Martin
Luther King Jr. was born on 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His
birth name was Michael Luther King, Jr. but later had his name changed to
Martin. He was the child of Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King.
His father Martin Luther King Sr. was an American Baptist pastor, missionary,
and an early figure in the Civil Rights Movement. And his mother played a
significant role in the affairs of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Coretta Scott
and Martin Luther King Jr. were married on 18 June 1953. The
couple had four children two sons and two daughters named Martin Luther King
III, Bernice King, Yolanda King and Dexter King.
King went to
Booker T. Washington High School where he skipped two grades because of his
smartness. Then he went to Morehouse College at the young age of fifteen where
he started his college education. From Morehouse he got his sociology degree
and then Martin got a divinity degree from Crozer Seminary. Then he went to Boston
University where he completed his Ph.D. and earned his degree in 1955 when he was
only 25 years old.
Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Alabama. At that time he was also a strong worker for civil rights
for members of his race. In March 1955 he stepped his first civil rights work
which was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This Boycott was started when a fifteen
years old schoolgirl Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white
man. And because of this she was arrested and spent a night at jail. Martin
helped to organize a boycott of the public transportation system in Montgomery
which continued for 382 days. During that boycott King was arrested and subjected
to personal abuse.
In 1957 he
was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and
became a leader. Then he traveled a large area and appears where injustice is
and took actions against injustice. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther
King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I have a
dream” was the famous speech of King. This speech is now considered as the most
famous historical speech. King gave his “I have a dream” speech in 1963 in a
most famous succeeded march "March on Washington" which he organized
for the importance of civil rights legislation.
King was a
great writer also who wrote for his follower’s encouragement. He wrote five
books as well as numerous articles. He also wrote many quotes on hope, wisdom,
challenges, hate, faith, inspirational and many more topics.
One of his
most famous inspirational quotes is as follows,
“Darkness cannot drive
out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can
do that.”
Martin
Luther King, Jr. was murdered on 4 April 1968 in Memphis, TN.
While standing on the balcony of his hotel, he was shot by James Earl Ray. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday.