We explain who Martin Luther King was, what his personality and background were like, and what his beliefs, works and characteristics are.
Luther King was a social activist for the rights of African Americans.
Who was Martin Luther King?
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American pastor of the Baptist churchrecognized for his intense work as a social activist for the rights of African-American citizens during the segregationist era of the United States, as well as against the Vietnam War and, in general, against poverty.
His long career as a human and social rights activist in a historical context of racial segregation and rejection of the idea of equality between blacks and whites in the United States, has established him as one of the heroes and martyrs of contemporary humanity.
His leadership is considered an example to follow: his doctrine of non-violent protest, his preaching of resistance and equality, his indisputable ability to mobilize large masses. Luther King was an exponent in the fight for an egalitarian society at a historic moment when whites and blacks sat apart on the bus.
Since 1986 There is a holiday in his honor in the United Statesas a way to consecrate his memory and keep his legacy alive.
See also: Mahatma Gandhi
Martin Luther King’s biography
The son of a Baptist pastor and Alberta Williams King, a church organist, Martin Luther King Jr. Born on January 15, 1929 in AtlantaUSA.
His childhood was marked by racial segregation and religious influence (he was part of his church choir). In 1853 he married Coretta Scott. and they had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther (III), Dexter and Bernice.
Personality of Martin Luther King
Luther King entered Morehouse College at age 15.
He had a hard life that he forged a complex personality with great inclinations towards studyAt the age of 15, he entered Morehouse College, an exclusive black college, without completing either the ninth or twelfth grade.
People say that The death of his grandmother was particularly shocking for him.which is why she attempted suicide at the age of twelve. The rest of her life, however, was dedicated to the fight for racial equality.
Martin Luther King’s Theological Formation
He studied Sociology and then a degree in Theology, as well as a PhD in Systemic Theology from Boston Universityfrom where he graduated in 1955. A year earlier, at just 25 years of age, he had been named pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery.
Martin Luther King as a speaker
Luther King’s ability for oratory was reflected in his speech I have a dream.
It is considered one of the greatest American oratorsoften compared to Abraham Lincoln and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. His ability to persuade has enshrined his speech I have a dream (“I Have a Dream”) as one of the most representative pieces of the fight for equality in the West.
His speeches focused on mobilizing the peopleso that they would stop complaining and start acting, to the extent of their possibilities, to transform a panorama of injustice and segregation.
Martin Luther King’s most famous actions
Some of Martin Luther King’s best-known social actions were:
- The Montgomery Bus BoycottIn 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. King’s response was a boycott of the bus line through a ride-sharing system. Black participants were attacked by racist extremists during the 382 days of the boycott.
- Birmingham boycott. In Birmingham, the black population suffered double the unemployment rate because they were limited to manual jobs or were restricted from the electoral roll (barely 10% were registered). Attempts at black organisation were attacked with bombs and acts of violence, even in churches. King’s presence organised a series of protests at Easter 1963, demanding the treatment of all customers regardless of colour in shops. As on so many other occasions, King was arrested and in prison he wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail.
- The March on WashingtonTogether with civil and anti-racist organizations, King called for the great march on Washington for jobs and freedom, whose specific demands were the end of racial segregation in schools, new civil rights legislation (prohibition of discrimination), a minimum wage of two dollars for all workers without distinction, among others.
Values and virtues of Martin Luther King
Luther King promoted religious and moral teachings.
King’s thinking was based on the following principles:
- Civil disobedience and non-violenceAccording to this principle, the people had the legitimate right to disobey laws that they considered unjust or illegal, through peaceful but constant and active methods.
- Equality, freedom and racial pride. The defense of racial traditions and freedoms above all else demanded fair and equitable treatment for all.
- Pacifism and social commitmentThe fight for peace and social demands was key to King’s struggle, for whom this was a motivation that everyone should embrace.
- Faith, spirituality and loveReligious and moral teachings were also important in King’s thinking, for whom religious teaching was driven by universal love and faith.
Assassination of Martin Luther King
The death of Luther King is one of the most famous murders of the 20th century in the Westconsidered a national tragedy. He was shot by a white segregationist on the terrace of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.
His death sparked a wave of race riots across the US. which left several dead and required the intervention of the National Guard.
Leadership of Martin Luther King
His great leadership was characterized by coherence and pacifism.
Luther King’s unstoppable leadership is well-known, and he was followed by hundreds of thousands of people during his years of struggle. This was due to:
- He suffered in prison along with his followers and did not advocate special treatment, different from that which they suffered.
- It offered them a peaceful but active method of protest, not limited to mere denunciation or complaint.
- He was always consistent, consistent with his opposition to poverty, racial inequality and war.
- He was an informed speaker with clear values.
FBI chase
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover often called King “a separatist, a hatemonger and the biggest liar in the country.”
Not content with defaming him, King was investigated and monitored, accused of being a communist or being a paid agitator for foreign powers. He also distributed reports to the press alleging alleged deviations from his private life, in order to defame him and destroy his public image.
Martin Luther King’s Acknowledgements
Luther King has a huge monument in Washington in his honor.
Martin Luther King He was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.in recognition of his non-violent struggle against racial prejudice in the United States.
Was TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year in 1963 and in 1965 he received the American Freedom Medal from the American Jewish Committee and the Pacem in Terris Award.
The neighborhood where he lived was declared a historical monument in 1980. and his legacy is considered one of the most luminous in the history of humanity.
Follow with: Nelson Mandela