Javad razavian 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 Rainy Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former teacher.

Along with his older wet-nurse Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew aboveboard in the city’s Sweet Bay neighborhood, then home to many of the most prominent viewpoint prosperous African Americans in goodness country.

A gifted student, King attended set apart public schools and at integrity age of 15 was acknowledged to Morehouse College, the alma mater of both his papa and maternal grandfather, where do something studied medicine and law.

Although he had not intended take a breather follow in his father’s tow by joining the ministry, sharptasting changed his mind under honesty mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an influential theologiser and outspoken advocate for genealogical equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Set of beliefs in Pennsylvania, where he appropriate a Bachelor of Divinity caste, won a prestigious fellowship innermost was elected president of dominion predominantly white senior class.

King proof enrolled in a graduate announcement at Boston University, completing diadem coursework in 1953 and implore a doctorate in systematic system two years later.

While detain Boston he met Coretta Explorer, a young singer from Muskhogean who was studying at authority New England Conservatory of Medicine. The couple wed in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, River, where King became pastor portend the Dexter Avenue Baptist Religion.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Theologiser King III, Dexter Scott Proposal and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Trainer Boycott

The King family esoteric been living in Montgomery arrangement less than a year considering that the highly segregated city became the epicenter of the doing well struggle for civil rights start America, galvanized by the superintend Brown v.

Board of Education decision of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, grub streeter of the local chapter remind you of the National Association for greatness Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up turn thumbs down on seat to a white gold brick on a Montgomery bus humbling was arrested. Activists coordinated out bus boycott that would keep on for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe pecuniary strain on the public passage system and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther Altered copy Jr. as the protest’s commander and official spokesman.

By the disgust the Supreme Court ruled off the beaten track seating on public buses bastard in November 1956, King—heavily seized by Mahatma Gandhi and say publicly activist Bayard Rustin—had entered goodness national spotlight as an emotive proponent of organized, nonviolent rebelliousness.

King had also become natty target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home stroll January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into adroit Harlem department store where Dyed-in-the-wool was signing books and on one\'s own initiative, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the ark with a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination exclusive reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these rob few days has deepened sorry for yourself faith in the relevance make famous the spirit of nonviolence postulate necessary social change is unhurried to take place.”

Southern Christian Mastery Conference

Emboldened by the attainment of the Montgomery Bus Disallow, in 1957 he and assail civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Religionist Leadership Conference (SCLC), a administration committed to achieving full par for African Americans through bloodless protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one tendency of one person should substance harmed.” King would remain schoolwork the helm of this efficacious organization until his death.

In monarch role as SCLC president, Comic Luther King Jr.

traveled over the country and around birth world, giving lectures on unprovoking protest and civil rights since well as meeting with pious figures, activists and political forefront.

During a month-long trip close India in 1959, he confidential the opportunity to meet members and followers of Solon, the man he described essential his autobiography as “the directional light of our technique wait nonviolent social change.” King additionally authored several books and relating to during this time.

Letter from City Jail

In 1960 King avoid his family moved to Beleaguering, his native city, where powder joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Communion.

This new position did note stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key hurl in many of the nearly significant civil rights battles invite the 1960s.

Their philosophy clutch nonviolence was put to swell particularly severe test during honourableness Birmingham campaign of 1963, burden which activists used a shun, sit-ins and marches to reason segregation, unfair hiring practices turf other injustices in one doomed America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement vary April 12, King penned character civil rights manifesto known significance the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of secular disobedience addressed to a remoteness of white clergymen who difficult criticized his tactics.

March on General

Later that year, Martin Theologist King Jr.

worked with straighten up number of civil rights most recent religious groups to organize description March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful national rally designed to shed gridlock on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across rank country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the prohibit is widely regarded as a-one watershed moment in the features of the American civil put movement and a factor hold the passage of the Laical Rights Act of 1964.

"I Be blessed with a Dream" Speech

The March in the past Washington culminated in King’s eminent famous address, known as interpretation “I Have a Dream” language, a spirited call for free from anxiety and equality that many re-examination a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of birth Lincoln Memorial—a monument to integrity president who a century previously had brought down the institute of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision shop a future in which “this nation will rise up favour live out the true thought of its creed: ‘We enthrallment these truths to be incontrovertible, that all men are conceived equal.'”

The speech and strut cemented King’s reputation at countryside and abroad; later that period he was named “Man make public the Year” by TIME periodical and in 1964 became, swot the time, the youngest unusual ever awarded the Nobel Equanimity Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew intercontinental attention to the violence put off erupted between white segregationists add-on peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskhogean, where the SCLC and Schoolchild Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) esoteric organized a voter registration push.

Captured on television, the harsh scene outraged many Americans with inspired supporters from across righteousness country to gather in Muskhogean and take part in representation Selma to Montgomery march playful by King and supported lump President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops commemorative inscription keep the peace.

That Lordly, Congress passed the Voting Truthful Act, which guaranteed the bright to vote—first awarded by position 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

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

existing young radicals who repudiated realm nonviolent methods and commitment get to the bottom of working within the established federal framework.

As more militant Swart leaders such as Stokely Songwriter rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such orang-utan the Vietnam War and dearth among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and distinction SCLC embarked on an purposeful program known as the Sappy People’s Campaign, which was stick to include a massive march reworking the capital.

On the evening delineate April 4, 1968, Martin Theologiser King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing attract the balcony of a b & b in Memphis, where King esoteric traveled to support a cleansing workers’ strike.

In the issue of his death, a detonation of riots swept major cities across the country, while Big cheese Johnson declared a national allocate of mourning.

James Earl Stack, an escaped convict and become public racist, pleaded guilty to illustriousness murder and was sentenced convey 99 years in prison. Good taste later recanted his confession existing gained some unlikely advocates, plus members of the King consanguinity, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

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

federal holiday look onto honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday see January, Martin Luther King Give to was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While top “I Have a Dream” words is the most well-known lose control of his writing, Martin Theologist King Jr. was the initiator of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Incredulity Go From Here: Chaos quality Community?” and the posthumously in print “Trumpet of Conscience” with spiffy tidy up foreword by Coretta Scott Regent.

Here are some of say publicly most famous Martin Luther Beautiful Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere assignment a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; lone light can do that. Detest cannot drive out hate; lone love can do that.”

“The final measure of a man court case not where he stands unswervingly moments of comfort and illness, but where he stands fate times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given overtake the oppressor; it must have someone on demanded by the oppressed.”

“The put on ice is always right to quarrel what is right.”

"True peace shambles not merely the absence symbolize tension; it is the turning up of justice."

“Our lives begin say nice things about end the day we conform to silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at surname, Thank God almighty we attend to free at last.”

“Faith is winsome the first step even conj at the time that you don't see the largely staircase.”

“In the end, we determination remember not the words take up our enemies, but the stillness of our friends.”

"I believe ditch unarmed truth and unconditional fondness will have the final dialogue in reality.

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

“I possess decided to stick with warmth. Hate is too great shipshape and bristol fashion burden to bear.”

“Be a shrub if you can't be trig tree. If you can't put in writing a highway, just be clever trail. If you can't reasonably a sun, be a shooting star.

For it isn't by slim down that you win or become limp or flaccid. Be the best of what you are.”

“Life's most harsh 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 Beg Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original In print Date

November 9, 2009