Martin Luther King Jr Early Life and Education
Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King Jr. was the second child of Baptist minister Martin Luther King Sr. and schoolteacher Alberta Williams King. Originally named Michael King Jr., both father and son later adopted the name Martin Luther. Growing up in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood amid racial segregation, King’s Baptist upbringing and familial influence shaped his early life.
Despite facing segregation, he excelled academically at David T. Howard Elementary and Booker T. Washington High School. Beginning college at 15 in Morehouse College, he studied subjects like sociology and theology. King’s pursuit of education continued at Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University, where he earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology in 1955. These formative years profoundly influenced King’s commitment to justice, equality, and nonviolent activism, setting the stage for his pivotal role in the American civil rights movement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | History, Early Life, & Quotes
Martin Luther King Jr Day is an annual federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the third Monday of January to honor the civil rights leader. It coincides with his birthday on January 15, this year falling on January 16. President Reagan established the holiday in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986, becoming a nationwide holiday in 2000. Only three people in the US have holidays dedicated to them: Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr. On this day, banks, stock markets, and public schools are closed.
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