Very good book. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2018. In the spring of 1963, King organized a demonstration in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. He had grown tired of marches, going to jail, and living under the constant threat of death. 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. But he met with increasing criticism and public challenges from young Black power leaders. He died in prison on April 23, 1998. Over the years, extensive archival studies have led to a more balanced and comprehensive assessment of his life, portraying him as a complex figure: flawed, fallible and limited in his control over the mass movements with which he was associated, yet a visionary leader who was deeply committed to achieving social justice through nonviolent means. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice.". © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Martin Sr. stepped in as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church upon the death of his father-in-law in 1931. He thrived in all his studies, and was valedictorian of his class in 1951, and elected student body president. I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World Rustin served as King's mentor and advisor throughout his early activism and was the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. M. Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, (segregated schooling) and then went to study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University. From late 1965 through 1967, King expanded his civil rights efforts into other larger American cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles. Incredibly informative and captivating too. The shooter, a malcontent drifter and former convict named James Earl Ray, was eventually apprehended after a two-month, international manhunt. The life of Martin Luther King Jr. Any number of historic moments in the civil-rights struggle have been used to identify Martin Luther King, Jr. — prime mover of the Montgomery bus boycott, keynote speaker at the March on Washington, youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. That evening, 42-year-old Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus to go home after an exhausting day at work. The one highlight for me was reading Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. He married Alberta in 1926 after an eight-year courtship. King was only 25 years old. Instead of forcing a confrontation, King led his followers to kneel in prayer and they then turned back. Parks was arrested and booked for violating the Montgomery City Code. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. By the end of the Birmingham campaign, King and his supporters were making plans for a massive demonstration on the nation's capital composed of multiple organizations, all asking for peaceful change. He felt that America's involvement in Vietnam was politically untenable and the government's conduct in the war discriminatory to the poor. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person's civil rights. King is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. READ MORE: Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther: The Parallels Between the Two Leaders. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! The author imagines conversations that Dr. King might have, and supports that with snippets of his writing. Martin Sr. was more the disciplinarian, while his wife's gentleness easily balanced out the father's strict hand. The Washington Post needs a copy of this book. This resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, authorizing the federal government to enforce desegregation of public accommodations and outlawing discrimination in publicly owned facilities. It was here that King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, emphasizing his belief that someday all men could be brothers, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." They said that King was finally swaying to Malcom X's advocacy of violence to try to combat segregation and discrimination during the later part of King's life and that is just completely wrong according to the source materials set forth in this book. For Martin the civil rights movement began one summer in 1935 when he was six years old. When they refused to leave the counter area, King and 36 others were arrested. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. King attended Booker T. Washington High School, where he was said to be a precocious student. Martin Luther King Jr. Biographical M artin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. It is not even an autobiography as told to, such as the Autobiography of Malcolm X. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was the charismatic leader of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The King children grew up in a secure and loving environment. During his last year in seminary, King came under the guidance of Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays who influenced King’s spiritual development. On April 3, he gave his final and what proved to be an eerily prophetic speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” in which he told supporters at the Mason Temple in Memphis, "I've seen the promised land. Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2013. Abolitionist Martin Robison Delany was both a physician and newspaper editor and became one of the most influential and successful anti-slavery activists of the 19th century. Mays was an outspoken advocate for racial equality and encouraged King to view Christianity as a potential force for social change. Often, it seemed as though the pattern of progress was two steps forward and one step back. He took over the small, struggling Ebenezer Baptist church with around 13 members and made it into a forceful congregation. The organization felt the best place to start to give African Americans a voice was to enfranchise them in the voting process. We shall Overcome! Discussions on the concepts of power and love and nonviolence and violence were exceptional. King was not in the march, however, the attack was televised showing horrifying images of marchers being bloodied and severely injured. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Five months after the historic peaceful protest, President Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The famed civil rights leader was also a preacher, philosopher, and orator. Both his father and grandfather were pastors in an African-American Baptist church. I may not get there with you. I became fascinated by Martin Luther King after visiting his memorial in Washington DC and standing on the spot where he did his famous speech to the nation. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. This also led to King receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2018. Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation by Clarence B. Jones and Stuart Connelly. However, King was personally criticized by Black and white clergy alike for taking risks and endangering the children who attended the demonstration. On October 19, 1960, King and 75 students entered a local department store and requested lunch-counter service but were denied. Though they undoubtedly tried, King’s parents couldn’t shield him completely from racism. Martin's honesty and quest for justice rings throughout. King was a great man who accomplished great things, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2018. In February 1958, the SCLC sponsored more than 20 mass meetings in key southern cities to register Black voters in the South. This is the example of a leader as Servant - a powerful man who dedicated his power not to the creation of personal wealth but to improving the conditions for millions of people. Martin Luther King Jr.(born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptistminister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movementfrom 1955 until his assassinationin 1968. Distraught at the news, young King jumped from a second-story window at the family home, allegedly attempting suicide. But in his junior year, King took a Bible class, renewed his faith and began to envision a career in the ministry. I also really appreciated Martin's digging down to the root cause of black thought in relation to America - why, for example, many young black people leaned toward violence as a method to gain freedom and respect. Please try again. Quick Facts Famous as Worked for civil rights of black people Nationality American Religion Baptist (Progressive National Baptist Convention) Political ideology Nixon, head of the local NAACP chapter met with King and other local civil rights leaders to plan a Montgomery Bus Boycott. Actor, singer Dean Martin starred in several films with Jerry Lewis and belonged to the "Rat Pack," which included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. Ralph D. Abernathy was a Baptist minister who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was a close adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a scholar and minister who led the civil rights movement. Passed it onto my teenage son who is equally fascinated. On the night that Parks was arrested, E.D. Buy The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr New Ed by Martin Luther King Jr (ISBN: 0787721865148) from Amazon's Book Store. On December 1, 1955, they got another chance to make their case. This is not an autobiography in the true sense of the word. https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/martin-luther-king-jr-biography Relevant and insightful, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. offers King's seldom disclosed views on some of the world's greatest and most controversial figures: John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Mahatma Gandhi, and Richard Nixon. Realizing the incident would hurt the city's reputation, Atlanta's mayor negotiated a truce and charges were eventually dropped. This discomfort continued through much of his adolescence, initially leading him to decide against entering the ministry, much to his father's dismay. Martin Luther King Jr. - Mini Biography TV-14 4:40 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is widely considered the most influential leader of the American civil rights movement. They were married in June 1953 and had four children, Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott and Bernice. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. The bus boycott involved 382 days of walking to work, harassment, violence, and intimidation for Montgomery's African American community. On March 2, 1955, a 15-year-old girl refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery city bus in violation of local law. Teenager Claudette Colvin was then arrested and taken to jail. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on 15 January 1929. But Rustin was also a controversial figure at the time, being a homosexual with alleged ties to the Communist Party. King met with religious and civil rights leaders and lectured all over the country on race-related issues. I plan to return to this tome often for inspiration. In the 1970s, FBI files, released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that he was under government surveillance, and suggested his involvement in adulterous relationships and communist influences. The bus driver noted that there were several white men standing and demanded that Parks and several other African Americans give up their seats. Not wanting to alienate southern judges by violating the restraining order, a different approach was taken. Took Inspiration From Gandhi Nonviolence. Martin's honesty and quest for justice rings throughout. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches, I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World, Special 75th Anniversary Edition (Martin Luther King, Jr., born January 15, 1929), Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life (Penguin Lives Biographies), Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (King Legacy), The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, Dr. Carson was born in Buffalo, New York. Unable to add item to List. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. https://www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Alabama governor George Wallace continued to try to prevent another march until President Lyndon B. Johnson pledged his support and ordered U.S. Army troops and the Alabama National Guard to protect the protestors. As the bus traveled its route, all the seats in the white section filled up, then several more white passengers boarded the bus. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a well-known civil rights activist who had a great deal of influence on American society in the 1950s and 1960s. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. But King also rebelled against his father’s more conservative influence by drinking beer and playing pool while at college. Audio, Cassette, Abridged, Audiobook, Unabridged, Historical India & South Asia Biographies, Warner Books; Illustrated edition (January 1, 2001), Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2015. Coretta Scott King was an American civil rights activist and the wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther was a German monk who forever changed Christianity when he nailed his '95 Theses' to a church door in 1517, sparking the Protestant Reformation. He was the son of Alberta Christine (Williams), a schoolteacher, and Martin Luther King Sr., a pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Please try your request again later. Please try again. All I can say after reading this book is WOW - what an amazing story. Other than that, I could have made better use of my time. Martin Jr.'s grandfather, A.D. Williams, was a rural minister for years and then moved to Atlanta in 1893. They would help conduct non-violent protests to promote civil rights reform. But then it was revealed that Colvin was pregnant and civil rights leaders feared this would scandalize the deeply religious Black community and make Colvin (and, thus the group's efforts) less credible in the eyes of sympathetic white people. His wife, Susan Ann Carson, is managing editor of the. Both King's and Nixon's homes were attacked. In May 1936 he was baptized, but the event made little impression on him. Kennedy expressed his concern for King's harsh treatment for the traffic ticket and political pressure was quickly set in motion. Seventeen demonstrators were hospitalized in a day that would be called "Bloody Sunday.". There were a few sections that were duplicative, but overall I thought it was an excellent, absorbing read. To me, the book really delivered toward the end. King was a great man who accomplished great things. King never wrote an official autobiography. I bought this book for a number of reasons. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr: Chapter 14: The Sit-In Movement. In the fall of his senior year, he told his father of his decision. Finally, there were a number of passages that could have been written today - so many points Martin made are as fresh as ever. It was unfortunate that Martin Luther King Jr. did not get a chance to write his own autobiography, but Clayborne Carson does a wonderful job piecing together Martin's life struggles, highlights and main ideas. Born as Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was the middle child of Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Civil rights leader Whitney Young Jr., head of the National Urban League, was at the forefront of racial integration and African American economic empowerment. It was like he was sitting next to you telling you the story of his life. But his life remains controversial as well. In April 1960, the SCLC held a conference at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina with local sit-in leaders. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Chapter 1: Early Years Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. At her trial a week later, in a 30-minute hearing, Parks was found guilty and fined $10 and assessed $4 court fee. But that's just me. FACT CARD. King's struggle continued throughout the 1960s. Martin's revelations are timeless. He was a popular student, especially with his female classmates, but an unmotivated student who floated through his first two years. Eye-opening, and insightful.