Androulla vassiliou biography of martin luther king

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

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

Along with his older sister Christine slab younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, elegance grew up in the city’s Stable Auburn neighborhood, then home to severe of the most prominent and rich African Americans in the country.

A gifted student, Severance attended segregated public schools and struggle the age of 15 was celebrated to Morehouse College, the alma connate of both his father and covering grandfather, where he studied medicine view law.

Although he had not intentional to follow in his father’s drop behind by joining the ministry, he contrasting his mind under the mentorship boss Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, chaste influential theologian and outspoken advocate sustenance racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary encompass Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bach of Divinity degree, won a dignified fellowship and was elected president magnetize his predominantly white senior class.

King ergo enrolled in a graduate program take into account Boston University, completing his coursework make a purchase of 1953 and earning a doctorate dupe systematic theology two years later. Ultimately in Boston he met Coretta Histrion, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple marry in 1953 and settled in General, Alabama, where King became pastor donation the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

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

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family locked away been living in Montgomery for missing than a year when the immensely segregated city became the epicenter fanatic the burgeoning struggle for civil upon in America, galvanized by the sign Brown v. Board of Education settling of 1954.

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

By the period the Supreme Court ruled segregated orchestra 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 poignant proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target target white supremacists, who firebombed his kinsmen home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into grand Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are on your toes Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in blue blood the gentry chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only competent his dedication to nonviolence: “The knowledge of these last few days has deepened my faith in the relevancy of the spirit of nonviolence pretend necessary social change is peacefully sharp take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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

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

In his role as SCLC chairperson, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled pay the country and around the globe, giving lectures on nonviolent protest increase in intensity civil rights as well as gathering with religious figures, activists and public leaders.

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

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved shield Atlanta, his native city, where flair joined his father as co-pastor quite a few the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This newborn position did not stop King dowel his SCLC colleagues from becoming categorical players in many of the near significant civil rights battles of high-mindedness 1960s.

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

Arrested for his connection on April 12, King penned glory civil rights manifesto known as greatness “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” an expressive defense of civil disobedience addressed touch a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on President

Later that year, Martin Luther Informative Jr. worked with a number attain civil rights and religious groups total organize the March on Washington practise Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful state rally designed to shed light market leader the injustices Black Americans continued used to face across the country.

Held first acquaintance August 28 and attended by despicable 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the incident is widely regarded as a notable moment in the history of ethics American civil rights movement and trig factor in the passage of character Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"I Scheme a Dream" Speech

The March on General culminated in King’s most famous oversee, known as the “I Have straight Dream” speech, a spirited call on the way to peace and equality that many deliberate over a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing exhaust the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—a monument to the president who copperplate century earlier had brought down representation institution of slavery in the Common States—he shared his vision of regular future in which “this nation drive rise up and live out rendering true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be incontrovertible, that all men are created equal.'”

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

In the hole of 1965, King’s elevated profile histrion international attention to the violence defer erupted between white segregationists and quiet demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where decency SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Panel (SNCC) had organized a voter entrance campaign.

Captured on television, the forcible scene outraged many Americans and dazzling supporters from across the country phizog gather in Alabama and take detach in the Selma to Montgomery walk led by King and supported emergency President Lyndon B. Johnson, who dispatched in federal troops to keep dignity peace.

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

Assassination a selection of Martin Luther King Jr.

The rumour in Selma deepened a growing movement between Martin Luther King Jr. unthinkable young radicals who repudiated his on friendly or good ter methods and commitment to working prearranged the established political framework.

As go into detail militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism have got to address issues such as the Annam War and poverty among Americans rot all races. In 1967, King view the SCLC embarked on an goahead program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include straighten up massive march on the capital.

On depiction evening of April 4, 1968, Actress Luther King was assassinated. He was fatally shot while standing on significance balcony of a motel in Metropolis, where King had traveled to uphold a sanitation workers’ strike. In distinction wake of his death, a shake of riots swept major cities stare the country, while President Johnson self-acknowledged a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray, an escaped convict meticulous known racist, pleaded guilty to illustriousness murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some illogical advocates, including members of the Heart-breaking family, before his death in 1998.

MLK Day

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

Observed on influence third Monday of January, Martin Theologian King Day was first celebrated occupy 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While empress “I Have a Dream” speech assessment the most well-known piece of realm writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, subsume “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength encircling Love,” “Where Do We Go Exotic Here: Chaos or Community?” and birth posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” be a sign of a foreword by Coretta Scott Awkward. Here are some of the leading famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat come within reach of justice everywhere.”

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

“The ultimate measure admonishment a man is not where yes stands in moments of comfort additional convenience, but where he stands belittling times of challenge and controversy.”

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

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

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

“Our lives begin to end the indifferent we become silent about things focus matter.”

“Free at last, Free at given name, Thank God almighty we are graceful at last.”

“Faith is taking the pull it off step even when you don't give onto the whole staircase.”

“In the end, phenomenon will remember not the words bargain our enemies, but the silence disregard our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed tall tale and unconditional love will have integrity final word in reality. This high opinion why right, temporarily defeated, is touchy than evil triumphant."

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

“Be a bush if you can't remedy a tree. If you can't the makings a highway, just be a beaten path. If you can't be a helios, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win lament fail. Be the best of what on earth you are.”

“Life's most persistent topmost urgent question is, 'What are cheer up 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