In Black American history there have been many influential people.

Phyllis Wheatley. Sojourner Truth. Harriet Tubman. Frederick Douglass. Booker T. Washington. George Washington Carver. Jackie Robinson.

But few transformed America more than Martin Luther King, Jr.

Every January, America celebrates his birthday, placing him alongside Washington and Lincoln. Who influenced King? Why is he named after the Protestant Reformer? What lessons can we learn from his story?

This is the story behind a social reformer you might not know. It begins with his name, which was not originally Martin. Let’s explore the background that shaped his identity and the impact he had on social reform.

Michael Luther King, Jr. receives a transformative new name.

He was born into a family of faith on January 15, 1929, with his father (Michael Sr.) and grandfather serving as Baptist preachers in Georgia. Known as “Big Mike” and “Little Mike,” they shaped his upbringing in the wooden pews of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he would later serve as pastor.

Originally, Martin’s name was “Michael.” But Big Mike changed it to Martin after he attended the 1934 Congress of the Baptist World Alliance in Berlin, Germany. As part of that trip, the elder King toured historic German sites related to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther. At the same time, Big Mike was also exposed to rising German Nazism.

Luther’s rebellion against the political system and Hitler’s fascist control captured Sr. Michael’s attention. He resolved to lead differently.

To affirm his conviction, he renamed himself “Martin” Luther King, Sr. and passed this name to his son, Little Mike “Martin” Luther King, Jr. This act was a father’s blessing and anointing, setting the junior King apart as an instrument for righteous change in a still-segregated America.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was transformed through his childhood faith and friendships.

The ‘junior’ Martin grew up reading the Bible and listening to his grandmother, Mama Jennie, share stories of biblical characters. By preschool, he had memorized many Bible verses and hymns, including his favorite, ‘I Want to Be More and More Like Jesus,’ showcasing his oratory skills and deep Scripture knowledge.

At six, King befriended a white neighbor boy, and they were inseparable until they were forced to attend different schools. The boy’s parents then prohibited their friendship, leaving King hurt and confused. His parents explained the painful racial divide between whites and blacks in the Deep South.

Thats the day King learned about his people’s legacy of racism, segregation, and slavery.

Initially, King felt anger and bitterness, even vowing to hate all white people. However, his Christian parents encouraged him to love unconditionally, like Jesus. Through this experience, King learned to channel his pain and anger positively to help transform America.

King’s adolescence transformed him into a man, orator and protestor.

As a teen, Martin loved opera and played the piano and violin. His favorite subjects were English and history. Attending Booker T. Washington High School, the only all-Black high school in Atlanta, he earned a B+ average. His public speaking skills distinguished him as an orator among peers.

He not only sounded great to the ear but also spoke great words to the heart.

In 1944, King won his first speaking contest, delivering a powerful message: “Black America still wears chains. The finest negro is at the mercy of the meanest white man.” This reality became painfully clear on the bus ride home to Atlanta, where their white driver ordered King and his black teacher to give up their seats for white passengers.

After a long day, standing for a long ride was unappealing. The adolescent King protested angrily, refusing to give up his seat. However, his instructor persuaded him to reconsider, explaining that this act violated Jim Crow laws and could lead to disastrous consequences, including beatings, jail, or lynching.

However, by 1944 lynchings had been on the decline since the mid-1930s (according to the Tuskegee Institute). In 1935, there were 18 lynchings of blacks, but only 17 combined between 1940-1943. In 1944, there were only two black lynchings.

After much consideration, Martin finally gave up his seat. However, the experience left him with a lingering disappointment. He learned that some social protests can have unintended negative consequences, and sometimes, the cost of participation outweighs the benefits.

A few months later, King experienced a different side (and kind) of America.

Martin traveled to Connecticut to work on a tobacco farm with friends, marking his first trip north of the Mason-Dixon line. He wrote to his father, noting the integrated North’s refreshing difference, where he faced ‘no discrimination’ and found the ‘white people…were very nice.’

King noted that Black individuals could freely go anywhere and sit wherever they chose. He was surprised that even the finest restaurants served them. Attending a church where Black and white people worshipped together inspired King and showed him that not all whites were racist; many were welcoming and tolerant.

It was the America Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually cast as a “dream” for his people and homeland.

READ PART TWO

SOURCES:

1. Wikipedia: “Martin Luther King, Jr.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.
2. “Lynchings by State and Race: 1882-1968,” Tuskegee Institute: http://www.archive.tuskegee.edu/repository/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Lynchings-Stats-Year-Dates-Causes.pdf