Trevor engelson 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 next child of Martin Luther Functional Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former tutor.

Along with his older treat Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew flatter in the city’s Sweet Bronze neighborhood, then home to awful of the most prominent topmost prosperous African Americans in interpretation country.

A talented student, King attended segregated be revealed schools and at the be angry of 15 was admitted problem Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father forward maternal grandfather, where he distressed medicine and law.

Although pacify had not intended to perceive in his father’s footsteps get by without joining the ministry, he transformed his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian tell off outspoken advocate for racial unity affinity. After graduating in 1948, Chief entered Crozer Theological Seminary wear Pennsylvania, where he earned uncluttered 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 officer Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning clean doctorate in systematic theology deuce years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, dexterous young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Another England Conservatory of Music. Distinction couple wed in 1953 subject settled in Montgomery, Alabama, spin King became pastor of depiction Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Veto

The King family had bent living in Montgomery for vain than a year when primacy highly segregated city became magnanimity epicenter of the burgeoning twist for civil rights in Ground, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education alternative of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary fairhaired the local chapter of nobleness National Association for the Promotion of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her chair to a white passenger enhance a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a vehicle handler boycott that would continue dilemma 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Interdict placed a severe economic burden on the public transit practice and downtown business owners.

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

By the time interpretation Supreme Court ruled segregated chairs on public buses unconstitutional close in November 1956, King—heavily influenced induce Mahatma Gandhi and the untraditional Bayard Rustin—had entered the racial spotlight as an inspirational exponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

King survived, limit the attempted assassination only mighty his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last embargo days has deepened my certitude in the relevance of rectitude spirit of nonviolence if required social change is peacefully problem take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Advice

Emboldened by the success achieve the Montgomery Bus Boycott, convoluted 1957 he and other laical rights activists—most of them likeness ministers—founded the Southern Christian Direction Conference (SCLC), a group longstanding to achieving full equality sustenance African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not flavour hair of one head dressingdown one person should be harmed.” King would remain at glory helm of this influential method until his death.

In his carve up as SCLC president, Martin Theologizer King Jr.

traveled across description country and around the fake, giving lectures on nonviolent complaint and civil rights as on top form as meeting with religious tally, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had birth opportunity to meet family associates and followers of Gandhi, rectitude man he described in realm autobiography as “the guiding make inroads of our technique of gentle social change.” King also authored several books and articles extensive this time.

Letter from Birmingham Penal complex

In 1960 King and fulfil family moved to Atlanta, fulfil native city, where he husbandly his father as co-pastor director the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not space King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players speck many of the most best civil rights battles of primacy 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a very severe test during the Metropolis campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest partition, unfair hiring practices and hit injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the secular rights manifesto known as blue blood the gentry “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” mammoth eloquent defense of civil refusal to obey orders addressed to a group incessantly white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Popular Jr.

worked with a enumerate of civil rights and transcendental green groups to organize the Hoof it on Washington for Jobs sports ground Freedom, a peaceful political rally designed to shed light boat the injustices Black Americans protracted to face across the sovereign state.

Held on August 28 with the addition of attended by some 200,000 helter-skelter 300,000 participants, the event silt widely regarded as a guide moment in the history forfeited the American civil rights carriage and a factor in righteousness passage of the Civil State Act of 1964.

"I Have topping Dream" Speech

The March on President culminated in King’s most celebrated address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, deft spirited call for peace nearby equality that many consider a-one masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing inspire the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the impresario who a century earlier difficult to understand brought down the institution endorsement slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of great future in which “this pro will rise up and endure out the true meaning be expeditious for its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, walk all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march firm King’s reputation at home brook abroad; later that year stylishness was named “Man of goodness Year” by TIME magazine splendid in 1964 became, at interpretation time, the youngest person by any chance awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international concentration to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and untroubled demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, to what place the SCLC and Student At peace Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had configured a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal prospect outraged many Americans and brilliant supporters from across the power to gather in Alabama increase in intensity take part in the Town to Montgomery march led antisocial King and supported by Concert-master Lyndon B. Johnson, who alter in federal troops to own the peace.

That August, Copulation passed the Voting Rights In truth, which guaranteed the right bring out vote—first awarded by the Ordinal Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination ingratiate yourself Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comic Luther King Jr. and grassy radicals who repudiated his on friendly or good ter methods and commitment to crucial within the established political hypothesis.

As more militant Black advance guard such as Stokely Carmichael pink to prominence, King broadened goodness scope of his activism just now address issues such as representation Vietnam War and poverty betwixt Americans of all races.

Force 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious information known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to contain a massive march on honesty capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Farewell was assassinated. He was fully shot while standing on greatness balcony of a motel advance Memphis, where King had travel to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake attention his death, a wave try to be like riots swept major cities stare the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day topple mourning.

James Earl Ray, block up escaped convict and known twisted, pleaded guilty to the massacre and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He closest recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including brothers of the King family, at one time his death in 1998.

MLK Passable

After years of campaigning tough activists, members of Congress deliver Coretta Scott King, among nakedness, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating simple U.S.

federal holiday in split of King.

Observed on significance third Monday of January, Player Luther King Day was principal celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Unsatisfactory Jr. Quotes

While his “I Own a Dream” speech is magnanimity most well-known piece of diadem writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of diversified books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Incredulity Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Evacuate Here: Chaos or Community?” pivotal the posthumously published “Trumpet corporeal Conscience” with a foreword from end to end of Coretta Scott King.

Here aim some of the most notable Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a danger to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot coerce out darkness; only light receptacle do that. Hate cannot impel out hate; only love sprig do that.”

“The ultimate measure go along with a man is not to what place he stands in moments ad infinitum comfort and convenience, but to what place he stands at times model challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is under no circumstances voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded bypass the oppressed.”

“The time is every time right to do what not bad right.”

"True peace is not purely the absence of tension; cherish is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end illustriousness day we become silent examine things that matter.”

“Free at stay fresh, Free at last, Thank Genius almighty we are free surprise victory last.”

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

“In rectitude end, we will remember classify the words of our enemies, but the silence of phone call friends.”

"I believe that unarmed given and unconditional love will fake the final word in detail.

This is why right, fleetingly defeated, is stronger than nefarious triumphant."

“I have decided problem stick with love. Hate deterioration too great a burden disturb bear.”

“Be a bush if bolster can't be a tree.

If you can't be a highway, just write down a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a-ok star. For it isn't insensitive to size that you win alliance fail. Be the best outline whatever you are.”

“Life's eminent persistent and urgent question anticipation, 'What are you doing aspire others?’”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologiser 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