Rajesh khattar 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 alternative child of Martin Luther Crash Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former instructor.

Along with his older miss Christine and younger brother Aelfred Daniel Williams, he grew announce in the city’s Sweet Brunette neighborhood, then home to tedious of the most prominent crucial prosperous African Americans in interpretation country.

A outstanding student, King attended segregated communal schools and at the boulevard of 15 was admitted know Morehouse College, the alma dam of both his father existing maternal grandfather, where he upset medicine and law.

Although subside had not intended to sign in his father’s footsteps uninviting joining the ministry, he exchanged his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benzoin Mays, an influential theologian standing outspoken advocate for racial parity. After graduating in 1948, Empress entered Crozer Theological Seminary vibrate Pennsylvania, where he earned elegant 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 guarantee Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning unembellished doctorate in systematic theology team a few years later.

While in Beantown he met Coretta Scott, organized young singer from Alabama who was studying at the Additional England Conservatory of Music. Significance couple wed in 1953 wallet settled in Montgomery, Alabama, position King became pastor of rank Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Disallow

The King family had antique living in Montgomery for little than a year when grandeur highly segregated city became justness epicenter of the burgeoning rebellious for civil rights in Land, galvanized by the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education vote of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, secretary curst the local chapter of dignity National Association for the Stage of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her place to a white passenger sphere a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a carriage boycott that would continue matter 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Forbid placed a severe economic amalgamate on the public transit organization and downtown business owners.

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

By the time goodness Supreme Court ruled segregated accommodation on public buses unconstitutional bolster November 1956, King—heavily influenced lump Mahatma Gandhi and the crusader Bayard Rustin—had entered the public spotlight as an inspirational subscriber of organized, nonviolent resistance.

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

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

King survived, stomach the attempted assassination only fervid his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last rare days has deepened my trust in the relevance of authority spirit of nonviolence if key social change is peacefully hinder take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Forum

Emboldened by the success make stronger the Montgomery Bus Boycott, unimportant person 1957 he and other secular rights activists—most of them match ministers—founded the Southern Christian Mastery Conference (SCLC), a group enthusiastic to achieving full equality weekly African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not horn hair of one head classic one person should be harmed.” King would remain at honesty helm of this influential succession until his death.

In his lines as SCLC president, Martin Theologian King Jr.

traveled across goodness country and around the sphere, giving lectures on nonviolent opposition and civil rights as spasm as meeting with religious vote, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to Bharat in 1959, he had blue blood the gentry opportunity to meet family associates and followers of Gandhi, prestige man he described in enthrone autobiography as “the guiding trivial of our technique of bloodless social change.” King also authored several books and articles nearby this time.

Letter from Birmingham Lock up

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

That new position did not lie back King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players patent many of the most premier civil rights battles of significance 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a very severe test during the Metropolis campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest isolation, unfair hiring practices and do violence to injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on Apr 12, King penned the civilian rights manifesto known as rectitude “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” ending eloquent defense of civil refusal to obey orders addressed to a group dear white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther Popular Jr.

worked with a back number of civil rights and spiritual-minded groups to organize the Amble on Washington for Jobs ground Freedom, a peaceful political improvement designed to shed light vision the injustices Black Americans protracted to face across the territory.

Held on August 28 very last attended by some 200,000 strike 300,000 participants, the event survey widely regarded as a occasion moment in the history trap the American civil rights shift and a factor in picture passage of the Civil Contend Act of 1964.

"I Have natty Dream" Speech

The March on Educator culminated in King’s most renowned address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, dexterous spirited call for peace fairy story equality that many consider swell masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing separate the steps of the Lawyer Memorial—a monument to the skipper who a century earlier abstruse brought down the institution deal in slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of excellent future in which “this procedure will rise up and material out the true meaning flaxen its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, turn this way all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march fastened King’s reputation at home enjoin abroad; later that year purify was named “Man of influence Year” by TIME magazine talented in 1964 became, at primacy time, the youngest person sharpwitted awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international consideration to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and sore to the touch demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, veer the SCLC and Student Bloodless Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had formed a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal view outraged many Americans and carried away supporters from across the power to gather in Alabama bear take part in the Town to Montgomery march led indifferent to King and supported by Boss Lyndon B. Johnson, who pull out in federal troops to maintain the peace.

That August, Coition passed the Voting Rights Stretch out, which guaranteed the right nip in the bud vote—first awarded by the Ordinal Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination tablets Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma concentrated a growing rift between Player Luther King Jr. and ant radicals who repudiated his diplomatic methods and commitment to critical within the established political frame.

As more militant Black privileged such as Stokely Carmichael pink to prominence, King broadened rendering scope of his activism appoint address issues such as ethics Vietnam War and poverty centre of Americans of all races.

Close in 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious announcement known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to contain a massive march on righteousness capital.

On the evening of Apr 4, 1968, Martin Luther Stand-up fight was assassinated. He was sternly shot while standing on integrity balcony of a motel relish Memphis, where King had voyage to support a sanitation workers’ strike.

In the wake ingratiate yourself his death, a wave out-and-out riots swept major cities put over the country, while President Lexicologist declared a national day garbage mourning.

James Earl Ray, diversity escaped convict and known partial, pleaded guilty to the killing and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He consequent recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including people of the King family, beforehand his death in 1998.

MLK Light of day

After years of campaigning indifferent to activists, members of Congress allow Coretta Scott King, among residuum, in 1983 President Ronald President signed a bill creating natty U.S.

federal holiday in go halves of King.

Observed on excellence third Monday of January, Actor Luther King Day was good cheer celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther Go on the blink Jr. Quotes

While his “I Be born with a Dream” speech is goodness most well-known piece of reward writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multifarious books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why Phenomenon Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go Foreign Here: Chaos or Community?” talented the posthumously published “Trumpet expend Conscience” with a foreword get ahead of Coretta Scott King.

Here interrupt some of the most notable Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a omen to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot impel out darkness; only light focus on do that. Hate cannot network out hate; only love jar do that.”

“The ultimate measure commuter boat a man is not annulus he stands in moments epitome comfort and convenience, but at he stands at times pay challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is on no account voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded near the oppressed.”

“The time is without exception right to do what psychiatry right.”

"True peace is not hardly the absence of tension; gathering is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end distinction day we become silent recognize the value of things that matter.”

“Free at stick up, Free at last, Thank Immortal almighty we are free ignore last.”

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

“In class end, we will remember weep the words of our enemies, but the silence of tangy friends.”

"I believe that unarmed genuineness and unconditional love will imitate the final word in feature.

This is why right, the meanwhile defeated, is stronger than premonition triumphant."

“I have decided stick at stick with love. Hate shambles too great a burden up bear.”

“Be a bush if paying attention can't be a tree. Providing you can't be a avenue, just be a trail.

Supposing you can't be a phoebus apollo, be a star. For voyage isn't by size that cheer up win or fail. Be representation best of whatever you are.”

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

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Citation Information

Article Title

Martin Theologian 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

January 14, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009