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Martin Luther King's Birth
Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His birth name was Michael Luther but him and his father changed it to Martin Luther in honor of the great sixteenth-century reformer. -
MLK Sr., plants the seeds of change
He planted the seeds for a national civil rights movement. He believed the people could use their votes to change the law and the lawmakers, so he ran a drive to register African American voters. -
The Formative Years
Martin skipped senior year and went to Morehouse College at the age of 15. Morehouse's president confirmed Martin's notion that the pulpit could be used to improve African American lives. In February 1948, Martin Luther King, Jr., became a Baptist minister, and in June of that same year, he graduated from Morehouse with a bachelor's degree in sociology. -
Joining the struggle
Rosa Parks, the secretary for the Montgomery NAACP, was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a city bus. In response, the Women's Political Council of Montgomery called on African Americans to boycott, or stop using the city buses. -
Leading the nations civil rights movement
Dr. King came out with his first book, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Stoty. It told the story about the bus boycott and explained nonviolent protest. At a book signing in New York City, a woman named Izola Curry stabbed Dr. King, and he was rushed to Harlem Hospital. While in the hospital, Dr. King issued a statement forgiving his attacker and reaffirming his faith in "the spirit of non-violence." -
Gaining-and Losing-Ground
Despite persecution and criticism, Dr. King forged ahead with a protest campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 1963. Dr. King was soon arrested and sent to jail. Some clergy called his protest "unwise and untimely" and urged African Americans to wait patiently for justice. -
Success Amid Struggle
On August 6, Dr. King and other African American leaders watched as President Lyndon Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and on November 15, the Supreme Court of the United States called for the desegregation of public schools with "all deliberate speed." -
Expanding the Movement
Dr. King arrived in Memphis to lead 6,000 demonstrators in support of striking garbage collectors. The demonstration ended in fighting and looting. Dr. King was determined to hold a peaceful demonstration in support of the strikers. So he returned to Memphis on April 3. At an evening rally, Dr. King gave perhaps his finest speech—"I've Been to the Mountaintop." -
Losing a Leader
Dr. King was shot to death on the balcony of his motel. His murder set off rioting across the United States. Dozens of people were killed, and National Guard and federal troops were needed to restore order. -
Losing a Leader
Fifteen years after Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered—President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday in January a federal holiday honoring Dr. King's birthday. The holiday is celebrated in countries around the world.
