King, Martin Luther Jr.
1929-1968 · Contribution: 1955-1968
Baptist ministry and nonviolent civil rights leadership grounded in Christian theology and Gandhian nonviolence; sermons, speeches, and writings including 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' (1963) and the 'I Have a Dream' speech (1963)
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Impact on the world
The preeminent leader of the American civil rights movement; a pastor who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56), co-founded and led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and won the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). His ministry fused the Black church tradition with nonviolent resistance and reshaped American history.
Life & background
African-American Baptist minister born Jan 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA. BA, Morehouse College; BD, Crozer Theological Seminary; PhD in systematic theology, Boston University (1955). Pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (Montgomery) and co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church (Atlanta). Assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica; The Nobel Prize; The King Center
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