Who Made the Most Impact on the Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement had many important leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon B. Johnson, whose actions largely influenced the civil rights movement during the 60's. Of these two great leaders that were active during the Civil Rights Movement, one of them stands out; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is better-known for his efforts in the civil rights movement, for example his belief of nonviolent protests and the forming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. President Lyndon B. Johnson, however did accomplish more for civil rights than Dr. Martin Luther King, but it was only at the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King and his protesting groups with their peaceful demonstrations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the Civil Rights movement in the 60’s. The Civil Rights movement was a time that African-Americans …show more content…
Martin Luther King was unsettled with the way the civil rights movement was being carried out in the 1960's. “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights.” (Bailey, 515). Even after a hundred years since the Emancipation Proclamation, not much has changed for equal rights for African-Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King understood that his demonstrators could be a driving force behind change and with any change in history this would set of the gears of reform in motion. Dr. Martin Luther King knew that without protesting and sitting quietly, the civil rights movement would never happen. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” (Bailey, 515). That United States government would stall on any actions taken for equal rights for African-American as long as possible. So it was up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his African-American protestors to get those gears of reform in
The author makes Martin Luther King Jr the key figure and leader of the civil rights movement between 1954 and 1963. However, there are other individuals that can be considered influential for the civil rights movement,
Dr. King was looking for support from members of society in order to create an effective change in society’s ethics. Moreover, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s large audience and public movement used nonviolent tactics, such as sit-ins, marches, and freedom rides to put the Civil Rights Movement in action. Before directly acting against the law, Dr. King had used other means to try to obtain justice for all; he used the four basic steps of a nonviolent campaign to decide how he would approach this cultural issue of racism: determination of whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action (King 1). After the first three steps of his nonviolent campaign proved to be ineffective, he decided to seek direct action through a large demonstration of civil disobedience. Dr. King had a tremendous impact on the segregation issue in not just Birmingham, but the entire country, by leading the Civil Rights Movement, which eventually helped influence anti-segregation legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that affected a massive population of the entire country. Although Dr. King’s journey ended in his assassination, his relentless passion for equal rights was empowering to many and helped to create a more just society.
Martin Luther King Jr, an civil rights activist, fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. While in jail, King received a letter from eight Alabama clergyman explaining their distress and opposition to King and his followers actions. This letter occasioned his reply and caused King to write a persuasive letter justifying his actions and presence in Birmingham. Although King’s reply was addressed to the Alabama clergyman, its target audience was the “white moderate”. King understood that if he gained support from the average, indifferent white American that the civil rights movement would reach it’s goals much faster. In his
Martin Luther King, Jr. paved the way for the civil rights movement as he was unrelenting in his strive to eliminate segregation and the social system that upheld it. He fought for justice, freedom, and the equality of opportunity. He is famous for his use of civil disobedience to fight without fighting back, to accept the consequences of his defiances, and to use the initiatives of fellow citizens to act in opposition against the laws discriminating against people of color. King was an activist, but first, he was a pastor. He received a letter through the newspaper from other clergymen trying to discourage his efforts. Responding from a jail cell, King wrote a fifty paragraph letter on scraps of paper, justifying his cause and refuting their claims. In paragraphs fifteen to twenty-two, he specifically explains the effectiveness and necessity of his efforts. Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully justifies civil disobedience by utilizing logos developed through skillful syntax, and ethos built by thoughtful selection of detail.
In 1954, with Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine, legally (but not practically) ending segregation. Buses, schools, theaters… they were to be desegregated, but the fight wasn’t over. African Americans, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., utilized nonviolent means and civil disobedience to protest their unequal treatment. In his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King inspired citizens to stand up and fight for equality. From a jail cell in Birmingham, he famously wrote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one
Martin Luther King Jr. believed that it was time to do something about the mistreatments and degradations of this brothers and sisters. MLK preached nonviolence in every aspect of his movements. He promoted and lead peaceful marches and demonstrations around the states. He said the only way to bring about change was to reveal the tension between whites and black that have been concealed away from public view. MLK said that his movements did not cause violence, but only brought to light tensions that were present in this society. If his movements didn’t cause violence why were there violent outcome to his movement. Martin Luther King Jr. answered it this way. He said that his movements bring to light hidden tensions. The whites wanted peace, but it was negative peace. Negative peace was order without Justice; It was a fallacy of
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective
Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was an extraordinary man who had the courage and devotion to begin a nonviolent civil rights movement in the 1960s. Dr King had many childhood influences, role models, and education that made him the person he was as an adult. He did many amazing things that helped our country in his time.
During the course of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were several black and white supporters who had brave roles. The most prominent and persistent activist of African American rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. King’s ideas sparked the ideal perspective of equality. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality by organizing marches, giving powerful speeches, and staying positive through adversity.
Later, due to the events of the boycott, Martin Luther King Jr. emerged and was the movement’s “most effective leader” (Clayborne Carson). He is known for his nonviolent tactics and his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and later became the president of the SCLC in 1957 following the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
A key individual in the struggle for black civil rights was Martin Luther King Jr. He was an inspiring young activist who possessed talent for public speaking and was a natural born leader. He had a deep determination to create equality among all races world wide. He helped to organise civil rights protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Birmingham Campaign and the March on Washington.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the primary leader in the civil rights movement at the time. He led hundreds of thousands of African Americans to peacefully march on Washington D.C.in order to make the government hear their pleas for equality. This mostly peaceful protest was allowed and made the government realize that something had to change. The government had been implementing systems to help make equality between whites and blacks work, but never did much to act on them. The March forced the governments hand to
Martin Luther King Jr. is a well known and an inspiring man to all cultures of the world. King was and still is one of the most influential heroes. King 's views and believes helped African Americans through the 50 's and 60 's to the rights and liberties that was their right. King faced many obstacles on his journey, things like jail and even assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, he became a successful leader during the Civil Rights Movement and after his death, by guiding African Americans in a non-violent and positive direction for the fight to secure rights and equality for blacks.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a time in which African Americans were setting out to end segregation, specifically in the south. During this time period, African Americans were treated unequally from the white people. African Americans were unable to eat in the same restaurants, shop in the same stores, or even drink out of the same drinking fountain. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 till to April 4, 1968, African Americans accomplished more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is broadly regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history. Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. King led a "nonviolent movement" in the late 1950’s and ‘60s to accomplish legal equality for African-Americans in the United States. While others were supporting for liberty by “any means necessary,” including violence, but Martin used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals. He went to lead similar campaigns against poverty and international conflict, always preserving loyalty to his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family