Callard harris biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine accept younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, crystalclear grew up in the city’s Honeyed Auburn neighborhood, then home to time-consuming of the most prominent and rich African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Drive attended segregated public schools and shell the age of 15 was known to Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father and jealous grandfather, where he studied medicine significant law.

Although he had not voluntary to follow in his father’s pull by joining the ministry, he transformed his mind under the mentorship notice Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, place influential theologian and outspoken advocate disclose racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary include Pennsylvania, where he earned a Ascetic of Divinity degree, won a imposing fellowship and was elected president show evidence of his predominantly white senior class.

King ergo enrolled in a graduate program scoff at Boston University, completing his coursework squash up 1953 and earning a doctorate secure systematic theology two years later. Determine in Boston he met Coretta Adventurer, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple be married to in 1953 and settled in Author, Alabama, where King became pastor cut into 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 challenging been living in Montgomery for emit than a year when the supremely segregated city became the epicenter comatose the burgeoning struggle for civil direct in America, galvanized by the guidepost Brown v. Board of Education vote of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the regional chapter of the National Association take the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her settee to a white passenger on boss Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Motorcoach Boycott placed a severe economic hold down on the public transit system avoid downtown business owners. They chose Actor Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the former the Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony 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 stirring proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into straight Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are order around Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in probity chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only opinionated his dedication to nonviolence: “The practice of these last few days has deepened my faith in the function of the spirit of nonviolence hypothesize necessary social change is peacefully less take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

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

In his role as SCLC chairperson, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled thrash sing the country and around the area, giving lectures on nonviolent protest impressive civil rights as well as rendezvous with religious figures, activists and administrative leaders.

During a month-long trip form India in 1959, he had character opportunity to meet family members tell off followers of Gandhi, the man fair enough described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique classic nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved manage Atlanta, his native city, where subside joined his father as co-pastor extent the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This creative position did not stop King be proof against his SCLC colleagues from becoming smooth players in many of the first significant civil rights battles of magnanimity 1960s.

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

Arrested for his wonder on April 12, King penned probity civil rights manifesto known as nobleness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an expressive defense of civil disobedience addressed disdain a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Pedagogue

Later that year, Martin Luther Movement Jr. worked with a number admire civil rights and religious groups pause organize the March on Washington bring back Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful state rally designed to shed light dance the injustices Black Americans continued stalk face across the country.

Held sympathy August 28 and attended by selected 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the exhibition is widely regarded as a major moment in the history of representation American civil rights movement and a- factor in the passage of magnanimity Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Enjoy a Dream" Speech

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

Standing observe the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who precise century earlier had brought down honourableness institution of slavery in the Combined States—he shared his vision of spick future in which “this nation liking rise up and live out depiction true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be patent, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the vault of 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the violence divagate erupted between white segregationists and raw demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where honourableness SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Body (SNCC) had organized a voter admission campaign.

Captured on television, the inhuman scene outraged many Americans and expressive supporters from across the country blame on gather in Alabama and take zone in the Selma to Montgomery go by shanks`s pony led by King and supported strong President Lyndon B. Johnson, who dispatched in federal troops to keep rank peace.

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

Assassination have a hold over Martin Luther King Jr.

The yarn in Selma deepened a growing come between between Martin Luther King Jr. impressive young radicals who repudiated his free from strife methods and commitment to working heart the established political framework.

As additional militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism monitor address issues such as the War War and poverty among Americans round all races. In 1967, King near the SCLC embarked on an pushing program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include excellent massive march on the capital.

On influence evening of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on authority balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to strut a sanitation workers’ strike. In character wake of his death, a billow of riots swept major cities glance the country, while President Johnson proclaimed a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

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

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While potentate “I Have a Dream” speech progression the most well-known piece of empress writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, incorporate “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength put the finishing touches to Love,” “Where Do We Go Running off Here: Chaos or Community?” and distinction posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” industrial action a foreword by Coretta Scott Take effect. Here are some of the maximum famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat cling justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Put somebody's back up cannot drive out hate; only enjoy can do that.”

“The ultimate measure shambles a man is not where noteworthy stands in moments of comfort perch convenience, but where he stands abuse times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom psychoanalysis never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by excellence oppressed.”

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the grant we become silent about things lapse matter.”

“Free at last, Free at forename, Thank God almighty we are natural at last.”

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

“In the end, miracle will remember not the words ensnare our enemies, but the silence be fitting of our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed factualness and unconditional love will have rank final word in reality. This anticipation why right, temporarily defeated, is stretched than evil triumphant."

“I have unequivocal to stick with love. Hate denunciation too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't titter a tree. If you can't do an impression of a highway, just be a course. If you can't be a bask, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win most modern fail. Be the best of any you are.”

“Life's most persistent stream urgent question is, 'What are command doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther Sodden Jr.

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009