How far has the importance of Martin Luther King been exaggerated? The significance of Martin Luther King’s role during the Civil Rights Movement in the USA has become a matter for debate. In this essay I will examine the importance of his role along with many other factors. Shortly after King graduated with a Doctorates in Theology at the University of Boston, he was instantly involved in the attempts to improve black peoples rights in predominantly the South of America. King was the harbinger of Civil rights and ‘hit the ground running’ with his policies and ways of protests. His non violent strategies - inspired by Ghandi - were the source of his actions and they proved to be very popular. One of his most notable successes was the …show more content…
A further legislation put in to place was in 1957. The Civil Rights Act addressed the situation of voting rights, where only 20% of Black Americans had passed the test in order to vote. Congress passed the act to ensure all Americans could vote and forbade any person from interfering with anyones right to vote, in actuality little was done to enforce the Act, and the situation remained. Though, 3 years later, the Act was amended by requiring local authorities to keep thorough voting records. However, records showed that the acts only increased the number of votes by a dreary 3%. Another legislation put forward was in 1960 when Kennedy won the election, he put forward a controversial notion of a Civil Rights Act; he had showed support in previous years when he supported the Freedom Riders in 1961. But President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 so he could not pass the Act until his successor; Vice President Lyndon Johnson approved the Bill in July next year. The Act marked a defining moment in the struggle for Civil Rights; it outlawed segregation in all areas. In Source A we can see the combined partnership of Johnson and Kennedy, they offered a mixed bag of experience and charisma, which gave a great deal of diversity to American politics, who in the past rarely did anything to do with Civil rights; their policies gained millions of votes from anti-discriminates. An additional Act
In the essay “Let Justice Roll down”, Martin Luther King Jr wrote about the difficulties and social injustices faced by the negro population in America during the 1960’s. The main theme Dr. King was writing about in his yearly essay was the fight for civil justice and equality for all men and women. The essay chosen was written in 1965 and made very good points to the argument for equality made by Martin Luther King Jr. Three of these points included in the following paragraphs are the importance of Selma, AL to the rights movement, the importance of demonstrations, and a stronger focus on the Civil Rights Act.
John F. Kennedy had a major influence on the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Prior to the act, segregation in the United States was still strongly supported, but civil rights groups continued to fight against racism. After the election of 1960, John F. Kennedy continually supported the civil rights movement and he created a Civil Rights Act to fight for equal rights. After his assassination in 1963, the Civil Rights Act act was passed.
Although Kennedy never signed the legislation he set the groundwork for the civil rights movement. He proposed the idea and did most of the foot work, even kennedy's death helped pass the bill. After Lyndon took office, he was determined to carry out kennedy’s ideas. It only took a couple of months after Kennedy died for the bill to be passed (http://loc.gov/). Johnson used the nation's sympathy to propel the campaign forward. The campaign was doing so well after his death that it went further than Kennedy had ever imagined, the bill would go on to set up the NAACP and ended the poll
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His
Kennedy and later signed by president Lyndon Johnson ended segregation. History.com staff agrees, “The Civil Rights Act, ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement.” The decision to approve this act was a long process lasting 22 days. Congress voted 71 in favor 29 against; thus, the act has passed into law (Civil Rights Act of 1964); the law is considered one of the greatest advancement in the civil rights
‘Nothing mattered more to king than being an outstanding preacher. Martin Luther King had an exceptional personal some state. He was a very proud and an outspoken man. He had been ‘conditioned’ from the mere age of nine and ordained in a black church for later life purposes (1). At a young age racism surrounded him and was affected first hand. He was abused by a white mill owner purely on the colour of his skin. He also witnessed other black people suffering from violence when he saw a white mob attack and barbarically murder a black man. King was a very opinionated person and became a lead figure head publicly known on a national scale. This came to be
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.
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.
With the passing of the Civil Rights act it banned the discrimination of color, race, and sex. The passing of the Civil Rights at was hard for many were strongly against the idea. When Kennedy entered the white house he delayed his following against the anti-discrimination acts. The Civil Rights
King’s ideas regarding civil rights and injustice are valued by most people, and this essay demonstrates how articulate and meaningful his words truly are. Although opposite views can be noted, based on the logistical aspects of struggle, the rational, ethical, and emotional views that King expressed can not accurately be refuted. This essay precisely expresses the importance of fighting for justice, and the correct manner in which to do
The civil rights act of 1957 was issued by president Dwight D. Eisenhower to give all african americans their right to vote. President Dwight D. Eisenhower Signed into the law on September 9, 1957. The law was passed to ensure that all African Americans could exercise their right to vote. Although the law didn’t pass any new laws, it cancelled attempts to prevent African Americans from enforcing their right to vote.The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was made to give African Americans their right to vote and ensure their rights but the act wasn’t really used as it should’ve been as it wasn’t really enforced.
One of the many influential people in American History was Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a pastor in the Baptist faith, but he also was a leader in the advancement of colored people. During Dr. King’s time, segregation was at an all time high throughout the nation. But Dr. King, didn’t believe in violent protest, instead he insisted non-violent protest was the way to go. Dr. King held multiple speeches in multiple states about civil rights in America, until he reached the national level. On August
The goal of the 1957 Civil Rights Act was to ensure that all Americans could exercise their right to vote. By 1957, only about 20% of African Americans were registered to vote. Despite comprising the majority population in numerous counties and Congressional districts in the South, most blacks had been effectively disfranchised by discriminatory voter registration rules and laws in those states since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Civil rights organizations had collected evidence of discriminatory practices, such as administration of literacy and comprehension tests, poll taxes and other means. While the states had the right to establish rules for voter registration and elections, the federal government found an oversight role in ensuring
Following violent demonstrations in Birmingham in 1963, President John F. Kennedy proposed the Civil Rights Bill (Marsh, 2004). The president took the step as a measure to end the negative publicity against authorities for using excessive force against protesters. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by Kennedy’s successor in 1964.
America in the 1960s was not the finest time for African Americans, especially in the South. There was racism, injustice and inequality. However, the ‘devotees’ of the civil rights movement were dedicated and passionate about making a difference. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of those pioneers that remained true in what he believed in no matter what the circumstance.