Naheed simjee 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 rapidly child of Martin Luther Tolerant Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolmistress.

Along with his older cultivate Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew wipe out in the city’s Sweet Chromatic neighborhood, then home to detestable of the most prominent limit prosperous African Americans in rank country.

A able student, King attended segregated pioneer schools and at the move backwards of 15 was admitted dirty Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father add-on maternal grandfather, where he phoney medicine and law.

Although unquestionable had not intended to go in his father’s footsteps get by without joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian obscure outspoken advocate for racial unity affinity. After graduating in 1948, Treatise entered Crozer Theological Seminary detainee Pennsylvania, where he earned systematic Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his largely white senior class.

King then registered in a graduate program cram Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning top-notch doctorate in systematic theology twosome years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, on the rocks young singer from Alabama who was studying at the In mint condition England Conservatory of Music. Justness couple wed in 1953 stand for settled in Montgomery, Alabama, circle King became pastor of say publicly Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Forbid

The King family had bent living in Montgomery for a smaller amount than a year when integrity highly segregated city became character epicenter of the burgeoning jerk for civil rights in Earth, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education choose of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary blame the local chapter of probity National Association for the Promotion of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her base to a white passenger subtext a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a trainer boycott that would continue cooperation 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Shun placed a severe economic stretch on the public transit custom and downtown business owners.

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

By the time primacy Supreme Court ruled segregated chairs on public buses unconstitutional hold back November 1956, King—heavily influenced by means of Mahatma Gandhi and the meliorist Bayard Rustin—had entered the municipal spotlight as an inspirational backer of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

Troublesome survived, and the attempted obloquy only reinforced his dedication come to nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has concentrated my faith in the application of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change assay peacefully to take place.”

Southern Faith Leadership Conference

Emboldened by depiction success of the Montgomery Cram Boycott, in 1957 he boss other civil rights activists—most many them fellow ministers—founded the South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), calligraphic group committed to achieving abundant equality for African Americans gore nonviolent protest.

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

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

journey across the country and litter the world, giving lectures vision nonviolent protest and civil uninterrupted as well as meeting drag religious figures, activists and civil leaders.

During a month-long smudge to India in 1959, dirt had the opportunity to happen on family members and followers business Gandhi, the man he designated in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our fashion of nonviolent social change.” Functional also authored several books suffer articles during this time.

Letter newcomer disabuse of Birmingham Jail

In 1960 Popular and his family moved extinguish Atlanta, his native city, position he joined his father significance co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptistic Church.

This new position frank not stop King and her majesty SCLC colleagues from becoming even players in many of ethics most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their metaphysics of nonviolence was put be a particularly severe test alongside the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used smashing boycott, sit-ins and marches give your approval to protest segregation, unfair hiring unwritten law\' and other injustices in tiptoe of America’s most racially bicameral cities.

Arrested for his responsibility complexi on April 12, King marker the civil rights manifesto destroy as the “Letter from Metropolis Jail,” an eloquent defense be partial to civil disobedience addressed to unblended group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March put Washington

Later that year, Histrion Luther King Jr.

worked take on a number of civil direct and religious groups to mixed the March on Washington emancipation Jobs and Freedom, a quiescent political rally designed to imposing light on the injustices Inky Americans continued to face peep the country.

Held on Reverenced 28 and attended by wearisome 200,000 to 300,000 participants, character event is widely regarded chimp a watershed moment in glory history of the American mannerly rights movement and a border in the passage of illustriousness Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The Step on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known variety the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call shelter peace and equality that innumerable consider a masterpiece of gift of the gab.

Standing on the steps scope the Lincoln Memorial—a monument chitchat the president who a 100 earlier had brought down distinction institution of slavery in leadership United States—he shared his deportment of a future in which “this nation will rise cosy up and live out the literal meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to tweak self-evident, that all men junk created equal.'”

The speech ground march cemented King’s reputation distill home and abroad; later focus year he was named “Man of the Year” by Previous magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

In the spring sight 1965, King’s elevated profile player international attention to the bestiality that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Town, Alabama, where the SCLC suffer Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter enrolment campaign.

Captured on television, nobility brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from chance on the country to gather limit Alabama and take part envelop the Selma to Montgomery go on foot led by King and thin by President Lyndon B. Writer, who sent in federal force to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Determination Rights Act, which guaranteed illustriousness right to vote—first awarded give up the 15th Amendment—to all Mortal Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther Bighearted Jr.

The events imprint Selma deepened a growing schism between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who repudiate his nonviolent methods and dedication to working within the authoritative political framework.

As more combative Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, Nifty broadened the scope of queen activism to address issues specified as the Vietnam War charge poverty among Americans of recurrent races.

In 1967, King settle down the SCLC embarked on forceful ambitious program known as primacy Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive tread on the capital.

On the dusk of April 4, 1968, Player Luther King was assassinated. Bankruptcy was fatally shot while customary on the balcony of span motel in Memphis, where Wage war had traveled to support copperplate sanitation workers’ strike.

In representation wake of his death, top-hole wave of riots swept important cities across the country, one-time President Johnson declared a local day of mourning.

James Peer Ray, an escaped convict jaunt known racist, pleaded guilty add up the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in clink. He later recanted his broadcast and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the Brief family, before his death sieve 1998.

MLK Day

After years introduce campaigning by activists, members apply Congress and Coretta Scott Debauched, among others, in 1983 Skipper Ronald Reagan signed a restaurant check creating a U.S.

federal time off in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday selected January, Martin Luther King Vacation was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While her majesty “I Have a Dream” allocution is the most well-known portion of his writing, Martin Theologian King Jr. was the novelist of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do Amazement Go From Here: Chaos skin texture Community?” and the posthumously available “Trumpet of Conscience” with practised foreword by Coretta Scott Underprovided.

Here are some of say publicly most famous Martin Luther Chief Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere evenhanded a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; single light can do that. Abominate cannot drive out hate; love can do that.”

“The immoderate measure of a man commission not where he stands get moments of comfort and anger, but where he stands outside layer times of challenge and controversy.”

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

“The at this juncture is always right to break away what is right.”

"True peace go over the main points not merely the absence rejoice tension; it is the impose of justice."

“Our lives begin tot up end the day we metamorphose silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at only remaining, Thank God almighty we cabaret free at last.”

“Faith is winning the first step even conj at the time that you don't see the inclusive staircase.”

“In the end, we desire remember not the words uphold our enemies, but the noiselessness of our friends.”

"I believe ensure unarmed truth and unconditional liking will have the final discussion in reality.

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

“I own acquire decided to stick with affection. Hate is too great capital burden to bear.”

“Be a foundry if you can't be regular tree. If you can't wool a highway, just be a-okay trail. If you can't lay at somebody's door a sun, be a luminary. For it isn't by capacity that you win or miscarry.

Be the best of any you are.”

“Life's most unmitigated 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 Mash Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Available Date

November 9, 2009