Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929 ‐ 1968
o Born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA.
o Son of Alberta and Martin Luther King, Sr.
o His father changed both of their names to Martin Luther King.
o Dr. King Jr. skipped the 9th and 11th
grades in high school.
o He entered college (Morehouse College) at the tender age of 15 in 1944. o The photo above is King with
his sister after they both
graduated from college.
o In 1948, at the age of 19, he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology.
o On June 18, 1953, Martin Luther King, Jr. married Coretta Scott. o They had four children: Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King. o During the 1950s, African Americans became fed up with segregation laws.
o 1953 marked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. o King was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association.
o King began his ministry in 1954 as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
o He received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boston University on June 5, 1955.
o King is pictured here speaking with reporters during a Media Day on May 20, 1956.
o He discussed the Civil Rights movement and the bus boycott in Montgomery. The boycott lasted 381 days.
o He was successful in his efforts to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama buses on December 21, 1956.
o In 1957, he helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
o Martin Luther King, Jr. was jailed 29 times during the Civil Rights movement for various forms of civil disobedience. o The March on Washington took place August 28, 1963. o King spoke to 250,000 civil rights supporters.
“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.”
August 1963 speech to civil rights supporters at the March on Washington o Many opponents of Dr. King’s efforts during the Civil Rights Movement tried to intimidate King and his family.
o He believed in peaceful protest. On December 10, 1965, Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Little Known Facts About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
o Leadership
– February 1960 ‐ He became assistant pastor to his father at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
– March 28,1968 ‐ In Memphis, Tennessee, he lead striking sanitation workers on a march that tragically ended in violence.
– April 3,1968 ‐ He lead another march in a rally at Mason Temple.
o Books and Awards
– February 18, 1957 ‐ He was on the cover of Time magazine. In 1964,he was the magazine’s Man of the Year.
– He published four books between 1958 and 1967:
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“Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story”
“Strength to Love”
“Why We Can’t Wait”
“Where Do We Go From Here?”
More Facts About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
o Famous Speeches:
– May 17, 1957 ‐ "Give Us The Ballot", delivered during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom at Lincoln Memorial.
– August 28, 1963 ‐ “I Have a Dream”, a speech delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial.
– April 3,1968 ‐ “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, a speech delivered during a rally at Mason Temple. o On April 4, 1968, while standing on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, King was shot and killed by James Earl Ray.
o ''Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will ... And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land ... ''
‐‐ From his final speech, delivered April 3, 1968
o The country mourned alongside Dr. King’s family after his death.