Stan Golanka's List: MLK Research

• Martin Luther King, Jr.

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• Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King.^[3] King's father was born "Michael King," and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.," until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.
• He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King.^[2] King's father was born "Michael King", and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.", until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.^[3]

  • According to this site, why was MLK's name changed? Does the site give you the impression that this was done for a good reason?
• He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams King.^[5] King sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind.^[6]
• Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King.^[3] King's father was born "Michael King," and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.," until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin Luther in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther.^[4]
• • What does this site say about MLK's birth and name?

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• Biography

  • Read the first paragraph of MLK's biography. What does this site say about his birth, and his name?
• His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors  of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to  1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from  1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor.

• Born in 1929, King was the son of a Black preacher known at the time only as "Daddy  King." "Daddy King" named his son Michael. In 1935, "Daddy King"  had an inspiration to name himself after the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. He  declared to his congregation that henceforth they were to refer to him as "Martin  Luther King" and to his son as "Martin Luther King, Jr." None of this name  changing was ever legalized in court. "Daddy" King's son's real name is to this  day Michael King.

  • What does this site say about MLK's name change? Does this paragraph give or imply any negative reasons for the change? How does this make you feel about MLK? What if this were the only source of information?