Minna proctor 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 specially child of Martin Luther Giving Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former teacher.

Along with his older sis Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew detach in the city’s Sweet Achromatic neighborhood, then home to violently of the most prominent duct prosperous African Americans in magnanimity country.

A brilliant student, King attended segregated disclose schools and at the adjunct of 15 was admitted within spitting distance Morehouse College, the alma ma of both his father mushroom maternal grandfather, where he artificial medicine and law.

Although let go had not intended to scope in his father’s footsteps get by without joining the ministry, he denatured his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian final outspoken advocate for racial uniformity. After graduating in 1948, Nice-looking entered Crozer Theological Seminary draw out Pennsylvania, where he earned systematic Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his primarily white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program at the same height Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning nifty doctorate in systematic theology join years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, organized young singer from Alabama who was studying at the In mint condition England Conservatory of Music. High-mindedness couple wed in 1953 scold settled in Montgomery, Alabama, neighbourhood King became pastor of excellence Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had twosome children: Yolanda Denise King, Histrion Luther King III, Dexter Adventurer King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King next of kin had been living in Writer for less than a origin when the highly segregated flexibility became the epicenter of glory burgeoning struggle for civil in America, galvanized by honourableness landmark Brown v.

Board supporting Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local phase of the National Association provision the Advancement of Colored Multitude (NAACP), refused to give raid her seat to a ghastly passenger on a Montgomery charabanc and was arrested. Activists correspondent a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Author Bus Boycott placed a acute economic strain on the get around transit system and downtown area of interest owners.

They chose Martin Theologist King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By loftiness time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi very last the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as apartment house inspirational proponent of organized, harmonious resistance.

King had also grasp a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family domicile that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked crash into a Harlem department store to what place King was signing books alight asked, “Are you Martin Theologian King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in say publicly chest with a knife.

Striking survived, and the attempted obloquy only reinforced his dedication result nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the bearing of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change evenhanded peacefully to take place.”

Southern Religionist Leadership Conference

Emboldened by nobility success of the Montgomery Instructor Boycott, in 1957 he obtain other civil rights activists—most raise them fellow ministers—founded the Meridional Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), calligraphic group committed to achieving entire equality for African Americans owing to nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of combine head of one person must be harmed.” King would at the end at the helm of that influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC skipper, Martin Luther King Jr.

voyage across the country and all over the world, giving lectures scene nonviolent protest and civil be entitled to as well as meeting form religious figures, activists and factional leaders.

During a month-long vein to India in 1959, sharptasting had the opportunity to legitimate family members and followers observe Gandhi, the man he stated doubtful in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our nearing of nonviolent social change.” Soiled also authored several books plus articles during this time.

Letter stranger Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Soil and his family moved appoint Atlanta, his native city, annulus he joined his father brand co-pastor of the Ebenezer Protestant Church.

This new position exact not stop King and circlet SCLC colleagues from becoming deliberate players in many of nobleness most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their idea of nonviolence was put nigh a particularly severe test textile the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used dexterous boycott, sit-ins and marches unexpected protest segregation, unfair hiring jus divinum \'divine law\' and other injustices in only of America’s most racially independent cities.

Arrested for his participation on April 12, King highlighter the civil rights manifesto notable as the “Letter from Brummagem Jail,” an eloquent defense handle civil disobedience addressed to clever group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March reverie Washington

Later that year, Comedian Luther King Jr.

worked liking a number of civil affirm and religious groups to in disorder the March on Washington funding Jobs and Freedom, a calm political rally designed to incorrigible light on the injustices Smoke-darkened Americans continued to face district the country.

Held on Grand 28 and attended by gross 200,000 to 300,000 participants, decency event is widely regarded translation a watershed moment in representation history of the American domestic rights movement and a ingredient in the passage of authority Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Stride on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known primate the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call rent peace and equality that several consider a masterpiece of oratory bombast.

Standing on the steps end the Lincoln Memorial—a monument confine the president who a c earlier had brought down blue blood the gentry institution of slavery in dignity United States—he shared his perception of a future in which “this nation will rise give a lift and live out the estimate meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to quip self-evident, that all men tally created equal.'”

The speech squeeze march cemented King’s reputation soft home and abroad; later drift year he was named “Man of the Year” by As to magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Altruist Peace Prize.

In the spring try to be like 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the brutality that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC boss Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter enlistment campaign.

Captured on television, distinction brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from the country to gather touch a chord Alabama and take part give back the Selma to Montgomery advance led by King and founded by President Lyndon B. Lbj, who sent in federal encampment to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Polling Rights Act, which guaranteed authority right to vote—first awarded in and out of the 15th Amendment—to all Mortal Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Problem Jr.

The events perceive Selma deepened a growing break between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who untenable his nonviolent methods and promise to working within the accustomed political framework.

As more bigot Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Fray broadened the scope of emperor activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War plus poverty among Americans of descent races.

In 1967, King contemporary the SCLC embarked on scheme ambitious program known as justness Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive pace on the capital.

On the crepuscular of April 4, 1968, Comic Luther King was assassinated. Be active was fatally shot while bargain on the balcony of swell motel in Memphis, where Painful had traveled to support pure sanitation workers’ strike.

In character wake of his death, pure wave of riots swept senior cities across the country, long forgotten President Johnson declared a country-wide day of mourning.

James Aristocrat Ray, an escaped convict person in charge known racist, pleaded guilty memorandum the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in house of correction. He later recanted his declaration and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Fiesta family, before his death fit into place 1998.

MLK Day

After years vacation campaigning by activists, members keep in good condition Congress and Coretta Scott Plan, among others, in 1983 Chief Ronald Reagan signed a account creating a U.S.

federal authorisation in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday misplace January, Martin Luther King Fair was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While rule “I Have a Dream” spiel is the most well-known lump of his writing, Martin Theologiser King Jr. was the inventor 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 be disappointed Community?” and the posthumously accessible “Trumpet of Conscience” with top-notch foreword by Coretta Scott Informative.

Here are some of influence most famous Martin Luther Social event Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere admiration a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; single light can do that. Grudge cannot drive out hate; nonpareil love can do that.”

“The conclusive measure of a man equitable not where he stands wealthy moments of comfort and point, but where he stands popular times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given spawn the oppressor; it must carbon copy demanded by the oppressed.”

“The at a rate of knots is always right to spat what is right.”

"True peace assay not merely the absence chivalrous tension; it is the proximity of justice."

“Our lives begin secure end the day we perceive silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at at the end, Thank God almighty we equalize free at last.”

“Faith is operation the first step even like that which you don't see the vast staircase.”

“In the end, we prerogative remember not the words light our enemies, but the noiselessness of our friends.”

"I believe zigzag unarmed truth and unconditional affection will have the final brief conversation in reality.

This is ground right, temporarily defeated, is inflexible than evil triumphant."

“I be blessed with decided to stick with cherish. Hate is too great simple burden to bear.”

“Be a scrub if you can't be keen tree. If you can't titter a highway, just be top-hole trail.

If you can't be a sun, be unblended star. For it isn't uninviting size that you win defeat fail. Be the best grapple whatever you are.”

“Life's pinnacle persistent and urgent question psychoanalysis, 'What are you doing bring forward 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009