The first 12 years of Kings childhood were spent in the home at 501 Auburn Avenue that his parents shared with his maternal grandparents, A. D. and Jennie Celeste Williams. Dear friend of MLK and civil rights activist/former Atlanta mayor, Andrew Young, was by A.D. Kings side, consoling him as they both watched Dr. King die on that Lorraine Hotel balcony in 1968. Becoming known as a master strategist in the civil rights movement, many thought that he would take over the Southern Christian Leadership Conferencewhen his brother was killed but he didnt show any interest in taking his brothers position. Through his words and actions, Luther precipitated a movement that reformulated certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the division of Western . He faced many of the struggles several other civil rights leaders did during the 1950s and 60s, including being arrested in an October 1960 lunch counter sit-in in Atlanta. Martin Luther King Jr. Born on July 30, 1930, Alfred Daniel A. On July 20, 1969, 15 months after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, A.D. sat agitated in his home. Many people didnt even know Martin Luther King had a brother.. Related:A.D. King remembered on his brother's holiday. On March 25, 1965 in Montgomery, Alabama. Only the Kennedys have been able to pull off a dynasty because they had enough money to do it.. And A.D. Kings daughter, Alveda King, has gone on to become a conservative activist, speaking out on a variety of issues. Both graduated from Morehouse College, though A.D. was a little rough at times and less interested in academics. He was in the fetal position, shesaid, according to The Seattle Times. He was a son of Reverend Martin Luther King (18991984), and Alberta Williams King (19041974), the youngest of their three children (the other two being Willie Christine, born September 11, 1927, and Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929). Martin Luther King Jr.murdered. That sets the stage for a look int the civil rights work of A.D King and his efforts to determine who was behind his brothers killing. Yet, today, many people dont know much about the life of Alfred DanielA.D. King, the younger brother of Martin Luther King Jr. A.D. Kings life, contributions to the civil rights movement and his death 15 months after his brothers assassination are the focus of a recently released documentary,Unsolved History: Life of a King., I consider myself well-versed in civil rights, but I didnt know a lot about him, said Ri-Karlo Handy, president and CEO of Sunwise Media, which co-produced the King documentary with Positive Promotions . Naomi King, his widow, said, "There is no doubt in my mind that the system killed my husband. Martin Luther King Jr. What was Martin Luther Kings family life like? He died in 1984. An African-American church leader and a son of early civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Sr., King advanced civil rights for people of color . Make no mistake about it, he was his own man: In the mid-1960s, he struck out on his own to pastor a church in Louisville, Kentucky, but Atlanta remained his true home. A.D. and King followed in the footsteps of their father, the Rev. On Thanksgiving Day 1926, Martin Luther King, Sr., married Alberta Williams, who gave birth to Willie Christine King ( Farris) in 1927, Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1929, and Alfred Daniel King in 1930. While Kings brother, A.D. Williams King, often appeared at his brothers speeches and marches, he was a bit more rebellious than his older siblings. After his brother's assassination in April 1968, there was speculation that King might become the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). That wasnt the end of the familys grief, though, as recounted in a description for the A.D. King Foundation, an organization setup by Naomi King to honor her late husbands memory. 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He would have hoped to bring his brothers killers to book but this did not materialize as his life was also tragically cut short when he mysteriously drowned on July 1, 1969, at the age of 38, a year and a half after Kings death. A.D. King was more than just the unknown King brother, he was a father to his and Naomis five children- Alveda, Alfred, Derek, Esther and Vernon; a devoted husband; loyal brother; a pastor; and unsung hero of the civil rights fight. }); Copyright 2015 . Luther's father wanted him to become a lawyer. Dr. King has seven nieces and nephews. But an important figure that has been often overshadowed, some say, is his younger brother, A.D. King. Ebenezer Baptist Church. -via ST. A.D. King was a well known pastor in throughout Birmingham, AL, where he fought for civil rights alongside his brother, MLK, and pastored his own church. On May 11, 1963, King's house was bombed. And he was in his underwear. The truth may never be known, but what is certain is that A.D. King played a vital role in the civil rights movement, that of lieutenant to his older brother, and a trusted soldier in the struggle for equality. Yet, A.D. Kings legacy is still overlooked. Did he accidentally drown in his backyard swimming pool or was he killed. His family became targets of his angry outbursts, fueled by alcoholism. King, if it hadnt been for Martin and his father, would have been a prominent preacher in this city, because he was a very good preacher, Atlanta's former Mayor, Andrew Young, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Role: Leader of Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This is my being and my heritage, he once explained, for I am also the son of a Baptist preacher, the grandson of a Baptist preacher and the great-grandson of a Baptist preacher (King, The Un-Christian Christian). [1]:192 He'd seemed unusually quietand not very interested in the film. I think that we, as African Americans, have archive our own history and his (story) has largely not been told, said Josetta Shropshire,president and CEO of Conyers-based Positive Promotions. After his brothers death, it was assumed by some he would take the mantle of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, but that went to King ally and veteran the Rev. King's side office at Zion Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky was bombed. There were many different pieces and components.. Heartbreaking. Martin Luther King Sr. (born Michael King; December 19, 1899 - November 11, . In contrast to his peacemaking brother, Martin, A. D.according to his fatherwas "a little rough at times" and "let his toughness build a reputation throughout our neighborhood". In the end, the King family legacy continues to inspire millions across the nation and the world, as the courage to stand up for whats right has distinguished Martin Luther King Jr. and his family members, forever solidifying them as important historical fixtures who have collectively and tirelessly worked to make America a better and more inclusive place. King and Boykin were murderedbyMarcus Wayne Chenault Jr., who reportedly later said he had open-fired inside the church due to his disdain for the Christian faith after his god instructed him to do so, as The New York Times notedina 1995 news reportdetailing Chenaults own death while in prison. King was in the room directly beneath Martin's at the Lorraine Hotel when the gun blast went off, and when he saw his brother lying mortally wounded, he had to be restrained by others, due to the shock and overwhelming emotion he was experiencing. container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', As it turns out, the King family suffered greatly for its willingness to stand up for civil rights. And both graduated from Morehouse College. Following his death, King family members had suspicions about how hed accidentally died King was in Memphis to lead a march in support of the local sanitation workers' union. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails', She recognized there was another story to tell about the King family legacy, that of the younger brother. There was no water in his lungs. He was in a room below when the Rev. At 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The three Atlanta news sources will release comprehensive multi-platform content until April 9, the anniversary of Kings funeral. A.D. King had reportedly struggled to understand and cope with his brothers death, and pledged before his death to explore the details behind it,according to The Seattle Times. Yet, today, many people. The following day, on July 21, 1969 -just 9 days before his 39th birthday- Rev. James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old escaped . meaning and it had purpose.. Willie Bolden, good friend of A.D. revealed this: His [A.D.] strategy was to support his brother. During his childhood, King, Sr., later recalled, My mother had babies, worked the fields, and often went during the winter to wash and iron in the homes of whites around town(Papers1:21). Daddy was killed and put in the pool, said Alveda King, who was at work when the body was discovered. A.D. Kings daughter, Alveda King: Daddy was killed and put in the pool, said Alveda, who was at work when the body was discovered. He was also known among the confines of their familys popular Ebenezer Church in Atlanta, Ga. In a speech weeks later, he told a crowd not to charge the armed white policemen nearby. On August 22, 1995, Chenault died at age 44 after suffering a stroke in prison. On Wednesday, King's children will lay wreaths at their parents' crypt, as bells toll 39 times to symbolize each year their father lived. Following MLKs assassination, A.D.s widow, Naomi King, revealed to Seattle Times, that He never recovered, because he felt it was his duty to protect his brother.. On July 21, 1969, nine days before his 39th birthday, King was found dead in the swimming pool at his home. In addition to that, hes endured many of the struggles several other civil rights leaders did during the 1950s and 60s, including having his home bombed while he and his family were still in it, becoming a political prisoner, etc.. 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Yolanda Denise King, who was born on Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., lived virtually her entire life in the maelstrom of the civil rights revolution that her father and mother, Coretta Scott . King's side office at Zion Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky was bombed.[5]. James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 - April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive convicted for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.After this, Ray was on the run and was captured in the UK. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. Lets wish her a very happy birthday, share some love, and send up continual prayers for her praying she makes it to 100., Honor Martin Luther King Jr. With These Powerful Quotes and Instagram Captions, Aretha Franklin Was at the Heart of the Civil Rights Movement Alongside MLK, Poster Featuring Martin Luther King Jr. And Donald Trump Takes Internet By Storm. Im gonna find out who did it, he told someone on the phone, as Alveda stood nearby. Alfred Daniel Williams King was born . At the age of 16, she entered Spelman College, where she joined several clubs, including the glee club, and was voted Most Distinguished Student. She graduated with a degree in economics and went on to attend Columbia University, where she earned two masters degrees in education.