Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - His Biography and His Day
Martin Luther King Jr. entered the world on January 15, 1929. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, in a family chock full of pastors and ministers; this upbringing might be reflected in his excellent oratorial style that he would eventually be famed for exhibiting. During this time in U.S. history, segregation was still at play, and blacks and whites were societally and culturally removed from one another. King went to school at segregated institutions, and would graduate from the historically Black-student friendly Morehouse College in 1948.
In 1955, he completed the process of earning a graduate degree in theology from Boston University. While residing on the Boston University campus, he got to know a certain individual by the name of Coretta Scott. Coretta and Martin would wed one another in the same year they left B.U. The couple settled in Atlanta, and the newly Dr. King became the head pastor for Dexter Avenue Baptist Chuch.
In this respected position, King began to come into his own as an instigator of positive social change. Rosa Parks' now infamous incident, where she was imprisoned for refusing to move to the back of a bus, incited more of Kings' passion and desire for progress and societal reform.
The next decade saw King deliver a string of speeches that remain acclaimed to this very day, around 2,500 in total. He developed popularity both Stateside and abroad, and consistently developed his reputation as a visionary and leader of the burgeoning civil rights movement. A keystone to this movement was King's "Letters from a Birmingham Jail," and in 1964 King was rewarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
The year before receiving this prized award, however, King was to hold court before a huge crowd, 250,000 strong, at the Mall of Washington, D.C. The speech he gave to that congregation was entitled, "I Have a Dream," and this oration still stands as one of humankind's exemplary cries for liberation, equality, and community.
In 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennesee, right before he was to serve as the head of a protest march throughout the city. Days after his passing, Congress enacted a bill that pushed to commemorate an official day in King's memory. Yet two decades were required for this hope to realize legally.
The King Center, established by Martin's widow Coretta, launched a nationwide campaign to see MLK Day through to fruition. Famed musician Stevie Wonder released a single, "Happy Birthday," to lend more attention to this movement. Successfully, the campaign resulted in a whopping six million signatures given in support of the prospective holiday. It was first observed in 1986.
Additional Resources
The MLK Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Stanford is one of the most acclaimed institutions to specialize in the life of the famed humanitarian, featuring an exclusive selection of his papers and documents.
The King Center. Coretta Scott King established this extremely important organization in memory of her late spouse in 1968. This is an essential resource for anyone even remotely interested in Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech. In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. received one of the highest honors avaiable to the world's citizens. Read his glowing and moving speech upon accepting the important award here.
National Education Association. The NEA has thoughtfully and carefully selected excellent teaching resources to use by educators to expose young students to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lesson plans, videos, and more can all be found here.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Visit this site for more information on the history on the founding on MLK Day. In addition, you'll find great links to well-written blogs and other resources on Dr. King's life, beliefs, and importance.
