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Martin Luther King Jr. Biography

Martin Luther King Jr., Minister
Occup.Minister
FromUSA
BornJanuary 15, 1929
Atlanta, Georgia
DiedApril 4, 1968
Memphis, Tennessee
CauseAssassination
Aged39 years
Early Life
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was the boy of Reverend Martin Luther King Sr., the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta Williams King. He was brought up in the Christian faith, and his dad's role as a neighborhood leader had an extensive influence on his training.

He participated in Booker T. Washington High School before carrying on to Morehouse College at the young age of 15. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 1948 and then attended Crozer Theological Seminary, where he obtained his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951. King then made a Doctorate in Systematic Theology from Boston University in 1955.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King
King married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953, in Marion, Alabama. Coretta was an accomplished artist, civil rights activist, and mother of their four kids-- Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Bernice.

Coretta played a considerable function in the American civil liberties motion and continued to work for social change after her hubby's assassination in 1968.

Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, King became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. That very same year, a regional African American lady called Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white individual.

King's involvement in leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott moved him to the leading edge of the civil rights motion. The boycott lasted for 381 days and eventually resulted in the desegregation of public buses in Montgomery.

Development of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
In 1957, King, along with other civil rights leaders like Ralph Abernathy and Bayard Rustin, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC aimed to end segregation and gain civil rights for African Americans through nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.

Under King's leadership, the SCLC coordinated numerous considerable demonstration projects across the Southern United States. These projects drew national attention and assistance from numerous organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Letter from Birmingham Jail
In April 1963, King was apprehended in Birmingham, Alabama, for his participation in a nonviolent demonstration against segregation. While in prison, he composed the well-known "Letter from Birmingham Jail", reacting to criticism from local white clergymen who described him as an "outsider" triggering problem.

In the letter, King eloquently outlined his viewpoint of nonviolent protest and argued that it was the moral duty of African Americans and their advocates to fight against partition and racial oppression.

March on Washington and the 'I Have a Dream' Speech
On August 28, 1963, King delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech passionately called for an end to bigotry and the facility of equal rights for all residents, regardless of their race.

This iconic speech is still considered among the best speeches in American history and helped to seal King's status as a nationwide civil liberties leader.

Nobel Peace Prize
In 1964, at the age of 35, King became the youngest person at that time to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his operate in combating racial inequality through nonviolent means.

Assassination and Legacy
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the terrace of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was a terrible blow to the civil rights movement, but his work and mentors continued to inspire generations of activists and normal people.

In 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was developed as a federal holiday in the United States, commemorated on the third Monday of January each year.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s dedication to nonviolent protest and his pursuit of civil rights for all people stay an influential and integral part of American history and the international struggle for social justice.

Our collection contains 93 quotes who is written / told by Martin, under the main topics: Science - Faith - Death - Work - Equality.

Related authors: Mahatma Gandhi (Leader), Henry David Thoreau (Author), Dalai Lama (Leader), Abraham Joshua Heschel (Educator), James A. Baldwin (Author), Nhat Hanh (Activist), Alice Walker (Author), Douglas Wood (Writer), Alveda King (Clergyman), Booker T. Washington (Educator)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: How old is Martin Luther King's daughter?
    A: Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s youngest daughter, was born on March 28, 1963, making her 60 years old as of 2022.
  • Q: When was Martin Luther King Jr. born and died?
    A: Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, and died on April 4, 1968.
  • Q: Did Martin Luther King Jr. die a Catholic?
    A: No, Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister, not Catholic. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Q: Why was Martin Luther King Jr. important?
    A: King was important because he was a key leader in the fight for civil rights, where he raised awareness of racial injustice and played a crucial role in the passage of important legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Q: Why did Martin Luther King Jr. start the Civil Rights Movement?
    A: King started the Civil Rights Movement to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans, achieving a more just and equal society.
  • Q: What were the 3 main ideas of Martin Luther King Jr.?
    A: King emphasized nonviolent resistance, equal rights for all races, and the importance of love and unity in overcoming racial injustice.
  • Q: What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
    A: Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who fought against racial segregation and inequality, advocating for nonviolent protest and delivering powerful speeches, including 'I Have a Dream' speech.
  • Q: What was Martin Luther King Jr. Accomplishments?
    A: Some of Martin Luther King Jr.'s accomplishments include leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott, giving the 'I Have a Dream' speech, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and playing a key role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Q: Who is Martin Luther King Jr. Family?
    A: Martin Luther King Jr.'s family includes his father, Martin Luther King Sr. (a Baptist minister), his mother, Alberta Williams King (a schoolteacher), his wife, Coretta Scott King, and their four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice.
  • Q: How was Martin Luther King Jr. Childhood?
    A: Martin Luther King Jr. had a stable, middle-class upbringing in Atlanta, Georgia, as the son of a preacher and a schoolteacher. He excelled academically and showed an early interest in social justice.
  • Q: How old was Martin Luther King Jr.?
    A: He became 39 years old
Martin Luther King Jr. Famous Works:
Source / external links:

93 Famous quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.

Small: I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their
"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
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Small: We may have all come on different ships, but were in the same boat now
"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now"
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Small: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
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Small: The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by t
"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people"
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Small: The sweltering summer of the Negros legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating
"The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality"
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Small: Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of
"Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary"
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Small: Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal"
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Small: A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of soc
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom"
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Small: He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accept
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it"
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Small: Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they bec
"Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress"
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Small: Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men"
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Small: Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sa
"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals"
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Small: We must use time creatively
"We must use time creatively"
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Small: I want to be the white mans brother, not his brother-in-law
"I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law"
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Small: That old law about an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right t
"That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing"
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Small: A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on
"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan"
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Small: Faith is taking the first step even when you dont see the whole staircase
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase"
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Small: Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The ch
"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation"
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Small: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
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Small: A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus"
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Small: Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"
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Small: One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefie
"One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam"
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Small: To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing"
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Small: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where h
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"
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Small: Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields
"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals"
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Small: History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the s
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people"
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Small: If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges
"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control"
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Small: Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that"
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Small: Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man
"Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control"
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Small: Property is intended to serve life, and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it h
"Property is intended to serve life, and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it has no personal being. It is part of the earth man walks on. It is not man"
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Small: Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but tr
"Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul"
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Small: Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think"
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Small: The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation
"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists"
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Small: The quality, not the longevity, of ones life is what is important
"The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important"
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Small: The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tom
"The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows"
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Small: Take the first step in faith. You dont have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"
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Small: Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from
"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will"
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Small: Seeing is not always believing
"Seeing is not always believing"
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Small: Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The
"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love"
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Small: Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend"
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Small: Lifes most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
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Small: It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I thin
"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important"
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Small: It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it
"It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it"
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Small: It is incontestable and deplorable that Negroes have committed crimes but they are derivative crimes.
"It is incontestable and deplorable that Negroes have committed crimes; but they are derivative crimes. They are born of the greater crimes of the white society"
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Small: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
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Small: In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"
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Small: Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.
"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent"
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Small: At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love
"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love"
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Small: An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penal
"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law"
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Small: An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity"
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