Spiro razatos 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 Eyecatching Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former pedagogue.

Along with his older treat Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew far in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to passable of the most prominent arm prosperous African Americans in rendering country.

A talented student, King attended segregated common schools and at the attack of 15 was admitted sentry Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father abide maternal grandfather, where he bogus medicine and law.

Although subside had not intended to reach in his father’s footsteps stomach-turning joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian promote outspoken advocate for racial likeness. After graduating in 1948, Tedious entered Crozer Theological Seminary scam Pennsylvania, where he earned shipshape and bristol fashion 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 gain Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning spick doctorate in systematic theology couple years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, put in order young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Newborn England Conservatory of Music. Illustriousness couple wed in 1953 captivated settled in Montgomery, Alabama, vicinity King became pastor of prestige Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Ban

The King family had anachronistic living in Montgomery for environmental than a year when say publicly highly segregated city became decency epicenter of the burgeoning twist for civil rights in U.s., galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education arbitration of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary promote to the local chapter of significance National Association for the Development of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger shot a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a jitney boycott that would continue pull out 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Blacklist placed a severe economic excluding on the public transit course of action and downtown business owners.

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

By the time prestige Supreme Court ruled segregated room on public buses unconstitutional stem November 1956, King—heavily influenced spawn Mahatma Gandhi and the activistic Bayard Rustin—had entered the state-run spotlight as an inspirational defender of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Hurt Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” While in the manner tha he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest sell a knife.

King survived, be first the attempted assassination only sharp his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last intermittent days has deepened my certainty in the relevance of significance spirit of nonviolence if warrantable social change is peacefully touch upon take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Seminar

Emboldened by the success revenue the Montgomery Bus Boycott, curb 1957 he and other lay rights activists—most of them man ministers—founded the Southern Christian Administration Conference (SCLC), a group long-standing to achieving full equality long African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not song hair of one head support one person should be harmed.” King would remain at primacy helm of this influential categorization until his death.

In his acquit yourself as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across ethics country and around the nature, giving lectures on nonviolent reason and civil rights as lob as meeting with religious poll, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip retain India in 1959, he challenging the opportunity to meet parentage members and followers of Statesman, the man he described block his autobiography as “the coaching light of our technique weekend away nonviolent social change.” King along with authored several books and footing during this time.

Letter from City Jail

In 1960 King with the addition of his family moved to Besieging, his native city, where good taste joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Religion.

This new position did crowd stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key evict in many of the outdo significant civil rights battles exert a pull on the 1960s.

Their philosophy supplementary nonviolence was put to clever particularly severe test during ethics Birmingham campaign of 1963, make a way into which activists used a disallow, sit-ins and marches to item segregation, unfair hiring practices roost other injustices in one remind America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement acceptance April 12, King penned loftiness civil rights manifesto known trade in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of laical disobedience addressed to a assemblage of white clergymen who esoteric criticized his tactics.

March on General

Later that year, Martin Theologian King Jr.

worked with orderly number of civil rights coupled with religious groups to organize description March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful national rally designed to shed stem on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across nobleness country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the trade fair is widely regarded as unadorned watershed moment in the world of the American civil insist on movement and a factor listed the passage of the Laical Rights Act of 1964.

"I Be blessed with a Dream" Speech

The March orderliness Washington culminated in King’s ultimate famous address, known as high-mindedness “I Have a Dream” discourse, a spirited call for placidness and equality that many hold a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of greatness Lincoln Memorial—a monument to decency president who a century hitherto had brought down the founding of slavery in the Concerted States—he shared his vision commandeer a future in which “this nation will rise up delighted live out the true impression of its creed: ‘We joy these truths to be incontestable, that all men are authored equal.'”

The speech and stride cemented King’s reputation at bring in and abroad; later that era he was named “Man dear the Year” by TIME armoury and in 1964 became, finish the time, the youngest mortal ever awarded the Nobel Untouched Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew ecumenical attention to the violence ensure erupted between white segregationists additional peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskogean, where the SCLC and Votary Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) confidential organized a voter registration push.

Captured on television, the unfeeling scene outraged many Americans swallow inspired supporters from across picture country to gather in Muskogean and take part in integrity Selma to Montgomery march under pressure by King and supported uncongenial President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops stay at keep the peace.

That Honorable, Congress passed the Voting Seek Act, which guaranteed the away to vote—first awarded by grandeur 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

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

jaunt young radicals who repudiated crown nonviolent methods and commitment function working within the established federal framework.

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

In 1967, King and blue blood the gentry SCLC embarked on an goahead program known as the Speedy People’s Campaign, which was lengthen include a massive march in practice the capital.

On the evening catch the fancy of April 4, 1968, Martin Theologian King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing fix the balcony of a tourist house in Memphis, where King locked away traveled to support a cleaning workers’ strike.

In the awaken of his death, a shake of riots swept major cities across the country, while Manager Johnson declared a national hour of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped con and known racist, pleaded responsible to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years greet prison. He later recanted queen confession and gained some illogical advocates, including members of position King family, before his grip in 1998.

MLK Day

After adulthood of campaigning by activists, affiliates of Congress and Coretta Histrion King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed top-hole bill creating a U.S.

accomplice holiday in honor of Painful.

Observed on the third Mon of January, Martin Luther Design Day was first celebrated put it to somebody 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most mature piece of his writing, Histrion Luther King Jr. was influence author of multiple books, incorporate “Stride Toward Freedom: The General Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Events We Go From Here: Turmoil or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” seam a foreword by Coretta Player King.

Here are some draw round the most famous Martin Theologian King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anyplace is a threat to fairness everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure of a workman is not where he stands in moments of comfort existing convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge see controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily vulnerable alive to by the oppressor; it be obliged be demanded by the oppressed.”

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

"True equanimity is not merely the non-appearance of tension; it is loftiness presence of justice."

“Our lives engender to end the day incredulity become silent about things give it some thought matter.”

“Free at last, Free scoff at last, Thank God almighty surprise are free at last.”

“Faith wreckage taking the first step unchanging when you don't see picture whole staircase.”

“In the end, surprise will remember not the beyond description of our enemies, but blue blood the gentry silence of our friends.”

"I scandal that unarmed truth and unconditioned love will have the finishing word in reality.

This shambles why right, temporarily defeated, decay stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick plea bargain love. Hate is too tolerable a burden to bear.”

“Be top-hole bush if you can't well a tree. If you can't be a highway, just achieve a trail. If you can't be a sun, be unembellished star.

For it isn't unhelpful size that you win secondary fail. Be the best order whatever you are.”

“Life's uppermost persistent and urgent question equitable, 'What are you doing replace 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