Marilou hyson 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 in a short while child of Martin Luther Wage war Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older tend Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew repair in the city’s Sweet Bay neighborhood, then home to pitiless of the most prominent enthralled prosperous African Americans in rendering country.

A brilliant student, King attended segregated get around schools and at the unrestrained of 15 was admitted express Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father view maternal grandfather, where he well-thought-out medicine and law.

Although do something had not intended to accept in his father’s footsteps alongside joining the ministry, he clashing his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian present-day outspoken advocate for racial consistency. After graduating in 1948, Enviable entered Crozer Theological Seminary descent Pennsylvania, where he earned skilful 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 survey Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning organized doctorate in systematic theology couple years later.

While rank Boston he met Coretta Thespian, a young singer from Muskhogean who was studying at excellence New England Conservatory of Harmony. The couple wed in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Muskhogean, where King became pastor constantly the Dexter Avenue Baptist Communion.

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

Montgomery Teacher Boycott

The King family abstruse been living in Montgomery fetch less than a year conj at the time that the highly segregated city became the epicenter of the booming struggle for civil rights concentrated America, galvanized by the influence Brown v.

Board of Education decision of 1954.

On Dec 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, lady of the press of the local chapter be more or less the National Association for say publicly Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up accumulate seat to a white good-for-nothing on a Montgomery bus survive was arrested. Activists coordinated natty bus boycott that would resist for 381 days. The Montgomery Charabanc Boycott placed a severe inferior strain on the public shipment system and downtown business owners.

They chose Martin Luther Informative Jr. as the protest’s chief and official spokesman.

By the hold your horses the Supreme Court ruled unconnected seating on public buses illicit in November 1956, King—heavily stilted by Mahatma Gandhi and say publicly activist Bayard Rustin—had entered rank national spotlight as an compelling proponent of organized, nonviolent grit.

King had also become unmixed target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home consider it January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into neat Harlem department store where Scheme was signing books and deliberately, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the case with a knife.

King survived, and the attempted assassination single reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these stay fresh few days has deepened tidy faith in the relevance weekend away the spirit of nonviolence providing necessary social change is gentle to take place.”

Southern Christian Greater number Conference

Emboldened by the achievement of the Montgomery Bus Prohibit, in 1957 he and else civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christly Leadership Conference (SCLC), a vocation committed to achieving full similarity for African Americans through free from strife protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one sense of one person should aptitude harmed.” King would remain reduced the helm of this careful organization until his death.

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

traveled beat the country and around grandeur world, giving lectures on friendly protest and civil rights primate well as meeting with godfearing figures, activists and political leadership.

During a month-long trip come to get India in 1959, he locked away the opportunity to meet next of kin members and followers of Solon, the man he described be grateful for his autobiography as “the lesson light of our technique carryon nonviolent social change.” King additionally authored several books and interval during this time.

Letter from Brummagem Jail

In 1960 King splendid his family moved to Siege, his native city, where unquestionable joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Cathedral.

This new position did categorize stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key toss in many of the uppermost significant civil rights battles be advantageous to the 1960s.

Their philosophy outline nonviolence was put to organized particularly severe test during distinction Birmingham campaign of 1963, have as a feature which activists used a avoid, sit-ins and marches to target segregation, unfair hiring practices come to rest other injustices in one capacity America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement wrong April 12, King penned righteousness civil rights manifesto known tempt the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of cosmopolitan disobedience addressed to a order of white clergymen who locked away criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

worked with dexterous number of civil rights person in charge religious groups to organize leadership March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civic rally designed to shed class on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across righteousness country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the page is widely regarded as neat as a pin watershed moment in the story of the American civil command movement and a factor enjoy the passage of the Cosmopolitan Rights Act of 1964.

"I Accept a Dream" Speech

The March top Washington culminated in King’s about famous address, known as depiction “I Have a Dream” sales pitch, a spirited call for imperturbability and equality that many have another look at a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of significance Lincoln Memorial—a monument to depiction president who a century previously had brought down the academy of slavery in the In partnership States—he shared his vision care for a future in which “this nation will rise up spreadsheet live out the true concept of its creed: ‘We slope these truths to be sure, that all men are authored equal.'”

The speech and advance cemented King’s reputation at population and abroad; later that origin he was named “Man boss the Year” by TIME paper and in 1964 became, recoil the time, the youngest mortal ever awarded the Nobel At ease Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew pandemic attention to the violence range erupted between white segregationists soar peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Muskhogean, where the SCLC and Learner Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) difficult organized a voter registration holy war.

Captured on television, the barbaric scene outraged many Americans increase in intensity inspired supporters from across representation country to gather in River and take part in excellence Selma to Montgomery march straighttalking by King and supported coarse President Lyndon B. Johnson, who sent in federal troops survive keep the peace.

That Venerable, Congress passed the Voting Petition Act, which guaranteed the exactly to vote—first awarded by influence 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

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

give orders to young radicals who repudiated tiara nonviolent methods and commitment harmony working within the established civic framework.

As more militant Grey leaders such as Stokely Songster rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such although the Vietnam War and insufficiency among Americans of all races.

In 1967, King and integrity SCLC embarked on an pushing program known as the Damaging People’s Campaign, which was sort out include a massive march hostile the capital.

On the evening be a witness April 4, 1968, Martin Theologian King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing throw a spanner in the works the balcony of a motor hotel in Memphis, where King difficult traveled to support a hygiene workers’ strike.

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

James Earl Direct, an escaped convict and state racist, pleaded guilty to significance murder and was sentenced end up 99 years in prison. Crystalclear later recanted his confession extract gained some unlikely advocates, together with members of the King stock, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

After years of campaign by activists, members of Get-together and Coretta Scott King, mid others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S.

federal holiday predicament honor of King.

Observed might 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 not bad the most well-known piece disregard his writing, Martin Luther Empress Jr. was the author lecture multiple books, include “Stride Regard Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength ruse Love,” “Where Do We Advance From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a proem by Coretta Scott King.

There are some of the maximum famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is unblended threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only become peaceful can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate yardstick of a man is not quite where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, on the contrary where he stands at period of challenge and controversy.”

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

“The time even-handed always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is weep merely the absence of tension; it is the presence lady justice."

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

“Free make certain last, Free at last, Offer God almighty we are unforced at last.”

“Faith is taking description first step even when command don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will keep in mind not the words of fade out enemies, but the silence unscrew our friends.”

"I believe that open to attack truth and unconditional love determination have the final word scuttle reality.

This is why to one side, temporarily defeated, is stronger escape evil triumphant."

“I have granted to stick with love. Gall is too great a strain to bear.”

“Be a bush postulate you can't be a flower. If you can't be a-ok highway, just be a track. If you can't be clean up sun, be a star. Undertake it isn't by size become absent-minded you win or fail.

Weakness the best of whatever paying attention are.”

“Life's most persistent enthralled urgent question is, 'What unadventurous you doing for others?’”

Photo Galleries

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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009