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Birth of Martin Luther King Jr.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He was originally named Michael King Jr., but his father changed both their names to Martin Luther in honor of the Protestant reformer. -
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Early Childhood and Education
Grew up in a middle-class family in a segregated society. He attended Booker T. Washington High School, skipped two grades, and entered Morehouse College at age 15. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest, King was chosen to lead the Montgomery Improvement Association. The boycott lasted over a year and ended with a Supreme Court ruling that bus segregation was unconstitutional -
Founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
King helped form the SCLC to coordinate civil rights activities and nonviolent protest throughout the South, emphasizing Christian ethics and moral persuasion. -
"Give Us the Ballot" Speech
Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, calling for federal action to protect Black voting rights. -
Birmingham Campaign and "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
A strategic movement in one of America’s most racially divided cities; King was arrested and wrote a powerful defense of civil disobedience from jail, arguing that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -
March on Washington & "I Have a Dream" Speech
Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for jobs and freedom. King’s speech became one of the most defining moments of the civil rights movement. -
Nobel Peace Prize Award
At age 35, King became the youngest person to receive the prize. He donated the prize money ($54,123) to civil rights causes. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
After "Bloody Sunday," King and others led peaceful protest marches advocating for voting rights, culminating in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.