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Martin Luther King Jr.

マーティン・ルーサー・キング・ジュニア

Mātin Rūthā Kingu Junia

Aliases: MLK / Michael King Jr.

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-01-15 （Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.）
Died
1968-04-04 （Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.） age 39
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Baptist (Christian)
Residence History
Atlanta (birth and early life) → Montgomery (pastor, 1954–1959) → Atlanta (co-pastor, 1960–1968) → Boston (graduate studies) → Memphis (final visit)

Career

Occupations
Baptist minister, Civil rights leader, Activist, Political philosopher
Active Years
1955-1968
Affiliations
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Ebenezer Baptist Church (co-pastor), Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (former pastor), The King Center
Memberships
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (leader/president)
Influenced By
Mahatma Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, Benjamin Mays, Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, Bayard Rustin
Influenced
John Lewis, Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela (influenced by King's example), The civil rights movement and international human rights and nonviolent movements

Education

Morehouse College
Sociology
Degree: BA
Period: 1944–1948
Year of Graduation: 1948
Country: United States
Graduated at age 19 (early admission)
Crozer Theological Seminary
Theology
Degree: BDiv
Period: 1948–1951
Year of Graduation: 1951
Country: United States
Elected president of the student body
Boston University
Systematic theology
Degree: PhD
Period: 1951–1955
Year of Graduation: 1955
Country: United States
Later academic inquiry found portions of dissertation improperly cited

Awards

Nobel Peace Prize
1964
Work: Nonviolent resistance to racial inequality
Organization: Norwegian Nobel Committee
Result: 受賞
Presidential Medal of Freedom
1977
Work: Contributions to the civil rights movement (posthumous)
Organization: U.S. President / Executive Office
Result: 受賞（追贈）
Congressional Gold Medal
2004
Work: Contributions to the civil rights movement (posthumous)
Organization: United States Congress
Result: 受賞（追贈）
Spingarn Medal
1957
Work: Civil rights leadership
Organization: NAACP
Result: 受賞
Grammy Award (Best Spoken Word Recording)
1971
Work: Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam
Organization: The Recording Academy (Grammy)
Result: 受賞（追贈／録音資料）
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1959
Work: Stride Toward Freedom
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story

1958 Memoir / Non-fiction 256 pages

A memoir recounting the Montgomery bus boycott and King's early role in the civil rights movement, describing tactics of nonviolent resistance, organization and moral convictions.

nonviolencecivil rightssocial justice

The Measure of a Man

1959 Sermons / Essays 128 pages

A short collection of sermons and essays presenting King's thoughts on human dignity, ethics, faith, and social responsibility.

moralityfaithhuman dignity

Strength to Love

1963 Sermons / Social criticism 192 pages

A collection of sermons emphasizing love, nonviolence and the connection between faith and social change.

lovenonviolencesocial reform

Why We Can't Wait

1964 Political essay / Non-fiction 176 pages

An analysis and plea written in the context of the 1963 civil rights struggles, arguing the urgency of action and the legitimacy of nonviolent tactics.

urgencycivil disobediencelegislative change

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

1967 Political philosophy / Social critique 192 pages

A late-career work discussing the interrelation of poverty, war and racial injustice and proposing broad reforms including economic justice.

povertyanti-wareconomic justice

Bibliography

  • Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958)
  • The Measure of a Man (1959)
  • Strength to Love (1963)
  • Why We Can't Wait (1964)
  • Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)
  • The Trumpet of Conscience (1968)

Adaptations

  • Documentaries and audio recordings (numerous)
  • The March (1964 documentary and related materials)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
sermonic oratoryethical and moral appealsrhetorical repetition and symbolism
Recurring Motifs
dream imageryfreedombrotherhoodnonviolence

Health

  • Chest stabbing (1958)
    1958
    Required surgery and extended hospitalization; life-threatening wound but he recovered.
  • Cardiovascular strain due to chronic stress
    生涯を通じて
    Biographies note long-term stress that affected his cardiovascular health.

Legacy

Martin Luther King Jr. became the emblematic leader of nonviolent civil rights activism, significantly influencing domestic and international movements for racial equality and social justice. His speeches and writings helped catalyze legislative change and shifts in public consciousness.

Museums

  • The King Center Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Opened in 1968
  • Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Opened in 1980
  • National Civil Rights Museum (site of the Lorraine Motel) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Opened in 1991

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Fellow)

Archives

  • The King Center archives (Atlanta)
  • The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute (Stanford University)

In Popular Culture

  • Numerous documentaries, biopics, musical tributes and ubiquitous citations of his speeches
  • 'I Have a Dream' speech has become a canonical quote in American political culture

Quotes

  • I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: that all men are created equal.
    Source: "I Have a Dream" speech, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. (1963) (1963)
  • Nonviolence is not a method of cowardice, but the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice.
    Source: Various speeches and writings (paraphrase) (1964)

Trivia

  • Commonly known by the initials "MLK".
  • One of the youngest recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize (1964).
  • Was stabbed in Harlem in 1958 and survived major surgery.