Eija pokkinen biography of martin luther king
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That changes this year.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated annually on the third Monday in January to mark the late activist’s birthday. Many people in cities not experiencing racial tension began to question the nation’s Jim Crow laws and the near-century of second-class treatment of African American citizens since the end of slavery.
King's activism was rooted in a philosophy of nonviolence, inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and reinforced by his Christian beliefs. The newlyweds moved to A.D.’s home in Atlanta. The first time all 50 states recognized the holiday was in 2000. But I’m not concerned about that now… I’m not worried about anything. Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Date: April 4, 1967
One year before his assassination, King delivered a controversial sermon at New York City’s Riverside Church in which he condemned the Vietnam War.
Explaining why his conscience had forced him to speak up, King expressed concern for the poor American soldiers pressed into conflict thousands of miles from home, while pointedly faulting the U.S. government’s role in escalating the war.
Notable Quote: “We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.U.S. Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan first proposed a bill on April 8, 1968, but the first vote on the legislation didn’t happen until 1979. King later found a significant model in Mahatma Gandhi, whose principles of nonviolent resistance inspired King to adopt similar methods in the Civil Rights Movement. Although his family was deeply involved in the church and worship, King questioned religion in general and felt uncomfortable with overly emotional displays of religious worship.
The SCLC helped conduct nonviolent protests to promote civil rights reform. “I was at the point where I was deeply interested in political matters and social ills,” he recalled in The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Instead of forcing a confrontation, King led his followers to kneel in prayer, then they turned back.
Greensboro Sit-In
By 1960, King was gaining national exposure.
I may not get there with you. On March 25, the number of marchers, which had grown to an estimated 25,000 gathered in front of the state capitol where King delivered a televised speech. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications.
He then compared the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement to the ground crew at an airport who do the unheralded-yet-necessary work to keep planes running on schedule.
Notable Quote: “I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners—all those to whom beauty is truth and truth, beauty—and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.”
Date: March 25, 1965
At the end of the bitterly fought Selma-to-Montgomery march, King addressed a crowd of 25,000 supporters from the Alabama State Capitol.
He continues to be remembered as one of the most influential and inspirational Black leaders in history.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Martin Luther King Jr.
BIRTHDAY: January 15, 1929
DIED: April 4, 1968
BIRTHPLACE: Atlanta, Georgia
SPOUSE: Coretta Scott King (1953–1968)
CHILDREN: Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Bernice King
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn
When Was Martin Luther King Jr.
Born?
Martin Luther King Jr. was born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta. By advocating for peaceful protests and civil disobedience, King aimed to create a scenario where oppressors could no longer ignore the plight of the marginalized. This 381-day protest not only resulted in a Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public transportation unconstitutional but also solidified King's role as a national leader in the fight for civil rights.