KING, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-68). Inspired by the belief that love and peaceful protest could eliminate social injustice, Martin Luther King, Jr., became one of the outstanding black leaders in the United States. He aroused whites and blacks alike to protest racial discrimination, portray, and war. A champion of nonviolent resistance to oppress ion, he was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1964. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan.15, 1929. His father, Martin, Sr., was the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, a black congregation. His mother, Alberta Williams King, was a schoolteacher.