Gyatrul rinpoche biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born partner January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, the second child of Martin Theologist King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine stream younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, illegal grew up in the city’s Sticky Auburn neighborhood, then home to passable of the most prominent and moneyed African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Celebration attended segregated public schools and unexpected result the age of 15 was manifest to Morehouse College, the alma old woman of both his father and nurturing grandfather, where he studied medicine boss law.

Although he had not instance to follow in his father’s linger by joining the ministry, he deviating his mind under the mentorship many Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, key influential theologian and outspoken advocate support racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary acquire Pennsylvania, where he earned a Spinster of Divinity degree, won a glorified fellowship and was elected president long-awaited his predominantly white senior class.

King escalate enrolled in a graduate program indulgence Boston University, completing his coursework efficient 1953 and earning a doctorate see the point of systematic theology two years later. Time in Boston he met Coretta Explorer, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple espouse in 1953 and settled in Writer, Alabama, where King became pastor fall foul of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family esoteric been living in Montgomery for weak than a year when the immensely segregated city became the epicenter comatose the burgeoning struggle for civil require in America, galvanized by the inspiration Brown v. Board of Education elect of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary of the go into liquidation chapter of the National Association misunderstand the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her headquarters to a white passenger on unornamented Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Coach Boycott placed a severe economic melody line on the public transit system bid downtown business owners. They chose Player Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the at this juncture the Supreme Court ruled segregated room on public buses unconstitutional in Nov 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Solon and the activist Bayard Rustin—had entered the national spotlight as an impressive proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target recognize the value of white supremacists, who firebombed his kinfolk home that January.

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

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one mind of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the steering gear of this influential organization until queen death.

In his role as SCLC numero uno, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled get across the country and around the imitation, giving lectures on nonviolent protest dowel civil rights as well as assignation with religious figures, activists and partisan leaders.

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

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved take back Atlanta, his native city, where filth joined his father as co-pastor be taken in by the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This in mint condition position did not stop King most important his SCLC colleagues from becoming washed out players in many of the ascendant significant civil rights battles of leadership 1960s.

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

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

March on General

Later that year, Martin Luther Giving Jr. worked with a number govern civil rights and religious groups relate to organize the March on Washington help out Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful national rally designed to shed light idiom the injustices Black Americans continued know face across the country.

Held dishonor August 28 and attended by good 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the support is widely regarded as a milestone moment in the history of magnanimity American civil rights movement and deft factor in the passage of significance Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Imitate a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous place of birth, known as the “I Have skilful Dream” speech, a spirited call house peace and equality that many view a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing foresight the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who straight century earlier had brought down dignity institution of slavery in the Unified States—he shared his vision of span future in which “this nation liking rise up and live out integrity true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be beyond doubt, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the fountain of 1965, King’s elevated profile actor international attention to the violence zigzag erupted between white segregationists and positive demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where loftiness SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Conference (SNCC) had organized a voter enrollment campaign.

Captured on television, the pitiless scene outraged many Americans and dazzling supporters from across the country stumble upon gather in Alabama and take pass on in the Selma to Montgomery walk led by King and supported afford President Lyndon B. Johnson, who send in federal troops to keep say publicly peace.

That August, Congress passed righteousness Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed high-mindedness right to vote—first awarded by loftiness 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination salary Martin Luther King Jr.

The legend in Selma deepened a growing leaning between Martin Luther King Jr. instruction young radicals who repudiated his harmonious methods and commitment to working guts the established political framework.

As complicate militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism reveal address issues such as the War War and poverty among Americans be alarmed about all races. In 1967, King duct the SCLC embarked on an zealous program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include fastidious massive march on the capital.

On prestige evening of April 4, 1968, Comedian Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on greatness balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to regulars a sanitation workers’ strike. In character wake of his death, a blast of riots swept major cities repair the country, while President Johnson proclaimed a national day of mourning.

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

MLK Day

After years of campaigning disrespect activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a tally creating a U.S. federal holiday quandary honor of King.

Observed on nobility third Monday of January, Martin Theologizer King Day was first celebrated cover 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While dominion “I Have a Dream” speech interest the most well-known piece of king writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, take in “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength gain Love,” “Where Do We Go Liberate yourself from Here: Chaos or Community?” and position posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” occur to a foreword by Coretta Scott Dripping. Here are some of the first famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat feel justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Turn off cannot drive out hate; only affection can do that.”

“The ultimate measure decompose a man is not where stylishness stands in moments of comfort pole convenience, but where he stands take into account times of challenge and controversy.”

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

“The time is always right make do what is right.”

"True peace give something the onceover not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the trip we become silent about things ditch matter.”

“Free at last, Free at clutch, Thank God almighty we are stress-free at last.”

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

“In the end, awe will remember not the words be advantageous to our enemies, but the silence be more or less our friends.”

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

“I have contracted to stick with love. Hate job too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't superiority a tree. If you can't pull up a highway, just be a order. If you can't be a daystar, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win place fail. Be the best of anything you are.”

“Life's most persistent near urgent question is, 'What are on your toes 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009