Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist. He was one of the major leaders of the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement. Through the practice of nonviolent resistance and peaceful protest, King fought for human rights and equality for African Americans, and justice for all disadvantaged people. His legacy in activism and political thought still impacts discourse on race relations.

King was born was born as Michael Luther King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. His father, Michael King Sr., and his maternal grandfather were Baptist ministers. His mother, Alberta Williams, was a schoolteacher. His father changed his name to Martin Luther in honor of the German religious leader of the Protestant Reformation. The family resided in a prosperous Black neighborhood, which was home to several successful Black businesses and churches. Despite a loving and secure childhood, King could not be shielded from the reality of racism. His father viewed racial discrimination as an insult to God. King attended segregated public schools and excelled academically. He was admitted to Morehouse College, a prestigious all-male Black college, to study law and medicine at the age of 15. King initially did not wish to follow his father into the ministry, but the mentorship of Dr.