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One month after the start of the 1956 Montgomery bus boycott, at 9:15 pm on January 30, while The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was speaking to a congregation of 2,000 at First Baptist Church, his home was fire-bombed. His wife, Coretta, seven-week-old daughter, Yolanda, and a neighbor were inside. The front of the home was damaged, but no one was injured.
Dr. King rushed home to find a large crowd gathered outside, some carrying guns and prepared to take action in his defense. After checking on his family, King addressed the anxious and angry crowd, many of whom were members of his church. “If you have weapons,” he pleaded, “take them home; if you do not have them, please do not seek them. We cannot solve this problem through violence. We must meet violence with nonviolence.” The crowd dispersed peacefully after he assured them, “Go home and don’t worry. We are not hurt, and remember, if anything happens to me there will be others to take my place.”
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