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Why Was Martin Luther King Important

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The Voting Rights Act re-established laws and regulations regarding who has the right to vote, and the measures in which they could be kept from voting (Voting 1965). King was able to erase the unfair treatment of not only coloured citizens, but also other discriminated groups such as women, and gays. King changed voting forever, he made it so that money and tests did not defer people from voting, and that the implemented laws could actually be monitored by people such as the Attorney General (Voting 1965). King's achievement also translated onto paper. In the state of Mississippi alone voting by African American citizens went up by 53% between the years 1964 where it was 6% to 1969 where the voting turnout was 59% (Miller 2009). Bill Moyers, …show more content…

There is however one example of the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. that puts all other current reflections of him in their place. This is the fact that the current President of the United States, is in fact a coloured American. Before King started his crusade for the equality of his nation, blacks were being killed, beaten and horribly abused, with the justification being only that the colour of their skin was not seen as acceptable or normal. 50 years after the death of King, the world has seen many coloured people come to power that was once not even imaginable. The likes of Oprah, Barack Obama, Michael Jackson, or even sports phenom Michael Jordan have all come together to show the immense change King Jr. was able to achieve. To have an African American at the head of state in America, is something that King could not have even fathomed back when he started his crusade. Martin Luther King Jr, was instrumental in opening the door for millions of African Americans through his fight for equal rights for all men, women, dark skinned or white. King's dream although not entirely complete, has achieved so much in America, and around the world. In his address to the remembrance of King's death, Obama spoke upon his achievements when he said:
"Because they marched, America became more free …show more content…

King fought for equality, and for the African American population of the United States, he successfully achieved a lot of what he strived for. Through the Civil Rights Movement, King was able to legally, culturally, and socially impact America, and the international community. King's legacy lives on, even in his death his message provides hope for many around the world. He was one man, who was able to achieve so much in his short time on earth. To conclude, here are some words that encompass and emphasize Martin Luther King Jr, and what he stood

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