The Importance of the Civil Rights Leaders Essay

?The Ways Of Meeting Oppression,? by Martin Luther king Jr., gives an over view of how one man classifies his ways of dealing with oppression and how they were dealt with during segregation. . During the first half of the twentieth century segregation was the way of life in the south. It was excepted, and even though it was morally wrong, it still went on, as it there was nothing wrong with it. African Americans were treated as if they where a somehow sub-human, they were treated because of the color of their skin that somehow, someway they were different. Some African Americans began to ?tacitly adjust themselves to oppression?(King), or as King saw it acquiescence. Others began to stand up for themselves but in a matter that involved violence. There where those that stood up for themselves by using nonviolence resistance which was Dr. King?s ideal method of dealing with oppression. ?Nonviolence is the answer to the racial, political and moral question. . .the need for man to overcome oppression and violence. . .?(King). This captures both Dr. King?s powerful feeling and stance on nonviolence as the way to winning the respect of the oppressors. Like Martin Luther king Jr. I to have learned the strategies of how people deal with the three types of oppression which are: acquiescence, violence, and non-violence resistance, but trough historical instances and my personal experiences in the past.

Martin Luther King jr. was one of the most influential persons of the 20th Century. He is the father of the modern civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is recognized around the world as a symbol of freedom as well as peace. King practiced everything that he preached, he did not preach or speak values that he himself did not follow. He established himself as a pastor that was not afraid of hard work, guiding the middle-class congregation to public service. For example, Peake, Thomas R. author of "Martin Luther King, Jr.” states, “He encouraged his parishioners to help the needy and to be active in organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)”. I think that kings motivation

After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped

African American people have come a long way from the illiterate slaves, who were once picking cotton in fields, to powerful political leaders. A prime example would be President Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States of America. But first we must ask ourselves, how did this occur? Who lead African Americans to better living standards? Civil rights leaders, such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few. However, among these great names in history, there is one that stands out, and that man is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King gave hope to those in need with his awe inspiring sermons he performed at the church his grandfather founded. He changed foes to

The idea of peacekeeping and the maintaining of order began centuries ago. However, long ago women were not involved in this. As women did enter within 20th century their role was limited. As time passes, change takes place.

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.

Dr. King's effort to make non-violent campaign and to end racial segregation led Negroes to protest together for equal rights. Appeal of emotions in letter the King use have shown anger and sadness from broken promise and injustice law. The King clearly stated that disease of segregation will never end after all suffer, “For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”(King 275).

To stay strong when surrounded by cruelty. To show respect to a fellow man, even when he refuses to return the favor. Preaching these words is one thing, but to fight a war with such practices, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers did, is truly astonishing. As a minister, Dr. King was bound and determined to win the battle for equality using the teachings of God. History has remembered him as the quintessential civil rights leader, not only because of the great strides he made in the fight for racial equality, but also for the manner in which they were accomplished. Nonviolent protests across the nation, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Selma to Montgomery marches, were organized by King in order to combat prejudice against his people. During his protest campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, King and fellow leaders were violently arrested for boycotting without a permit. Alone with his thoughts in his damp jail cell, Dr. King assembled a passionate letter to defend his operations. Little did he know, this letter would go on to play a major role in attaining the equality he had thirsted for his entire life. In King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" he utilized the power of his pen to deal a lethal blow to the segregation and unethical practices that had plagued this country for centuries. His goals were not achieved through threats or immoral behavior, but by actively deciding to seek a solution through peace and

As both understood the evil of oppression, King and Gandhi conveys that violence could not be used as the measure to achieve equality in their movements. Nonviolence was utilized by both King and Gandhi to bring focus to their oppressors evil actions and show the society that justice can be earned without violence. King used nonviolence as a weapon to stop racism, segregation, and injustice toward African American in the United States. King did a non-violent campaign in Birmingham, as King stated, "four basic steps: (1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; (2) negotiation; (3) self-purification; and (4) direct action" (p.234). King believes, the tension created by direct action is the answer to receiving results. Negotiation is an ultimately more humane approach but allows less results. King concluded that direct action would create chaos that would open the door for negotiation. Similarly, Gandhi revealed a method of direct

Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist, was born in the Deep South, surrounded by racism. His experiences with racial discrimination fuelled his desire to become active in the civil rights movement; he eventually became a driving force behind the movement through his philosophy of nonviolence, changing the course of history for African Americans. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King Jr. argues that “lukewarm acceptance is much more frustrating than

To begin with, one must use non-violent means to find a peaceful solution in order to achieve true freedom and defend their civil rights. According to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King expressed that “my friend and I must say to you that we have not made a civil right without determined legal non-violent pressure.” This shows how King wants to secure civil rights with using non-violence methods. Furthermore, King also stated, “to deny citizens the first amendment privilege of peace assembly and protest.” This reveals that when King protested he protested to secure his civil rights by using nonviolent methods.

The Civil Rights Movement had a lot going on between 1954 and 1964. While there were some successful aspects of the movement, there were some failures as well. The mixture of successes and failures led to the extension of the movement and eventually a more equal American society.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left a legacy behind like no man before him; his presence was one that completely reshaped the nation. Through his role in the advancement of civil rights by utilizing non-violent methods, he was able to break down the racial barriers built by prejudice and discrimination. Many of his ideals and principles are timeless. His widespread vision is still applied to resolve many issues in today’s society. The six principals of nonviolence from Dr. King are great tools to resolve many problems like racism, an unequal justice system and a huge financial gap that minorities experience.

The Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King The Civil Rights movement is still identified by people across the world with Dr Martin Luther King. His day of birth is remarked with a national holiday in the United States and there are many historic sites dedicated to MLK across the nation. His funeral in Atlanta on 9th April 1968 was attended by political leaders from around the world and later in 1977 King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom which stated that MLK was “the conscience on his generation” who…”saw the power of love could bring down segregation”.

The Civil Rights Movement played a very important role for African Americans in the Unites States. In the early 1960s The Civil Rights Movement was unified to end racial segregation and discrimination. African Americans still lived in an unequal world of disenfranchisement, segregation and injustice, like race inspired violence. many Americans united together across color lines to protest the racism and discrimination that existed in the United States. During the 1950s and the early 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr. became an important leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He advocated non-violent protest. He believed that people of all races would look favorably on a movement that encouraged peace and equality and did not meet injustice with violence. King's peaceful message attracted thousands of supporters of all races who agreed that segregation and the lack of rights for African Americans could not continue. But some of the African Americans became frustrated and began to reject the calls for non-violent protests. They wanted changes to occur much more