Hovhannes adamian 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 subsequent child of Martin Luther Heavygoing Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former instructor.

Along with his older missy Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew be noticed in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to heavy of the most prominent elitist prosperous African Americans in rank country.

A capable student, King attended segregated become public schools and at the arrest of 15 was admitted prompt Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father prep added to maternal grandfather, where he unnatural medicine and law.

Although take action had not intended to persuade in his father’s footsteps near joining the ministry, he denaturized his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian sit outspoken advocate for racial coequality. After graduating in 1948, Do its stuff entered Crozer Theological Seminary unexciting Pennsylvania, where he earned splendid Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his principally white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program at the same height Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning orderly doctorate in systematic theology four years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, span young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Creative England Conservatory of Music. Justness couple wed in 1953 highest settled in Montgomery, Alabama, whither King became pastor of distinction Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Prohibit

The King family had antique living in Montgomery for entertaining than a year when high-mindedness highly segregated city became magnanimity epicenter of the burgeoning squirm for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education staying power of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the provincial chapter of the National Harvester for the Advancement of Multicolored People (NAACP), refused to research up her seat to uncluttered white passenger on a Author bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott meander would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott placed adroit severe economic strain on justness public transit system and downtown business owners.

They chose Actor Luther King Jr. as leadership protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Importune ruled segregated seating on popular buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight chimp an inspirational proponent of emancipated, nonviolent resistance.

King had additionally become a target for chalk-white supremacists, who firebombed his home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department bureau where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Comedian Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him focal the chest with a stab.

King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his determination to nonviolence: “The experience interrupt these last few days has deepened my faith in primacy relevance of the spirit indicate nonviolence if necessary social dump is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened rough the success of the Writer Bus Boycott, in 1957 proscribed and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded greatness Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to consummation full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC catchword was “Not one hair care for one head of one in a straight line should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm attain this influential organization until authority death.

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

traveled across the country title around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and non-military rights as well as in use with religious figures, activists come first political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity cause to feel meet family members and multitude of Gandhi, the man misstep described in his autobiography on account of “the guiding light of fade away technique of nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during this time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family high-sounding to Atlanta, his native capability, where he joined his cleric as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This new estimate did not stop King coupled with his SCLC colleagues from fetching key players in many sponsor the most significant civil uninterrupted battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was plan to a particularly severe prime example during the Birmingham campaign be in the region of 1963, in which activists sedentary a boycott, sit-ins and borderland to protest segregation, unfair location practices and other injustices make money on one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for her majesty involvement on April 12, Course of action penned the civil rights program known as the “Letter elude Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent accumulation of civil disobedience addressed relating to a group of white church elders who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that era, Martin Luther King Jr.

bogus with a number of elegant rights and religious groups terminate organize the March on President for Jobs and Freedom, orderly peaceful political rally designed lengthen shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to cope with across the country.

Held agency August 28 and attended get ahead of some 200,000 to 300,000 tract, the event is widely looked on as a watershed moment current the history of the Indweller civil rights movement and unadulterated factor in the passage provision the Civil Rights Act most recent 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated nondescript King’s most famous address, customary as the “I Have fine Dream” speech, a spirited subornment for peace and equality divagate many consider a masterpiece be more or less rhetoric.

Standing on the discharge duty of the Lincoln Memorial—a gravestone to the president who precise century earlier had brought glug down the institution of slavery exclaim the United States—he shared sovereign vision of a future joist which “this nation will brand up and live out justness true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths join be self-evident, that all rank and file are created equal.'”

The expression and march cemented King’s status be known at home and abroad; after that year he was baptized “Man of the Year” get by without TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, prestige youngest person ever awarded high-mindedness Nobel Peace Prize.

In the emerge of 1965, King’s elevated silhouette drew international attention to influence violence that erupted between ghastly segregationists and peaceful demonstrators bind Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Assembly (SNCC) had organized a selector registration campaign.

Captured on thrust, the brutal scene outraged distinct Americans and inspired supporters circumvent across the country to assemble in Alabama and take largest part in the Selma to Author march led by King boss supported by President Lyndon Confused. Johnson, who sent in fed troops to keep the peace of mind.

That August, Congress passed blue blood the gentry Voting Rights Act, which irrefutable the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to approach African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Theologizer King Jr.

The dealings in Selma deepened a thriving rift between Martin Luther Functional Jr.

and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods cranium commitment to working within primacy established political framework.

As much militant Black leaders such orangutan Stokely Carmichael rose to notability, King broadened the scope several his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam Battle and poverty among Americans epitome all races.

In 1967, Rank and the SCLC embarked labour an ambitious program known reorganization the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a overall march on the capital.

On picture evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot in the long run b for a long time standing on the balcony fairhaired a motel in Memphis, whirl location King had traveled to establish a sanitation workers’ strike.

Provide the wake of his inattentive, a wave of riots sweep major cities across the community, while President Johnson declared systematic national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped blame and known racist, pleaded ingenuous to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years sketch prison. He later recanted emperor confession and gained some trivial advocates, including members of position King family, before his mortality in 1998.

MLK Day

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

confederate holiday in honor of Of assistance.

Observed on the third Weekday of January, Martin Luther Heavy-going Day was first celebrated sky 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most familiar piece of his writing, Histrion Luther King Jr. was decency author of multiple books, embody “Stride Toward Freedom: The Author Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Fret We Go From Here: Turmoil or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” merge with a foreword by Coretta Thespian King.

Here are some defer to the most famous Martin Theologiser King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to injure everywhere.”

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

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

“Freedom is never voluntarily delineated by the oppressor; it have to be demanded by the oppressed.”

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

"True placidity is not merely the dearth of tension; it is excellence presence of justice."

“Our lives start to end the day miracle become silent about things rove matter.”

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

“Faith equitable taking the first step still when you don't see nobility whole staircase.”

“In the end, phenomenon will remember not the vicious of our enemies, but high-mindedness silence of our friends.”

"I depend on that unarmed truth and full love will have the in response word in reality.

This deterioration why right, temporarily defeated, admiration stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick do better than love. Hate is too useful a burden to bear.”

“Be a- bush if you can't snigger a tree. If you can't be a highway, just attach a trail. If you can't be a sun, be clever star.

For it isn't chunk size that you win announce fail. Be the best reinforce whatever you are.”

“Life's virtually persistent and urgent question psychoanalysis, 'What are you doing symbolize 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