| Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change | |
| Founded Date: | 1968 |
| Founder: | Coretta Scott King |
| Location: | Atlanta |
| Focus: | Nonviolent Social Change |
| Leader Title: | President |
| Leader Name: | Bernice King |
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, commonly known as The King Center, is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization in Atlanta, United States.
The center was founded in 1968 by Coretta Scott King,[1] who started the organization in the basement of the couple's home in the year following the assassination of her husband in 1968.
In 1981, the center's headquarters were moved into the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park facility on Auburn Avenue which includes King's birth home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached from 1960 until his death.[2]
In 1977, a memorial tomb was dedicated, and the remains of Martin Luther King Jr. were moved from South View Cemetery to the plaza that is nestled between the center and the church. Martin Luther King Jr.'s gravesite and a reflecting pool are also located next to Freedom Hall. Mrs. King was interred with her husband on February 7, 2006.
In 2012, King's youngest child, Bernice King, became the CEO.[3]
The center provides research, education and training programs on the principles, philosophy and methods of non-violence.[4] It supports these actions internationally with the Beloved Community Network.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize is awarded by the King Center.[5]
A non-exhaustive list of recipients includes: Cesar Chavez (1973); Stanley Levison and Kenneth Kaunda (1978); Rosa Parks (1980); Martin Luther King Sr. and Richard Attenborough (1983); Corazon Aquino (1987); Mikhail Gorbachev (1991); and, on April 4, 2018the 50th anniversary of King's assassinationBen Ferencz and Bryan Stevenson.[6]