Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Jan 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

Timeline

1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Photo Gallery

                                    

                   Dexter Avenue Baptist Church

in Montgomery, Alabama

Martin is Born

Martin Luther King, Jr. is born to Rev. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr. (former Alberta Christine

Williams) in Atlanta, Georgia.

January 15, 1929

Segregation Laws

Largely because of Plessy v. Ferguson, racial segregation reigned supreme in the South from the 1890's until the 1950's. 

Confederate Flag

Martin’s Childhood

1935 – 1944 

Dr. King attends David T. Howard Elementary School, Atlanta University Laboratory School, and Booker T. Washington High School. He passes the entrance examination to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia without graduating from high school.

 

As a young boy, Martin had to see the inequality, injustice and racial tension that was in America. He did not like this.

Martin and his big sister Christine.

Pastor King

1947  Dr. King is licensed to preach. 1948 February 25 Dr. King is ordained to the Baptist ministry and appointed associate pastor at Ebenezer. June 8Dr. King graduates from Morehouse College with a BA degree in Sociology.SeptemberDr. King enters Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. After hearing Dr. A. J. Muste and Dr. Mordecai W. Johnson preach on the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, he begins to study Gandhi seriously.

Influenced by Gandhi…Nonviolent Disobedience

Dr. King with wife Coretta

Rosa Parks - 1955

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white - she was arrested.

Dr. King is Arrested

For travelling 30 mph in a 25 mph zone.

The government lies about Martin Luther King Jr. to attempt to stop him from fighting back against racial discrimination.

Dr. King Marches for Civil Rights

Bobby Kennedy

Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Malcolm X

                    

I Have A Dream Today Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?-- Martin L. King

                           

   

                              

"Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I think there are plenty of good people in America, but there are also plenty of bad people in America and the bad ones are the ones who seem to have all the power and be in these positions to block things that you and I need. Because this is the situation, you and I have to preserve the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation, and it doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't even call it violence when it's self-defense, I call it intelligence."

Malcolm X

Racial Demonstration 1960’s Olympics

Black Panthers…Nation of Islam

“I Have a Dream” Speech - 1963

Lorraine HotelMemphis, Tennesee

April 4, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated.

MLK Day is Signed Into Law

President Ronald Reagan signs a law making MLK day.

Awards – 1950’s

1957 - Time - One of the Most Outstanding Personalities 1957 - Who's Who in America - Listed 1957 - NAACP - Spingarn Medal 1957 - National Newspaper Publishers - The Russwurm Award 1958 - Guardian Association of the Police Department of New York - The Second Annual Achievement Award 1959 - Link Magazine of New Delhi - one of sixteen world leaders who had contributed most to the advancement of freedom during that year

 

Awards – 1960’s1963 - Time - Man of the Year 1963 - Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Die Workers International Union - American of the Decade 1964 - United Federation of Teachers - John Dewey Award 1964 - Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago - John F. Kennedy Award 1964 - Nobel Foundation - Nobel Peace Prize 1968 - Jamaican Government - Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights 1968 - Southern Christian Leadership Conference - Rosa L. Parks Award

How will YOU improve the world?

Dr. King helped make America a fairer place.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Web Sites•"I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King Day on the Net This Martin Luther King Day site has sound, pictures and information on Dr. King and the holiday that celebrates his birth. •The Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project Stanford University maintains a large and authoritative collection of works by and about Dr. King •The Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change "The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is dedicated to carrying forward the legacy and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through research, education and training in the principles, philosophy and methods of nonviolence." •Salute to Martin Luther King AfroAmeric@'a tribute page includes photographs and articles about Dr. King. •Martin Luther King The Seattle Times has developed this site about Martin Luther King and the holiday.