Dr. Martin Luther King by Brooke Hamilton

EARLY LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:38:19 UTC

Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15 1929 was an American Baptist minister and a prominent leader/activist in the African-American civil rights movement. He was raised, along with two other siblings, in Atlanta, Georgia and was the son of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Himself and his father were both originally named ‘Michael’ Luther King- Jr. and Sr. respectably, but this was promptly changed after a family vacation to Europe in 1934 where they visited Germany and King Sr. changed their names to Martin Luther in honour of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther¹. As he grew up, both his Grandfather and father’s role as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist church raised Martin Luther King Jr. with Christian religious beliefs, which pushed throughout his life².

Martin Luther King Jr. though wasn’t completely unfazed by racism. He had been educated in a segregated school and grew up in a segregated community (3- racism no way). His father though, King Sr., fought against all racial discrimination and strongly discouraged any sense of class superiority².

As he completed high school- skipping years Nine and Twelve, he entered into Morehouse College at the age of 15. Within the first two years of college, he was known to be although popular, highly unmotivated and just floated through his first two years. Although he had been baptized and his family held deep ties within the church, King Jr. felt overall uncomfortable with emotional displays of religious worship and actually questioned the whole ‘religion’ concept in general. This opinion was upheld throughout much of his adolescence and originally pined him against entering the ministry- much to his father’s disappointment. In his junior year of college, this was changed and he enrolled into a bible class, which re-affirmed his faith and sparked an interest into Christian Ministry².

He continued his education over many schools, graduating from Morehouse with a BA degree in Sociology before following a path of Christian Ministry in Crozer Theological School, Pennsylvania. He was encouraged by Morehouse college president Benjamin E. Mays, an out spoken equality activist, to use Christianity as a potential force for social change. After graduating in 1951, he was accepted into Boston University to complete his doctorate. In 1954, whilst completing his dissertation, he became Pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery- showing just how far his religious views had come².

Pennsylvania. He was encouraged by Morehouse college president Benjamin E. Mays, an out spoken equality activist, to use Christianity as a potential force for social change. After graduating in 1951, he was accepted into Boston University to complete his doctorate. In 1954, whilst completing his dissertation, he became Pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery- showing just how far his religious views had come².

HOW DID HIS WORLD VIEW DIFFER FROM OTHERS AT THAT TIME?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:45:24 UTC

The view in which King Jr. was raised and led to advocate for- that Black people are to have equal rights, was quite different to that of the time period he lived in. During the first half of the 1900’s, the generation Luther King Jr. lived within was one full of racial prejudice and had a lack of equality. As previously mentioned, Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in a segregated society. Although he was taught that African American people were equal, I’m sure many others disagreed and treated them like Second Class citizens. While still a student, Martin had joined and became a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, which was the leading black rights movement at that time³. Because of this and the White peoples racism, he was forced to lead the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott’ which began after an African American Citizen was forced to leave and was arrested for remaining in the ‘coloured’ section of a bus because there were no seats available for the white. This examples just how White people thought coloured beings were second-class citizens⁴.

HOW HAS HIS WORK MADE PEOPLE MORE OPEN-MINDED?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:47:34 UTC

After his, and the rest of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People’s success with removing the law for segregated pubic transport- his campaign only rose. With his notion for “non-violence” he showed that people don’t need to be violent to make a difference. This campaign was unlike so many revolts by other members of the black community, who had fought back with violence and was jailed like so many others for their ‘crime’. He showed the world that everyone is the same and using religion, which was very big in America in this time, he argued that God had made mankind like this and that society should accept everyone as equals. He not only made the white community more open-minded, but also the Black. He gave African Americans hope when all they saw was themselves as second class. His ‘I have a Dream’ speech has allowed the world grow past any racial prejudice and showed that we are all humans.

HOW DID HE CHALLENGE THESE VIEWS WITHOUT USING FORMS OF VIOLENCE?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:49:48 UTC

Only using the power of words and a continuing goal did Martin ever challenge the views of those in the non-supporting white community. As ‘the King’ himself once said, "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community, which has constantly refused to negotiate, is forced to confront the issue."⁵.He used the inspiration given to him by his aforementioned mentor, Benjamin E. Mays, to use the words of God to enact a social change. He preached to his supporters to not react in violence in any way to the protesting and blind-sighted white community, which overall has inspired many others over the years to take this same approach- putting a stop to whatever may be occurring in their life with non-violent methods.

WHAT RISKS DID HE TAKE FOR THE WELLBEING OF OTHERS?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:51:33 UTC

He took many risks in his life. As he rallied or gave speeches, he was out in the public where he or his family could’ve easily have been harmed- something that did occur on April 24, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee. On this day, after he had travelled to the state to give a speech after workers had been unfairly laid off, he was assassinated on his hotel balcony⁶. Prior to this, He had defied laws against segregations and stood his ground against racist white people, opening his own self and others to bodily harm.

HOW DID HE CHANGE THE WORLD- NOT DEMAND IT?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:54:01 UTC

As previously stated, he changed the world with his words not his fists. He didn’t demand for the African Americans to revolt with violence and put their own safety at risk, he instead appealed to them to be non-violent and patient. For example, he started a movement that made students from his former college sit in ‘White designated’ areas of cafés and restaurants, which caught on in other states and areas and eventually led to a removal of segregation in these public places. By doing little things like these instead of completely dominating the communities and starting protests, he could make differences on everybody’s lives and therefore have the Whites see Black’s as equals and not different at all.

WHO MIGHT OF THEY OFFENDED? WHAT DID DOING ALL THIS COST HIM?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:55:13 UTC

By starting his movement, Martin Luther would have offended a lot of people in the country. One of the most obvious offended people would’ve been the White community who were very set in their ‘superior’ ways and unwilling to succumb to equality or be associated with the Black community. This would’ve led to not only endangering the lives of himself, his family and his wife and four children, but also his community who had supported the movement before it really gained supporters. His house was also vandalised regularly, which was another sacrifice he made towards the cause.

WHAT TYPE OF BACKLASH DID HE RECEIVE AND HOW DID HE COPE WITH EVERYTHING?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:57:49 UTC

He received much backlash in the form of vandalism, violence towards the black community by the white and even some from his own race. The backlash from the white was expected obviously, as those who had been taught at a young age of the apparent discrepancies of the Black community would’ve been furious with the uproar for ‘rights’. His own race though, began giving backlash towards him because at demonstrations and marches, members of the white community’s fire and police department would arrive and when the fire brigade set their hoses onto arriving black families to deter them, women, men and children alike would get injured- which didn’t sit very well⁷.

The only way he was able to cope- especially on the darker days where he saw the negatives his movement was creating (injuries, abuse, death threats and arrests of black community members) would’ve been through support from his friends and family, as well as the community he was leading to a better life. Another support system would’ve been through his faith, where this all started from, and his beliefs that this was his calling. His support from God would’ve been a constant reminder to keep persisting in this movement.

WHAT HAVE I FOUND MOST INSPIRING ABOUT DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR?

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 13:59:49 UTC

I personally have found many things to be truly inspiring about Martin Luther King. Not only did he go against everything that was apart of that time (racial discrimination, segregation and the supposed superiority of the white) but he also did it with only his words- with showing people what was truly going on and how he remained passionate about his work, no matter the difficulties. As mentioned, was unlike others before him who had protested the black peoples rights with violence and had done so with fighting for superiority against the white instead of not equality between all races. He didn’t live a completely straight-edged, picket fence life and went through his fair share of struggles before becoming the icon he was/is; which is something I admire. I like the fact that he got to experience everyone in that time period’s view, especially in a mixed college lifestyle, and that he had the courage to make his dreams of equality become a reality- literally.

Although he only lived a short life, 35 years before he was brutally assassinated, his legacy has and will live on for many more generations- something only I could only ever dream to do. He had the courage to be something more than a priest, he had the courage to stand up for not only himself- but for his entire race and for that, he has changed the course of our society and has sacrificed himself to make our world a better place.

CITATIONS/BIBLIOGRAPHY-

bhamilto — 2015-08-13 14:02:28 UTC

1- Unknown. 2014. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr 'Early Life'. [ONLINE] Available at:http://nhdexample1.weebly.com/early-life.html. [Accessed 11th of August 2015].

2-'Early Years', bio., 2015, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086#early-years

3- 'Facts sheet- Martin Luther King Jnr.', Racismnoway, 2015, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-resources/factsheets/39.html

4- 'Montgomery Bus Boycott', Bio., 2015, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086#montgomery-bus-boycott

5- 'I Have a Dream', Bio., 2015, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086#i-have-a-dream

6- 'Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (4 April 1968)', King Encyclopedia, 2014, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_kings_assassination_4_april_1968/

7- 'I Have a Dream', Bio., 2015, Accessed: 11th August 2015, Source: from: http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086#i-have-a-dream

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