Martin Luther King Jr Biography

Martin luther king jr was more than an activist that was trying to end segregation he was someone the people could come to for advice, or help. He said, “There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.” (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”) This quote shows that he cares for other people and hate to see people failing in life. Martin Luther king jr. was born on January 15, 1929. His parents, Martin Luther King Sr. And Alberta Williams King had named him Michael, but he later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather and his father were co-pastors at Ebenezer Baptist church. He went to segregated schools in Georgia and was top of his class and graduated at the age of 15. He went to Morehouse College, and got his bachelor’s degree in 1948 (Clayborne). Later that year, Martin Luther King Jr. earned a human science certificate from Morehouse College and went to the liberal Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. He aced all his classes, and was valedictorian of his group in 1951, and chosen to be understudy body president. Although Martin repeatedly rebelled against his father by drinking beer and playing pool while at school. He ended up being involved with a white lady and experienced a troublesome time before he could sever the issue.

In his last year in theological school, Martin Luther King Jr. went under the direction of Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays who affected King’s maturity in certain things. Mays was a blunt supporter for racial uniformity and urged King to see Christianity as a potential power for social change. After being accepted at a several different schools for his doctoral degree, including Yale and Edinburgh in Scotland, King selected Boston University. While he was working to get his doctorate, Martin Luther King Jr. met Coretta Scott, a hopeful artist and performer, at the New England Conservatory school in Boston. They were married in June 1953 and had four kids, Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott and Bernice. In 1954. King progressed toward becoming minister of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama. He finished his Ph.D. also, earned his degree in 1955. King was just 25 years of age (Editors biography.com).

On March 2, 1955, a 15-year-old young lady wouldn’t give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery city transport disregarding nearby law. Claudette Colvin was captured and taken to prison. At first, the nearby section of the NAACP felt they had a great challenge on Montgomery’s isolated transport approach. In any case, at that point it was uncovered that she was pregnant and social equality pioneers dreaded this would outrage the religious black community and make Colvin less valid according to the white americans. “December 1, 1955 they had another chance to make their case. That evening 42 year old Rosa Parks sat in the first row of the colored section in the middle of the bus. As the bus traveled its route all the white seats were filled so a man demanded Rosa Parks to let him have the seat, she refused and was arrested.” (Editors nobleprize.org) On the night that Rosa Parks was captured, E.D. Nixon, leader of the neighborhood NAACP section, had an encounter with Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists for social equality to design a Montgomery transport blacklist. King was chosen to lead the blacklist since he was young, well-prepared with strong family connections and had a high standing. In any case, he was new to the community, and had few enemies so it was felt he would have some connection to the black community (Editors biography.com).

In his first speech as the leader of the group, King said, “We have no option however to challenge. For a long time we have appeared astounding persistence. We have now and again given our white siblings the inclination that we preferred the manner in which we were being dealt with. However, we come here today around evening time to be spared from that persistence that makes us understanding with anything short of opportunity and equity.”(Editors biography.com) “Emboldened by the boycott’s success, in 1957 he and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.”(“Martin Luther King, Jr.”) While he was serving as the SCLC president, Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled around the nation and the globe, giving speeches on the benefits of nonviolent protesting. He talked about the importance of social justice and rights and gathering with religious figures, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the chance to meet relatives and followers of Gandhi, the man he portrayed in his self-autobiography as “the controlling light of our strategy of peaceful social change.” King took great inspiration from this legend and wanted to be like him. King additionally composed a few books and articles during this time (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”).

King took his family and moved to Atlanta in 1960. He then became co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He moved after the death of his grandfather and worked with his father. This church had a history in his family and he wanted his kids to be immersed in it. This new position did not stop King in his quest for equal rights in the United States of America. King had always believed in peaceful protest. This philosophy was especially challenged in a serious test during the Birmingham battle of 1963, in which activists utilized a blacklist, sit-ins and walks to protest segregation (Editors sparknotes.com).

Martin Luther King was imprisoned for his protests. It was then that he wrote the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which was a major statement of equality. This motivated other people to take a stand against injustice. In this letter King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly (Clayborne). Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea.” When the Birmingham movement was finished, Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters were making arrangements for a big example on the country’s capital made out of different associations, all wanting change. On August 28, 1963, the notable March on Washington drew in more than 200,000 individuals in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech, persuading people about his belief “that one day all men could be brothers.”

“I have a dream that my four 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.” (“Martin Luther King, Jr.”)

King not only worked to end racial injustice, but he also tried to eliminate poverty in the United States of America. He worked on housing in the bad parts of Chicago that were deeply segregated. In Conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. greatly impacted the world in many ways and played an extremely essential role in the Civil Rights Movement. Some of his key accomplishments included spreading awareness of the movement through nonviolent protests. He fought against racism, poverty, and all types of social injustice. In 1983, President Reagan created the national holiday of MLK day to commemorate King and his accomplishments.. King will always be looked up to for the great services that he did for our country.

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