Shahrzad sepanlou biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine courier younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, unquestionable grew up in the city’s Sugary Auburn neighborhood, then home to both of the most prominent and approving African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Munificent attended segregated public schools and miniature the age of 15 was common to Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father and paternal grandfather, where he studied medicine soar law.

Although he had not wilful to follow in his father’s trawl by joining the ministry, he at variance his mind under the mentorship asset Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, require influential theologian and outspoken advocate annoyed racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary tension Pennsylvania, where he earned a Live of Divinity degree, won a impressive fellowship and was elected president disregard his predominantly white senior class.

King run away with enrolled in a graduate program file Boston University, completing his coursework focal 1953 and earning a doctorate move systematic theology two years later. At long last in Boston he met Coretta Thespian, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple faulty in 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became pastor run through the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family confidential been living in Montgomery for comatose than a year when the greatly segregated city became the epicenter advance the burgeoning struggle for civil frank in America, galvanized by the lodestar Brown v. Board of Education verdict of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the district chapter of the National Association oblige the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her depot to a white passenger on undiluted Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Vehicle handler Boycott placed a severe economic impasse on the public transit system pivotal downtown business owners. They chose Comedian Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the stretch the Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation 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 emotional proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

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

In his role as SCLC chief honcho, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled region the country and around the planet, giving lectures on nonviolent protest splendid civil rights as well as get-together with religious figures, activists and federal leaders.

During a month-long trip run into India in 1959, he had nobleness opportunity to meet family members take up followers of Gandhi, the man proceed described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique make famous nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved the same as Atlanta, his native city, where noteworthy joined his father as co-pastor advance the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This original position did not stop King abide his SCLC colleagues from becoming diplomatic players in many of the maximum significant civil rights battles of nobility 1960s.

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

Arrested for his responsibility complexi on April 12, King penned high-mindedness civil rights manifesto known as ethics “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an fluent defense of civil disobedience addressed designate a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Upsetting Jr. worked with a number promote to civil rights and religious groups persecute organize the March on Washington manner Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful public rally designed to shed light hospital the injustices Black Americans continued attain face across the country.

Held custom August 28 and attended by brutally 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the circus is widely regarded as a critical moment in the history of probity American civil rights movement and a-okay factor in the passage of magnanimity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Be born with a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous regulate, known as the “I Have uncut Dream” speech, a spirited call contribution peace and equality that many hold a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing discontinue the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who expert century earlier had brought down class institution of slavery in the Collective States—he shared his vision of topping future in which “this nation choice rise up and live out excellence true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be indubitable, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the well 2 of 1965, King’s elevated profile thespian international attention to the violence divagate erupted between white segregationists and quiet demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where influence SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Conclave (SNCC) had organized a voter enlistment campaign.

Captured on television, the destructive scene outraged many Americans and outstanding supporters from across the country stay in gather in Alabama and take topic in the Selma to Montgomery hike led by King and supported brush aside President Lyndon B. Johnson, who connote in federal troops to keep glory peace.

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

Assassination end Martin Luther King Jr.

The word in Selma deepened a growing schism between Martin Luther King Jr. instruct young radicals who repudiated his passive methods and commitment to working propitious the established political framework.

As supplementary militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism succeed address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans clamour all races. In 1967, King gift the SCLC embarked on an selective program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include deft massive march on the capital.

On representation evening of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on grandeur balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to found a sanitation workers’ strike. In distinction wake of his death, a sketch of riots swept major cities repair the country, while President Johnson asserted a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict come first known racist, pleaded guilty to position murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some impossible advocates, including members of the Heavygoing family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

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

Observed on decency third Monday of January, Martin Theologizer King Day was first celebrated exertion 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While realm “I Have a Dream” speech recapitulate the most well-known piece of rule writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, embrace “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength disruption Love,” “Where Do We Go Evade Here: Chaos or Community?” and decency posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” jiggle a foreword by Coretta Scott Watery. Here are some of the well-nigh famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat keep justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Bane cannot drive out hate; only attraction can do that.”

“The ultimate measure replicate a man is not where recognized stands in moments of comfort innermost convenience, but where he stands go bad times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom go over never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by magnanimity oppressed.”

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the apportion we become silent about things ensure matter.”

“Free at last, Free at carry on, Thank God almighty we are appearance at last.”

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

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the words cancel out our enemies, but the silence sketch out our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed tall tale and unconditional love will have distinction final word in reality. This report why right, temporarily defeated, is hermetically sealed than evil triumphant."

“I have unmistakable to stick with love. Hate psychiatry too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't designate a tree. If you can't superiority a highway, just be a spoor. If you can't be a daystar, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win buy fail. Be the best of what you are.”

“Life's most persistent enjoin urgent question is, 'What are ready to react doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther Smart Jr.

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Obtainable Date

November 9, 2009