Biography: Martin Luther King Jr.

 Biography: Martin Luther King Jr.

Biography: 1946-2000 Assignment

American history has many figures who contributed significantly to various aspects of American life, including politics, human rights, technology, environmental sustainability, human integration, religion, economy, and art and music. Political and technological figures are often mentioned and discussed more than historical figures who contributed to other fields. Activists are also mentioned, and often put in the category of politics. African American activists are renowned for their contribution towards eliminating racism and white supremacy. Multiple figures are in this category, but Martin Luther King Jr. stands out. This summary focuses on Martin Luther King Jr.’s biography.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Biography

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, to parents Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King as a middle child. The family had roots in Georgia’s rural, where his grandfather, A.D. Williams, was a rural minister for some time before moving to Atlanta in 1893. He assumed leadership of a 13-member Ebenezer Baptist church, turning it into a large and influential congregation. His grandfather’s wife was Jennie Celeste Parks, whom she married in 1926 and together had one surviving child, Alberta. The family was from a poor farming community under the sharecropping system. Martin Sr. later became a pastor of the church after their grandfather passed away in 1931, becoming a successful minister and adopting the name Martin Luther King Sr. Martin Luther King Jr. followed his father and adopted the same name. King’s elder sister was Willie Christine, and his younger brother was Alfred Daniel Williams King.

Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, entering public school at age five and becoming baptized in 1936 at age 7. King attempted suicide after the death of his grandmother. Surviving the ordeal, he continued with school and joined Booker T. Washington High School, becoming a precocious student and skipping ninth and eleventh grades. He went to Morehouse College in 1944 at 15 years, where he became a popular student, particularly among female students, although unmotivated in the first two years. King did not follow his parents’ inclination to church and worship as he questioned religion and felt unease with religious worship. However, he became a minister later after joining a Bible class and renewing his faith. He succeeded in his academics, becoming a valedictorian in 1951 and elected student body president, which earned him a fellowship for graduate study.

King married Coretta Scott in June 1953 and together had children Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott and Bernice. He became a paster in the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama, while working on his dissertation and completed his PhD and degree at the age of 25 years. King joined activism and led the Montgomery Bus Boycott against the segregated bus policy. His speech generated energy that pushed the civil rights struggle in Alabama. This action was followed by a series of attacks from white supremacists.

Martin Luther King Jr. is renowned for his human rights activism, having had a significant impact on race issues in the United States since the mid-1950s. He led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He had seismic activism and inspirational talks that played a considerable role in eliminating legal segregation of Black citizens in the US and the establishment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Martin Luther King Jr. received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and multiple other honors for his efforts. He is among the most influential and inspirational African American historical figures.

Conclusion

Martin Luther King Jr. is a famous figure in Black history for his efforts towards ending racism and segregation through the civil rights movement. He follows a line of ministers in his family but joined activism to fight for the rights of African Americans. He is remembered for leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott and his influence in the creation of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. He has been honored multiple times for his efforts.

 

Bibliography

About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2022, February 3). The King Center. https://thekingcenter.org/about-tkc/martin-luther-king-jr/

Carson, C. (2000). King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-1968), Baptist minister and civil rights leader. American National Biography Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1500382

Dorrien, G. J. (2018). Breaking white supremacy: Martin Luther King Jr. and the black social gospel. Yale University Press.

Kazin, M. (2009). Martin Luther King, Jr. and the meanings of the 1960s. The American Historical Review, 114(4), 980-989.

Kelly, R., & Cook, E. (2005). Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X: A Common Solution. OAH Magazine of History, 19(1), 37-40.

Moses, G. (2018). Revolution of Conscience: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Philosophy of Nonviolence.

Pepper, W. F. (2018). An act of state: The execution of Martin Luther King. Verso Books.

Reddick, L. D. (2018). Crusader Without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. NewSouth Books.

Stanford University. (2020, August 4). Introduction. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/introduction

The Nobel Prize. (2023, May 5). The Nobel Peace Prize 1964. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/biographical/

 

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