Celebrating Martin Luther King, Sr. 

Born on December 19th, 1897 in Stockbridge, Georgia, he attended a “Colored School” that had no books, no materials to write with, and no blackboards.

He witnessed a number of violent acts during his childhood, including the lynching of a Black man. His father was abusive to his mother on occasion. She took him to a Baptist church to ease the harsh tone of farm life. He respected preachers who were willing to speak out against racial prejudices and eventually took an interest in preaching himself, practicing eulogies on the farm’s chickens.

In 1918, he boarded at the home of a Baptist minister in Atlanta and later married the minister’s daughter. Together they raised a daughter and two sons.

He succeeded his father-in-law as the Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and led organizations such as the Atlanta Civic and Political League. He would later serve on the boards of two colleges and the National Baptist Convention.

In the late 30s, he led a massive voter registration drive to be initiated by a march to city hall and fought for increased salaries for Black teachers.

On October 17th, 1940, he delivered a speech to clergymen on the true mission of the church. In this presentation, he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor.”

The Reverend Martin Luther King Sr., affectionately known as “Daddy King,” died in 1984; a leader of the Civil Rights Movement long before his son Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Join us this month, on-air and online, during Black History Month on BRIGHT-FM as we journey through history.

Image source: The Washington Informer.