Martin Luther King Jr.

Born:

January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Died:

April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Nationality:

American

Profession(s):

Baptist Minister, Civil Rights Activist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Early Life and Education

• Born Michael King Jr., later changed to Martin Luther King Jr.
• Son of Martin Luther King Sr., a Baptist pastor, and Alberta Williams King.
• Graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. in Sociology in 1948.
• Earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951.
• Received a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston University in 1955.

Career and Major Achievements

• Pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama (1954-1960).
• Led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956), a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 and served as its first president.
• Organized numerous nonviolent protests and marches for civil rights, including the March on Washington in 1963.
• Arrested multiple times for civil disobedience.
• Advocated for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Notable Works

• Stride Toward Freedom (1958)
• Strength to Love (1963)
• Why We Can't Wait (1964)
• Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)
• "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963)

Legacy and Impact

Martin Luther King Jr.'s unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance and racial equality fundamentally transformed American society. He is remembered as one of the most influential leaders in American history, and the "yung 6 biography of martin luther king" often serves as a simplified introduction for younger audiences.

Awards and Recognition

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