Martin Luther King Sr.

Martin Luther King Sr.
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Name	Martin Luther King Sr.
Birth name	Michael King
Birth date	19 December 1897
Birth place	Stockbridge, Georgia, U.S.
Death date	11 November 1984
Death place	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Baptist minister, missionary, activist
Spouse	Alberta Williams King (m. 1926; died 1974)
Children	Christine King Farris, Martin Luther King Jr., A. D. King
Education	Morehouse College (BA)

Martin Luther King Sr. was a prominent Baptist minister, missionary, and an influential early figure in the American civil rights movement. As the father of Martin Luther King Jr., he provided foundational support and mentorship, while also leading the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta for over four decades. His own activism, including leadership in the Atlanta Baptist Ministers Union and the NAACP, helped challenge Jim Crow laws and advance voting rights in Georgia.

Early life and education

Born Michael King on December 19, 1897, in Stockbridge, Georgia, he was the second child of James Albert King and Delia Linsey King, who were sharecroppers. His childhood was marked by the hardships of rural poverty and the violent realities of the Jim Crow South, including witnessing his father's confrontations with white supremacists. Determined to pursue education, he left Stockbridge for Atlanta, working various jobs to support himself. He earned his high school diploma through the Bryant Preparatory School before enrolling at Morehouse College, where he graduated with a degree in theology in 1930, solidifying his path toward the ministry.

Ministry and civil rights activism

In 1931, he succeeded his father-in-law, Adam Daniel Williams, as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, a position he held until 1975, dramatically growing the congregation's size and influence. He was a vocal advocate for civil rights, serving as president of the Atlanta Baptist Ministers Union and as a member of the executive board of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter. His activism included leading voter registration drives, challenging discriminatory teacher salary schedules in Atlanta Public Schools, and organizing a significant 1935 march to Atlanta City Hall to protest voting rights disparities. In 1934, inspired by the legacy of the Protestant reformer, he legally changed his own name and that of his young son from Michael to Martin Luther King.

Family and personal life

He married Alberta Williams King, the daughter of Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor Adam Daniel Williams, on Thanksgiving Day in 1926. Their union produced three children: daughter Christine King Farris and sons Martin Luther King Jr. and Alfred Daniel "A. D." King. The family home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta was a nurturing environment that emphasized faith, education, and social responsibility. He endured profound personal tragedies, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and the murder of his wife, Alberta Williams King, by a gunman at Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1974. His younger son, A. D. King, also a Baptist minister, died under mysterious circumstances in 1969.

Later years and death

Following the death of his wife, his public activities diminished, though he remained a revered elder statesman within the American Baptist Churches USA and the Atlanta community. He published his autobiography, *Daddy King: An Autobiography*, in 1980, co-written with Clayborne Carson. He continued to reside in Atlanta until his death from heart disease on November 11, 1984, at Crawford W. Long Hospital. His funeral was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and he was interred at South-View Cemetery in Atlanta, a historic African American cemetery co-founded by his father-in-law, Adam Daniel Williams.

Legacy and honors

His legacy is that of a pioneering pastor and courageous activist who helped lay the groundwork for the modern civil rights movement. He mentored a generation of leaders, most notably his son, Martin Luther King Jr., and influenced other figures like Ralph David Abernathy and Joseph Lowery. Honors bestowed upon him include serving on the board of trustees for Morehouse College and Morris Brown College. In 1977, he received an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta preserves his home and pulpit. His life's work is commemorated annually during Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations across the United States.

Category:American Baptist ministers Category:American civil rights activists Category:People from Atlanta Category:Morehouse College alumni