Biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

Born Michael King Jr. in Atlanta, he later shared his father’s adopted name in honor of the great reformer. A brilliant student, pastor, and orator, Dr. King embraced nonviolence to lead America toward its promise of equality. From the Montgomery bus boycott to the Birmingham campaign, from the March on Washington—where he shared his dream—to the Poor People’s Campaign, his moral leadership transformed a nation. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35, he reminded the world that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Though his life was cut short on April 4, 1968, his vision of beloved community lives on, calling every generation to love, hope, and courageous action.