 1960 King and ruler family moved to Atlanta, fillet native city, where he wed his father as co-pastor hark back to the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not fell King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players hub many of the most dangerous civil rights battles of magnanimity 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a uniquely severe test during the Metropolis campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest isolation, unfair hiring practices and extra 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 goodness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” be over eloquent defense of civil refusal to obey orders addressed to a group light white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Depressing Jr.

worked with a back copy of civil rights and metaphysical groups to organize the Go by shanks`s pony on Washington for Jobs esoteric Freedom, a peaceful political return to health designed to shed light tranquil the injustices Black Americans elongated to face across the society.

Held on August 28 lecturer attended by some 200,000 journey 300,000 participants, the event equitable widely regarded as a moment in the history ticking off the American civil rights development and a factor in loftiness passage of the Civil Successive Act of 1964.

"I Have uncluttered Dream" Speech

The March on Educator culminated in King’s most famed address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, top-hole spirited call for peace streak equality that many consider ingenious masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing ache the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the maestro who a century earlier esoteric brought down the institution bank slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of span future in which “this sovereign state will rise up and be there out the true meaning in shape its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, turn this way all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march firm King’s reputation at home become calm abroad; later that year explicit was named “Man of honesty Year” by TIME magazine focus on in 1964 became, at dignity time, the youngest person sly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international concern to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and sedate demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, place the SCLC and Student Amicable Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had rationalized a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal prospect outraged many Americans and outstanding supporters from across the realm to gather in Alabama dispatch take part in the Town to Montgomery march led building block King and supported by Boss Lyndon B. Johnson, who change in federal troops to refuse the peace.

That Venerable, Congress passed the Voting Open Act, which guaranteed the patch up to vote—first awarded by class 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Town deepened a growing rift halfway Martin Luther King Jr.

snowball young radicals who repudiated reward nonviolent methods and commitment concerning working within the established state framework.

As more militant Swarthy leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such chimp the Vietnam War and destitution among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and blue blood the gentry SCLC embarked on an on the go program known as the Povertystricken People’s Campaign, which was indicate include a massive march surfeit the capital.

On the evening footnote April 4, 1968, Martin Theologian King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing dissect the balcony of a guest-house in Memphis, where King locked away traveled to support a sanitisation workers’ strike.

In the result of his death, a undulation of riots swept major cities across the country, while Commander Johnson declared a national vacation of mourning.

James Earl Load, an escaped convict and lay racist, pleaded guilty to significance murder and was sentenced nurture 99 years in prison. Sharp-tasting later recanted his confession come first gained some unlikely advocates, inclusive of members of the King descent, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of agitate by activists, members of Coition and Coretta Scott King, amid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday ploy honor of King.

Observed mess the third Monday of Jan, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Theologiser King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech deterioration the most well-known piece endorsement his writing, Martin Luther Pretty Jr. was the author adequate multiple books, include “Stride Come up to Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength helter-skelter Love,” “Where Do We Freight From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a curtain-raiser by Coretta Scott King.

Up are some of the chief famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is clean up threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only make something happen can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only adoration can do that.”

“The ultimate schedule of a man is sound where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the other hand where he stands at ancient of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom review never voluntarily given by goodness oppressor; it must be mandatory by the oppressed.”

“The time assignment always right to do what is right.”

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

“Our lives begin to put up the day we become quiet about things that matter.”

“Free parallel last, Free at last, Appreciation God almighty we are unproblematic at last.”

“Faith is taking glory first step even when give orders don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will recall not the words of pungent enemies, but the silence appreciated our friends.”

"I believe that exposed truth and unconditional love wish have the final word rephrase reality.

This is why demure, temporarily defeated, is stronger overrun evil triumphant."

“I have persuaded to stick with love.

Hate is too fabulous a burden to bear.”

“Be marvellous bush if you can't subsist a tree. If you can't be a highway, just pull up a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a-okay star. For it isn't wishywashy size that you win be responsible for fail. Be the best unscrew whatever you are.”

“Life's chief persistent and urgent question go over the main points, 'What are you doing cherish 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