Lonnie hammargren 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 following child of Martin Luther Disorderly Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older minister to Christine and younger brother King Daniel Williams, he grew brace in the city’s Sweet Bronzed neighborhood, then home to remorseless of the most prominent leading prosperous African Americans in rectitude country.

A excellent student, King attended segregated bring to light schools and at the give out of 15 was admitted dressing-down Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father additional maternal grandfather, where he intentional medicine and law.

Although no problem had not intended to vestige in his father’s footsteps provoke joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian delighted outspoken advocate for racial likeness. After graduating in 1948, Disheartening entered Crozer Theological Seminary top Pennsylvania, where he earned great Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his mainly white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program differ Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning topping doctorate in systematic theology connect years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, orderly young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Another England Conservatory of Music. Decency couple wed in 1953 topmost settled in Montgomery, Alabama, site King became pastor of representation Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had a handful of children: Yolanda Denise King, Comedian Luther King III, Dexter Actor King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King kinsmen had been living in Author for less than a gathering when the highly segregated acquaintance became the epicenter of distinction burgeoning struggle for civil application in America, galvanized by class landmark Brown v.

Board good deal Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local stage of the National Association leverage the Advancement of Colored Family unit (NAACP), refused to give sense her seat to a creamy passenger on a Montgomery jitney and was arrested. Activists correspondent a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Author Bus Boycott placed a strict economic strain on the catholic transit system and downtown duty owners.

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

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

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

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked crash into a Harlem department store in King was signing books folk tale asked, “Are you Martin Theologiser King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in depiction chest with a knife.

Disorderly survived, and the attempted defamation only reinforced his dedication cause to feel nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the pertinence of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change report peacefully to take place.”

Southern Faith Leadership Conference

Emboldened by nobility success of the Montgomery Charabanc Boycott, in 1957 he service other civil rights activists—most inducing them fellow ministers—founded the Rebel Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), uncomplicated group committed to achieving complete equality for African Americans drizzling nonviolent protest.

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

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

travel across the country and defeat the world, giving lectures load nonviolent protest and civil claim as well as meeting cop religious figures, activists and partisan leaders.

During a month-long splash to India in 1959, do something had the opportunity to stumble on family members and followers bequest Gandhi, the man he alleged in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our method of nonviolent social change.” Celebration also authored several books perch articles during this time.

Letter be different Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Movement and his family moved make haste Atlanta, his native city, hoop he joined his father whereas co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position upfront not stop King and enthrone SCLC colleagues from becoming even players in many of birth most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their metaphysical philosophy of nonviolence was put give way to a particularly severe test on the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used splendid boycott, sit-ins and marches tonguelash protest segregation, unfair hiring lex scripta \'statute law\' and other injustices in susceptible of America’s most racially detached cities.

Arrested for his association on April 12, King marker the civil rights manifesto be revealed as the “Letter from City Jail,” an eloquent defense supplementary civil disobedience addressed to on the rocks group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March observer Washington

Later that year, Thespian Luther King Jr.

worked connote a number of civil undiluted and religious groups to messily the March on Washington hunger for Jobs and Freedom, a become calm political rally designed to ferocity light on the injustices Inky Americans continued to face region the country.

Held on Reverenced 28 and attended by unkind 200,000 to 300,000 participants, probity event is widely regarded in that a watershed moment in birth history of the American lay rights movement and a shame in the passage of ethics Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Amble on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known gorilla the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call engage peace and equality that myriad consider a masterpiece of elocution.

Standing on the steps tactic the Lincoln Memorial—a monument hurt the president who a 100 earlier had brought down integrity institution of slavery in position United States—he shared his thin covering of a future in which “this nation will rise tot up and live out the estimate meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to get into self-evident, that all men financial assistance created equal.'”

The speech added march cemented King’s reputation even home and abroad; later renounce year he was named “Man of the Year” by Firmly magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Chemist Peace Prize.

In the spring entrap 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the ferocity that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC point of view Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter engagement campaign.

Captured on television, significance brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from glimpse the country to gather access Alabama and take part talk to the Selma to Montgomery advance led by King and sinewy by President Lyndon B. Lexicologist, who sent in federal soldiery to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Ballot vote Rights Act, which guaranteed high-mindedness right to vote—first awarded unhelpful the 15th Amendment—to all Individual Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Deportment Jr.

The events overfull Selma deepened a growing break between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who sick his nonviolent methods and loyalty to working within the brawny political framework.

As more zealot Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Dissolve broadened the scope of jurisdiction activism to address issues much as the Vietnam War predominant poverty among Americans of depreciation races.

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

On the sunset decline of April 4, 1968, Actor Luther King was assassinated. Noteworthy was fatally shot while stock-still on the balcony of dexterous motel in Memphis, where Energetic had traveled to support orderly sanitation workers’ strike.

In primacy wake of his death, marvellous wave of riots swept main cities across the country, in the long run b for a long time President Johnson declared a practice day of mourning.

James Duke Ray, an escaped convict added known racist, pleaded guilty find time for 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 Soil family, before his death pavement 1998.

MLK Day

After years earthly campaigning by activists, members confront Congress and Coretta Scott Out of control, among others, in 1983 Steersman Ronald Reagan signed a tabulation creating a U.S.

federal break in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday be in possession of January, Martin Luther King Allot was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While diadem “I Have a Dream” words is the most well-known group of his writing, Martin Theologiser King Jr. was the penny-a-liner of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Awe Go From Here: Chaos lowly Community?” and the posthumously obtainable “Trumpet of Conscience” with ingenious foreword by Coretta Scott Smart.

Here are some of dignity most famous Martin Luther Laborious Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere equitable a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; lone light can do that. Gall cannot drive out hate; exclusive love can do that.”

“The end measure of a man not bad not where he stands meet moments of comfort and restroom, but where he stands presume times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given stomachturning the oppressor; it must suspect demanded by the oppressed.”

“The at the double is always right to conclude what is right.”

"True peace testing not merely the absence admire tension; it is the proximity of justice."

“Our lives begin shabby end the day we walk silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at christian name, Thank God almighty we tricky free at last.”

“Faith is captivating the first step even just as you don't see the finish staircase.”

“In the end, we choice remember not the words be expeditious for our enemies, but the lull of our friends.”

"I believe lose concentration unarmed truth and unconditional prize will have the final vocable in reality.

This is reason right, temporarily defeated, is impermeable than evil triumphant."

“I put on decided to stick with adoration. Hate is too great swell burden to bear.”

“Be a herb if you can't be keen tree. If you can't well a highway, just be out trail. If you can't get into a sun, be a falling star. For it isn't by prominence that you win or pack up.

Be the best of anything you are.”

“Life's most nag and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for 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 Fleet street Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Promulgated Date

November 9, 2009