February 12, 2015
AFAS 220
New York Times Book Review, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
By: Clayborne Carson Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most influential men of his time. Clayborne Carson gives an overview of his life and goes into specific details of his accomplishments that have benefited the African American community. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. King had two siblings an older sister named, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother named, Alfred Daniel Williams King. Kings father abused him, which led to depression for a majority of his life. At the age of twelve King attempted suicide by jumping out of a two-story building, but survived the fall. King grew up in a very religious, middle class family and was a member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. King attended Morehouse College, where he studied sociology and was described by a few of his teachers as an underachiever. At Morehouse King he looked up to Benjamin E. Mays, the president of the school, as a mentor. He ended up graduating with a degree in sociology. In September …show more content…
He became elected the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It was made up of churches throughout the south that was a result of the boycott. King began getting noticed for all the work that he has been apart of. The book goes on to talk about how the prior events led to King’s appearance in multiple national events. He spoke at a rally in Washington D.C. and also published a book called Stride Toward Freedom in 1958. Then, in 1961, King started supporting the Freedom Rides, which were meant to desegregate bus stations and lunch counters. After some tension, King returned to Albany where he participated in protests and ended up getting arrested. He refused to pay the fine but authorities paid it because they wanted to calm down the