Infoplease biography of martin luther king

Here are some of the most famous Martin Luther King Jr. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

A look at one of the defining social movements in U. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States. Your Profile. King's financial situation was marked by simplicity and sacrifice.

Infoplease biography of martin luther king

His desire to avoid wealth accumulation was driven by the ethos of the movement he represented. King often spoke against materialism and sought a lifestyle that emphasized activism over affluence. Throughout his life, he received various honors, such as the Nobel Peace Prize inwhich came with a financial award. However, rather than focus on his net worth, King's legacy is rooted in his unwavering infoplease biography of martin luther king to social change and the lasting impact he made on race relations in America.

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Biography Host. Biography Martin Luther King Jr. Philosophy of Nonviolence I Have a Dream. Fact-checking and Ethical Concerns We assure our audience that we will remove any contents that are not accurate or according to formal reports and queries if they are justified. He led the Black boycott of segregated city bus lines and in gained a major victory and prestige as a civil-rights leader when Montgomery buses began to operate on a desegregated basis.

King organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference SCLCwhich gave him a base to pursue further civil-rights activities, first in the South and later nationwide. His philosophy of nonviolent resistance led to his arrest on numerous occasions in the s and 60s. His campaigns had mixed success, but the protest he led in Birmingham, Ala. He spearheaded the Aug.

In he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. King's leadership in the civil-rights movement was challenged in the mids as others grew more militant. His interests, however, widened from civil rights to include criticism of the Vietnam War and a deeper concern over poverty. On Apr. Day was first celebrated in The first time all 50 states recognized the holiday was in Had he lived, King would be turning 96 years old this year.

See Martin Luther King Jr. Through his nonviolent activism and inspirational speecheshe played a pivotal role in ending legal segregation of Black Americans as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of and the Voting Rights Act of King won the Nobel Peace Prize inamong several other honors. He continues to be remembered as one of the most influential and inspirational Black leaders in history.

Originally, his name was Michael Luther King Jr. Michael Sr. In due time, Michael Jr. His mother was Alberta Williams King. The Williams and King families had roots in rural Georgia. Martin Jr. Williams, was a rural minister for years and then moved to Atlanta in He took over the small, struggling Ebenezer Baptist Church with around 13 members and made it into a forceful congregation.

He married Jennie Celeste Parks, and they had one child who survived, Alberta. Martin Sr. He married Alberta in after an eight-year courtship. The newlyweds moved to A. Martin stepped in as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church upon the death of his father-in-law in He, too, became a successful minister. A middle child, Martin Jr. The King children grew up in a secure and loving environment.

Although they undoubtedly tried, Martin Jr. He strongly discouraged any sense of class superiority in his children, which left a lasting impression on Martin Jr. His baptism in May was less memorable for young King, but an event a few years later left him reeling. In Maywhen King was 12 years old, his grandmother Jennie died of a heart attack.

Distraught at the news, he jumped from a second-story window at the family home, allegedly attempting suicide. Growing up in Atlanta, King entered public school at age 5. He later attended Booker T. Washington High School, where he was said to be a precocious student. He skipped both the ninth and eleventh grades and, at age 15, entered Morehouse College in Atlanta in He was a popular student, especially with his female classmates, but largely unmotivated, floating through his first two years.

Influenced by his experiences with racism, King began planting the seeds for a future as a social activist early in his time at Morehouse. At the time, King felt that the best way to serve that purpose was as a lawyer or a doctor. Although his family was deeply involved in the church and worship, King questioned religion in general and felt uncomfortable with overly emotional displays of religious worship.

But in his junior year at Morehouse, King took a Bible class, renewed his faith, and began to envision a career in the ministry. In the fall of his senior year, he told his father of his decision, and he was ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church in February Later that year, King earned a sociology degree from Morehouse College and began attended the liberal Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania.

He thrived in all his studies, was elected student body president, and was valedictorian of his class in He also earned a fellowship for graduate study. He became romantically involved with a white woman and went through a difficult time before he could break off the relationship. Mays was an outspoken advocate for racial equality and encouraged King to view Christianity as a potential force for social change.

After being accepted at several colleges for his doctoral study, King enrolled at Boston University. He completed his doctorate and earned his degree in at age A committee of scholars appointed by Boston University determined that King was guilty of plagiarism inthough it also recommended against the revocation of his degree.