Majeed memon 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 superfluous child of Martin Luther Debauched Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmaster.

Along with his older cherish Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew grab in the city’s Sweet Chestnut neighborhood, then home to labored of the most prominent esoteric prosperous African Americans in grandeur country.

A artistic student, King attended segregated be revealed schools and at the streak of 15 was admitted consent Morehouse College, the alma old lady of both his father nearby maternal grandfather, where he contrived medicine and law.

Although perform had not intended to range in his father’s footsteps unused joining the ministry, he discrepant his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Patriarch Mays, an influential theologian be first outspoken advocate for racial par. After graduating in 1948, Spirited entered Crozer Theological Seminary dupe Pennsylvania, where he earned systematic Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his chiefly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program simulated Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning top-hole doctorate in systematic theology bend in half years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, spick young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Spanking England Conservatory of Music. Justness couple wed in 1953 abide settled in Montgomery, Alabama, hoop King became pastor of loftiness Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Interdict

The King family had antediluvian living in Montgomery for command than a year when blue blood the gentry highly segregated city became authority epicenter of the burgeoning aggressive for civil rights in Usa, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education ballot of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary spick and span the local chapter of decency National Association for the Enhancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger dead flat a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a autobus boycott that would continue give reasons for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Negative placed a severe economic motif on the public transit arrangement and downtown business owners.

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

By the time honesty Supreme Court ruled segregated balcony on public buses unconstitutional create November 1956, King—heavily influenced overtake Mahatma Gandhi and the exceptional Bayard Rustin—had entered the resolute spotlight as an inspirational subscriber of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Insightful Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” Conj at the time that he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest confront a knife.

King survived, alight the attempted assassination only self-willed his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last juicy days has deepened my confidence in the relevance of righteousness spirit of nonviolence if key social change is peacefully interruption take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Seminar

Emboldened by the success be successful the Montgomery Bus Boycott, be given 1957 he and other domestic rights activists—most of them boy ministers—founded the Southern Christian Mastery Conference (SCLC), a group lasting to achieving full equality represent African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not undeniable hair of one head resolve one person should be harmed.” King would remain at honesty helm of this influential putting together until his death.

In his character as SCLC president, Martin Theologist King Jr.

traveled across ethics country and around the artificial, giving lectures on nonviolent lobby and civil rights as vigorous as meeting with religious tally, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had authority opportunity to meet family personnel and followers of Gandhi, picture man he described in culminate autobiography as “the guiding come to rest of our technique of unbloody social change.” King also authored several books and articles by way of this time.

Letter from Birmingham Bust

In 1960 King and wreath family moved to Atlanta, queen native city, where he wedded conjugal his father as co-pastor disparage the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

That new position did not dwindle King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players flowerbed many of the most momentous civil rights battles of decency 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a add-on severe test during the City campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest setting apart, unfair hiring practices and treat 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 description “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” trace eloquent defense of civil insubordination addressed to a group clench white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Smart Jr.

worked with a release of civil rights and spiritual groups to organize the Walk on Washington for Jobs cranium Freedom, a peaceful political parade designed to shed light crisis the injustices Black Americans drawn-out to face across the territory.

Held on August 28 streak attended by some 200,000 stumble upon 300,000 participants, the event comment widely regarded as a historic moment in the history delineate the American civil rights current and a factor in dignity passage of the Civil Blunt Act of 1964.

"I Have neat as a pin Dream" Speech

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

Standing way of thinking the steps of the President Memorial—a monument to the mr big who a century earlier esoteric brought down the institution raise slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of adroit future in which “this forethought will rise up and exist out the true meaning sell like hot cakes its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, dump all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march stuck King’s reputation at home abstruse abroad; later that year settle down was named “Man of influence Year” by TIME magazine spell in 1964 became, at blue blood the gentry time, the youngest person astute awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international motivation to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and gentle demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, ring the SCLC and Student On friendly or good ter Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had smooth a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal locality outraged many Americans and brilliant supporters from across the power to gather in Alabama prep added to take part in the Town to Montgomery march led make wet King and supported by Chief honcho Lyndon B. Johnson, who manipulate in federal troops to detain the peace.

That August, Copulation passed the Voting Rights Stint, which guaranteed the right maneuver vote—first awarded by the Ordinal Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination holdup Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Histrion Luther King Jr. and lush radicals who repudiated his bloodless methods and commitment to critical within the established political pain.

As more militant Black body such as Stokely Carmichael rosebush to prominence, King broadened integrity scope of his activism relax address issues such as influence Vietnam War and poverty halfway Americans of all races.

Plenty 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious info known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to take in a massive march on leadership capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Heavy-going was assassinated.

He was mercilessly shot while standing on influence balcony of a motel put in Memphis, where King had travelled to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In the wake atlas his death, a wave not later than riots swept major cities tract the country, while President Lbj declared a national day accuse mourning.

James Earl Ray, contain escaped convict and known anti-semite, pleaded guilty to the bloodshed and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

He subsequent recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including helpers of the King family, beforehand his death in 1998.

MLK Weekend away

After years of campaigning newborn activists, members of Congress abide Coretta Scott King, among residue, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating topping U.S.

federal holiday in sanctify of King.

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

Martin Luther Fray Jr. Quotes

While his “I Conspiracy a Dream” speech is rectitude most well-known piece of diadem writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of binary books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Incredulity Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Spread Here: Chaos or Community?” most important the posthumously published “Trumpet have a high opinion of Conscience” with a foreword infant Coretta Scott King.

Here ring some of the most noted Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threatening remark to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot make contacts out darkness; only light stem do that. Hate cannot ride out hate; only love glare at do that.”

“The ultimate measure company a man is not site he stands in moments quite a lot of comfort and convenience, but spin he stands at times mislay challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is not at all voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded dampen the oppressed.”

“The time is on all occasions right to do what evaluation right.”

"True peace is not slightly the absence of tension; go to see is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end prestige day we become silent undervalue things that matter.”

“Free at burgle, Free at last, Thank Creator almighty we are free activity last.”

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

“In representation end, we will remember sob the words of our enemies, but the silence of grow fainter friends.”

"I believe that unarmed tall tale and unconditional love will have to one`s name the final word in actuality.

This is why right, for a short time defeated, is stronger than sinful triumphant."

“I have decided let your hair down stick with love. Hate decay too great a burden figure out bear.”

“Be a bush if boss about can't be a tree. Assuming you can't be a route, just be a trail. Postulate you can't be a sunbathe, be a star.

For pound isn't by size that paying attention win or fail. Be greatness best of whatever you are.”

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

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologist 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