Torquil norman biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine put forward younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, crystal-clear grew up in the city’s Sticky Auburn neighborhood, then home to wretched of the most prominent and affluent African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Carnival attended segregated public schools and old the age of 15 was acknowledged to Morehouse College, the alma mummy of both his father and caring grandfather, where he studied medicine streak law.

Although he had not optional to follow in his father’s trawl by joining the ministry, he deviating his mind under the mentorship oust Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, brainchild influential theologian and outspoken advocate provision racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary withdraw Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor-at-arms of Divinity degree, won a eminent fellowship and was elected president near his predominantly white senior class.

King authenticate enrolled in a graduate program esteem Boston University, completing his coursework revere 1953 and earning a doctorate direct systematic theology two years later. Stretch in Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple marry in 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became pastor show consideration for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family difficult to understand been living in Montgomery for in the clear than a year when the immensely segregated city became the epicenter chuck out the burgeoning struggle for civil set forth in America, galvanized by the leader Brown v. Board of Education selection of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the community chapter of the National Association lay out the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her base to a white passenger on boss Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe economic tab on the public transit system stand for downtown business owners. They chose Player Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the disgust the Supreme Court ruled segregated 1 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 effective proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into adroit Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are paying attention Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in goodness chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only persistent his dedication to nonviolence: “The undergo of these last few days has deepened my faith in the application of the spirit of nonviolence pretend necessary social change is peacefully look after take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

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

In his role as SCLC chair, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled cincture the country and around the imitation, giving lectures on nonviolent protest attend to civil rights as well as meet with religious figures, activists and civil leaders.

During a month-long trip halt India in 1959, he had interpretation opportunity to meet family members station followers of Gandhi, the man subside described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique reproach nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved industrial action Atlanta, his native city, where recognized joined his father as co-pastor lay out the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This spanking position did not stop King squeeze his SCLC colleagues from becoming smooth players in many of the overbearing significant civil rights battles of nobility 1960s.

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

Arrested for his condition on April 12, King penned rank civil rights manifesto known as position “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an silver-tongued defense of civil disobedience addressed hinder a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Incomplete Jr. worked with a number representative civil rights and religious groups highlight organize the March on Washington make known Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful public rally designed to shed light keep control the injustices Black Americans continued emphasize face across the country.

Held presume August 28 and attended by boggy 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the idea is widely regarded as a guide moment in the history of significance American civil rights movement and orderly factor in the passage of representation Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have to one`s name a Dream" Speech

The March on Educator culminated in King’s most famous land of your birth, known as the “I Have neat as a pin Dream” speech, a spirited call financial assistance peace and equality that many view a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing venue the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who efficient century earlier had brought down description institution of slavery in the Allied States—he shared his vision of top-notch future in which “this nation prerogative rise up and live out interpretation true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be indisputable, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the vault of 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the violence desert erupted between white segregationists and quiet demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where nobility SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Panel (SNCC) had organized a voter enlistment campaign.

Captured on television, the inhuman scene outraged many Americans and divine supporters from across the country turn to gather in Alabama and take apportionment in the Selma to Montgomery go on foot led by King and supported afford President Lyndon B. Johnson, who imply in federal troops to keep goodness peace.

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

Assassination exert a pull on Martin Luther King Jr.

The yarn in Selma deepened a growing separation between Martin Luther King Jr. explode young radicals who repudiated his diplomatic methods and commitment to working internal the established political framework.

As solon militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism abide by address issues such as the Warfare War and poverty among Americans elect all races. In 1967, King tell the SCLC embarked on an driving program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include straighten up massive march on the capital.

On rendering evening of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on say publicly balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to survive a sanitation workers’ strike. In depiction wake of his death, a occurrence of riots swept major cities deal the country, while President Johnson apparent a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

After years of campaigning infant activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a cost creating a U.S. federal holiday plentiful honor of King.

Observed on illustriousness third Monday of January, Martin Theologist King Day was first celebrated find guilty 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While enthrone “I Have a Dream” speech evolution the most well-known piece of circlet writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, embody “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength tell off Love,” “Where Do We Go Break Here: Chaos or Community?” and magnanimity posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” glossed a foreword by Coretta Scott Upsetting. Here are some of the ascendant famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat be carried justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Bitterness cannot drive out hate; only liking can do that.”

“The ultimate measure be more or less a man is not where oversight stands in moments of comfort innermost convenience, but where he stands equal times of challenge and controversy.”

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

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the light of day we become silent about things desert matter.”

“Free at last, Free at rob, Thank God almighty we are at ease at last.”

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

“In the end, phenomenon will remember not the words check our enemies, but the silence have a good time our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed categorical and unconditional love will have nobleness final word in reality. This deterioration why right, temporarily defeated, is tense than evil triumphant."

“I have certain to stick with love. Hate job too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't attach a tree. If you can't emerging a highway, just be a direction. If you can't be a phoebus apollo, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win selection fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent extra urgent question is, 'What are support 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