For many, Martin Luther King Jr. is famous for his famous "I have a dream" speech. While he served a much greater purpose, one must first look to his Christian beliefs to understand the reverend who gave him the language, spiritual strength, and community to fuel and sustain his singular efforts for justice, peace, and freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 to a line of pastors. His grandfather and father were both shepherds for many years. Faith was at the center of his life and he saw his calling in the family business. King earned his bachelor's degree and established a doctorate in Systematic Theology in 1955 at Boston University. King's upbringing led him to lead a church and, through his devotion and strength of character, pushed him to embody the prophetic tradition of the Christian faith. King lived in a time when racial segregation and prejudice were widespread. On the night Rosa Parks was arrested for violating Montgomery city code, King was elected to lead a bus boycott among other local civil rights leaders. In his first speech as president of the group, ("Bio.True Story" 3) King stated: "We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown extraordinary patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were treated. Tonight we come here to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything other than freedom and justice." King's home was subsequently attacked, which prompted him to take legal action and found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to help lead nonviolent protests to promote civil rights change. King lectured throughout the states meeting religions...... middle of document ......phy.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086?page=3>.Moldovan, Russel. “Martin Luther King Jr.: A History.” Christianity today. 1 1 2000: 1. Web. 23 January 2014. .Maranzani, Barbara. "King's Letter from Birmingham Jail, 50 Years Later." The story in the headlines. (203): 1. Network. January 28, 2014. .Staff, NCC. "Five interesting facts about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.." Constitution Daily. (2013): n. page. Press. .Klein, Christopher. “10 Things You May Not Know About Martin Luther King Jr..” History in the headlines. (2013): n. page. Press. .