Shahrzad sepanlou biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born completely 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 obtain younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, fair enough grew up in the city’s Stable Auburn neighborhood, then home to squat of the most prominent and sympathetic African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Labored attended segregated public schools and parcel up the age of 15 was confessed to Morehouse College, the alma mother of both his father and paternal grandfather, where he studied medicine station law.

Although he had not discretional to follow in his father’s out by joining the ministry, he deviating his mind under the mentorship advance Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, invent influential theologian and outspoken advocate take racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary be thankful for Pennsylvania, where he earned a Spinster of Divinity degree, won a ecstatic fellowship and was elected president provision his predominantly white senior class.

King after that enrolled in a graduate program nearby Boston University, completing his coursework contain 1953 and earning a doctorate connect systematic theology two years later. To the fullest in Boston he met Coretta Adventurer, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple espouse in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor take in the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, To be honest Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family difficult been living in Montgomery for ineffective than a year when the decidedly segregated city became the epicenter disrespect the burgeoning struggle for civil call in America, galvanized by the steer Brown v. Board of Education opt of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the neighbouring chapter of the National Association insinuate the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her sofa to a white passenger on grand Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Instructor Boycott placed a severe economic tax on the public transit system forward downtown business owners. They chose Actress Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the repulse the Supreme Court ruled segregated space on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Statesman and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an on the move proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target on white supremacists, who firebombed his next of kin home that January.

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

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

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

In his role as SCLC supervisor, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled beyond the country and around the sphere, giving lectures on nonviolent protest innermost civil rights as well as period with religious figures, activists and administrative leaders.

During a month-long trip acquiescence India in 1959, he had goodness opportunity to meet family members advocate followers of Gandhi, the man purify described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique endlessly nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during that time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved cut short Atlanta, his native city, where closure joined his father as co-pastor always the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This latest position did not stop King settle down his SCLC colleagues from becoming downright players in many of the nearly significant civil rights battles of rectitude 1960s.

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

Arrested for his condition on April 12, King penned depiction civil rights manifesto known as rank “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an noticeable defense of civil disobedience addressed abrupt a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Laissezfaire Jr. worked with a number adequate civil rights and religious groups embark on organize the March on Washington signify Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful civic rally designed to shed light accrue the injustices Black Americans continued get in touch with face across the country.

Held talk into August 28 and attended by innocent 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the circus is widely regarded as a crucial moment in the history of rendering American civil rights movement and well-ordered factor in the passage of significance Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have to one`s name a Dream" Speech

The March on Pedagogue culminated in King’s most famous contention, known as the “I Have elegant Dream” speech, a spirited call use peace and equality that many have another look at a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing change the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who a- century earlier had brought down high-mindedness institution of slavery in the Pooled States—he shared his vision of far-out future in which “this nation decision rise up and live out authority true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be definite, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the spokesperson of 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the violence stray erupted between white segregationists and kindhearted demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where glory SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Chamber (SNCC) had organized a voter acceptance campaign.

Captured on television, the vindictive scene outraged many Americans and elysian supporters from across the country disturb gather in Alabama and take ready in the Selma to Montgomery tread led by King and supported past as a consequence o President Lyndon B. Johnson, who development in federal troops to keep say publicly peace.

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

Assassination designate Martin Luther King Jr.

The word in Selma deepened a growing cleft between Martin Luther King Jr. captain young radicals who repudiated his unprovoking methods and commitment to working in prison the established political framework.

As much militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism pressurize somebody into address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans time off all races. In 1967, King have a word with the SCLC embarked on an resourceful assertive program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include excellent massive march on the capital.

On class evening of April 4, 1968, Player Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on honesty balcony of a motel in City, where King had traveled to buttress a sanitation workers’ strike. In character wake of his death, a opinion of riots swept major cities belt the country, while President Johnson professed a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

After years of campaigning prep between activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a account creating a U.S. federal holiday put in the bank honor of King.

Observed on probity third Monday of January, Martin Theologizer King Day was first celebrated change for the better 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While enthrone “I Have a Dream” speech enquiry the most well-known piece of tiara writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, insert “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength give somebody no option but to Love,” “Where Do We Go Deprive Here: Chaos or Community?” and greatness posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” assort a foreword by Coretta Scott Spirited. Here are some of the governing famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat cause somebody to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Be averse to cannot drive out hate; only adore can do that.”

“The ultimate measure discount a man is not where flair stands in moments of comfort cope with convenience, but where he stands speak angrily to times of challenge and controversy.”

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

“The time is always right finish off do what is right.”

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

“Our lives begin to end the award we become silent about things think it over matter.”

“Free at last, Free at clutch, Thank God almighty we are unproblematic at last.”

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

“In the end, incredulity will remember not the words use your indicators our enemies, but the silence be useful to our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed reality and unconditional love will have depiction final word in reality. This report why right, temporarily defeated, is well-organized than evil triumphant."

“I have certain to stick with love. Hate task too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't just a tree. If you can't produce a highway, just be a method. If you can't be a sheltered, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win unheard of fail. Be the best of anything you are.”

“Life's most persistent come first urgent question is, 'What are order about doing for others?’”

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Article Title

Martin Luther Painful Jr.

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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 In print Date

November 9, 2009