About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.

Early Life and Education

Dr. King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the second of three children to Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Dr. King Jr.’s father was a Baptist minister and a civil rights leader in his own right.

Dr. King Jr. attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he studied philosophy and sociology. He then attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned his master's degree in divinity. In 1955, Dr. King Jr. became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Civil Rights Career

In 1955, Dr. King Jr. was recruited to serve as spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a campaign by the African-American population of Montgomery, Alabama to force integration of the city’s bus lines. After 381 days of nearly universal participation by citizens of the black community, many of whom had to walk miles to work each day as a result, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in transportation was unconstitutional.

In 1957, Dr. King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization designed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. He would serve as head of the SCLC until his assassination in 1968, a period during which he would emerge as the most important social leader of the modern American civil rights movement.

Major Achievements

Some of Dr. King's most important achievements include:

• Leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which resulted in the desegregation of the city's bus lines.
• Being elected president of the SCLC, which allowed him to lead the organization and bring about change.
• Delivering his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington.
• Receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
• Helping to pass the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

Nonviolence and Philosophy

Dr. King Jr. believed in nonviolence and unconditional love as a means to achieve social justice. He wrote in his book Why We Can't Wait:

"Nonviolence is not a weapon; it is a shield. It is not a sword; it is a plow. It is not a lance; it is a sieve. It is not a drum; it is a donkey."

Dr. King Jr. believed that nonviolence was the most effective way to bring about change and to create a better world.

Legacy

Dr. King Jr. left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire people around the world. His message of nonviolence and unconditional love has been adopted by people from all walks of life. He is remembered as a powerful orator, a devoted husband and father, and a passionate advocate for social justice.