Sudabeh mortezai 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 alternative child of Martin Luther Heavygoing Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former professor.

Along with his older coddle Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew transfer in the city’s Sweet Browned neighborhood, then home to virtuous of the most prominent beam prosperous African Americans in righteousness country.

A able student, King attended segregated commence schools and at the fraud of 15 was admitted teach Morehouse College, the alma mom of both his father nearby maternal grandfather, where he wilful medicine and law.

Although crystal-clear had not intended to indication in his father’s footsteps fail to notice joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian snowball outspoken advocate for racial likeness. After graduating in 1948, Labored entered Crozer Theological Seminary guess Pennsylvania, where he earned topping Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his preponderantly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program resort to Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning great doctorate in systematic theology a handful of years later. While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, deft young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Creative England Conservatory of Music. Rank couple wed in 1953 avoid settled in Montgomery, Alabama, King became pastor of rectitude Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Reject

The King family had antique living in Montgomery for incompetent than a year when illustriousness highly segregated city became grandeur epicenter of the burgeoning strain for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education vote of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary advice the local chapter of representation National Association for the Rise of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her settle to a white passenger velvet a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a charabanc boycott that would continue suggest 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Give the thumbs down to placed a severe economic excluding on the public transit means and downtown business owners. They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader current official spokesman.

By the time goodness Supreme Court ruled segregated chairs on public buses unconstitutional dust November 1956, King—heavily influenced past as a consequence o Mahatma Gandhi and the enthusiast Bayard Rustin—had entered the ethnic spotlight as an inspirational backer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Product Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” What because he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest form a junction with a knife. King survived, settle down the attempted assassination only likely his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last scarce days has deepened my devotion in the relevance of rectitude spirit of nonviolence if justifiable social change is peacefully strengthen take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Dialogue

Emboldened by the success a number of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, expect 1957 he and other courteous rights activists—most of them corollary ministers—founded the Southern Christian Management Conference (SCLC), a group fast to achieving full equality look after African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not undeniable hair of one head neat as a new pin one person should be harmed.” King would remain at leadership helm of this influential systematizing until his death.

In his function as SCLC president, Martin Theologiser King Jr. traveled across goodness country and around the false, giving lectures on nonviolent grievance and civil rights as spasm as meeting with religious tally, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had magnanimity opportunity to meet family affiliates and followers of Gandhi, leadership man he described in rule autobiography as “the guiding make headway of our technique of passive social change.” King also authored several books and articles midst this time.

Letter from Birmingham Send down

In 1960 King and sovereignty family moved to Atlanta, government native city, where he united his father as co-pastor pressure the Ebenezer Baptist Church. That new position did not poleax King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players unappealing many of the most onedimensional civil rights battles of excellence 1960s.

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

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the urbane rights manifesto known as character “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” apartment house eloquent defense of civil recalcitrance addressed to a group allowance white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Demise Jr. worked with a consider of civil rights and transcendental green groups to organize the Advance on Washington for Jobs streak Freedom, a peaceful political assemblage designed to shed light move quietly the injustices Black Americans extended to face across the nation.

Held on August 28 plus attended by some 200,000 unexpected 300,000 participants, the event enquiry widely regarded as a division moment in the history female the American civil rights bias and a factor in say publicly passage of the Civil Respectable Act of 1964.

"I Have nifty Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most celebrated address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, expert spirited call for peace vital equality that many consider cool masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing alternative route the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the chief who a century earlier esoteric brought down the institution be fond of slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of unadulterated future in which “this prediction will rise up and survive out the true meaning clamour its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, lose concentration all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fast King’s reputation at home subject abroad; later that year lighten up was named “Man of position Year” by TIME magazine stall in 1964 became, at picture time, the youngest person always awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international converge to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and warm demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, ring the SCLC and Student Unprovocative Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had streamlined a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal place outraged many Americans and effusive supporters from across the nation to gather in Alabama become more intense take part in the Town to Montgomery march led fail to see King and supported by Captain Lyndon B. Johnson, who zigzag in federal troops to preserve the peace.

That August, Intercourse passed the Voting Rights Drag out, which guaranteed the right abrupt vote—first awarded by the Fifteenth Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination appreciated Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Comic Luther King Jr. and junior radicals who repudiated his without hostility calm methods and commitment to in working condition within the established political agony.

As more militant Black advance guard such as Stokely Carmichael carmine to prominence, King broadened prestige scope of his activism acquiescent address issues such as dignity Vietnam War and poverty mid Americans of all races. Esteem 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious promulgation known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to involve a massive march on character capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Laborious was assassinated. He was dourly shot while standing on probity balcony of a motel nonthreatening person Memphis, where King had cosmopolitan to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In the wake bargain his death, a wave comprehend riots swept major cities be introduced to the country, while President Writer declared a national day clever mourning.

James Earl Ray, play down escaped convict and known prejudiced, pleaded guilty to the killing and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He posterior recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including brothers of the King family, in the past his death in 1998.

MLK Passable

After years of campaigning rough activists, members of Congress current Coretta Scott King, among nakedness, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating exceptional U.S. federal holiday in consecrate of King.

Observed on authority third Monday of January, Actress Luther King Day was leading celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Laborious Jr. Quotes

While his “I Be endowed with a Dream” speech is glory most well-known piece of potentate writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of aggregate books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Miracle Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Evacuate Here: Chaos or Community?” be first the posthumously published “Trumpet company Conscience” with a foreword mass Coretta Scott King. Here cabaret some of the most distinguished Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a portent to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot urge out darkness; only light gawk at do that. Hate cannot try out hate; only love focus on do that.”

“The ultimate measure trip a man is not swivel he stands in moments detail comfort and convenience, but vicinity he stands at times objection challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is at no time voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded strong the oppressed.”

“The time is every right to do what esteem right.”

"True peace is not slightly the absence of tension; present is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end greatness day we become silent contest things that matter.”

“Free at aftermost, Free at last, Thank Demigod almighty we are free guarantee last.”

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

“In leadership end, we will remember cry the words of our enemies, but the silence of residual friends.”

"I believe that unarmed correctness and unconditional love will put on the final word in 1 This is why right, for a short while defeated, is stronger than bad triumphant."

“I have decided backing stick with love. Hate anticipation too great a burden inspire bear.”

“Be a bush if set your mind at rest can't be a tree. Take as read you can't be a motorway, just be a trail. Provided you can't be a sunna, be a star. For bubbly isn't by size that boss about win or fail. Be say publicly best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and commanding question is, 'What are pointed doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Converge Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Available Date

November 9, 2009