The Role Of Martin Luther King In The Civil Rights Movement

Introduction: The civil rights movement of 1954-1968 has made a huge impact on the history of African-American equality. All the great leaders of the movement have gone down in history for their courageous work and outstanding commitment to the civil rights movement. One of the most famous of the activists was Martin Luther King Junior (1929-1968) . King is still remembered today for his legendary speech entitled “I had a dream”. Many countries concurred with Luther King and agreed with his ideas because he made a difference for African-Americans and took a stand against racism.

Another well-known speech was given prior to the March on Washington, by Malcolm X titled, “What Does Mississippi Have to Do with Harlem?” which also fought for justice. In his speech, “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. used language the best to promote his message. First, Martin Luther King Jr. is the most affirmative out of all the speakers. His words are very motivational and optimistic. For example, in paragraph 6, MLK says, “1963 is not an end, but a beginning”.

Throughout his lifetime Martin Luther King made a huge impact on the world, even still to this day. Because of what he has accomplished his legacy will forever live on. His courage and thrive to fight for African American freedom, we are now free from slavery. His Letter to Birmingham gives you an insight on how things were for African Americans back then. It shows the police brutality that was going on, the challenges AAs had to face, and the adversity that was going on.

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential African-American activists in American History and was a key participant in the Civil Rights movement, the goal of which was to provide full civil rights to all rights in America. MLK has written many, many speeches and letters in favor of the Civil Rights movement in America, the most famous of them being his legendary “I Have a Dream” Speech and the monumental “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. To attempt to gain support for his cause, MLK employs the use of emotional appeals, also known as pathos, and logical appeals, also known as logos, which aid to stir emotion and reasoning in the listener. It is more than obvious that MLK tends to tug at the heartstrings of his listeners with his emotionally charged language essential to his success. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses more powerful and plentiful examples of pathos in his literature, examples of which being his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, than logos due to the more powerful emotional connection they carry which can convince his listeners to sympathize with his civil rights movement.

Both their speeches, “I Have a Dream” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” may have shared some common traits, but at the same time, differed greatly in various aspects. Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” is vastly recognized as one of the best speeches ever given. His passionate demand for racial justice and an integrated society became popular throughout the Black community. His words proved to give the nation a new vocabulary to express what was happening to them. Martin was famously a pacifist, so in his speech, he advocated peaceful protesting and passively fighting against racial segregation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a name that is commonly recognized by a numerous amount of people from all over the country, or even all over the world. This African American man was seen by many citizens as the leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s because of a countless amount of things that he had done. Dr. King was a member of the NAACP (National Association for the advancement of Colored People), the president of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and the chairman of the Freedom Rides. Although, before all the achievements that he had acquired; he was only the son of a reverend and a teacher. Their names are Martin Luther King Sr., and Alberta Williams King.

- Civil Rights Act of 1964 This act prohibited any type of discrimination based on color, religion, race, and race. It also ended segregation in any public place. - Voting Rights Act of 1965 The act was signed by the President, Lyndon Johnson, on August 1965. The act gave minorities to African Americans the right to vote. - Fair Housing Act of 1968 The act prohibited discrimination when it comes to sale, rental or financing of

Executive Order 8802 impacted The Civil Rights Movement as it gave African Americans a voice in the workforce and socially as well. In modern day history, Executive Order 8802 granted The United States’ a first black president, Barack Obama. As a country, The United States has experienced many hardships and accomplishments, but it is what makes America a strong country. FDR took a grand leap in issuing Executive Order 8802 ,as it changed the lives’ of many who had been stripped of their voice for years, and finally began to regain it with Executive Order

In 1963, the admirable March on Washington was an important catalyst aiding in the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Interestingly enough, African-Americans were not the only people who cared about civil rights, but whites as well, hence the 75,000 whites that took a stance at the March on Washington. The March on Washington tested the dedication of many people around the world as they traveled to the Lincoln Memorial in hope of finalizing the discrimination and segregation of African-Americans. The March on Washington, a non-violent protest against segregation, aided in the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which made African American lives more fair and respected. Along with other movements, the March on Washington was one

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing to change the grim realities of the society. Hence, King’s works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower.

For a multitude of years, African Americans were considered purchasable property, not people. When the United States ratified the Constitution and they had established their government, slavery had not been abolished. It was not until the period after The Civil War that the United States government passed the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments and African Americans had gained their long-awaited freedom and civil rights. These Reconstruction Amendments gave African Americans the right to live the American Dream. The Reconstruction Amendments helped African Americans build an American Dream by promoting their general welfare, giving them liberty, and assuring justice for all people of color.

They were well known cases, like the Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown vs. Board of Education, and the Regents of the University vs. Bakke, all very influential cases in the fight for rights. Plessy vs. Ferguson, one of the bigger cases in the turning point for rights, gave the black community a big boost forward. There was a man named Homer Adoph Plessy that had a problem with the way things were going at the time and he wanted equal rights. But there was another man named John Ferguson who thought that everything was just skippy. They went to court to settle their quarrel.

Over the course of history, many people have fought for equality between African-American and whites. They fought very well to bring us to this day and age. Some important people that have done so are Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln. All of which had hope for a brighter future but they had different means of getting it. Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln both inspired people to quit segregation with the speeches that they gave in front of large crowds of people.

Martin Luther King Jr and other african americans in front of the Civil Rights Movement leaders.Also in front of the Abraham Lincoln statue. Martin Luther King giving his I Have a dream speech in August,28,1963 Ruby Bridges was escorted by the U.S. Marshals.She was the first black child enrolled at Frantz Elementary school. Years ago there were separate bathroom.Or as you would call it segregation Rosa Parks getting arrested for not giving up her seat

The group 's success in legalizing rights and enacting laws for African Americans can be traced back to its members influential members, including, W.E.B Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villard, James W. Johnson, Benjamin Hooks, and many others. “W.E.B Du Bois, was an African American civil rights activist, leader, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, and scholar” (NAACP.ORG). Du Bois was best known for his work with the NAACP, as director and publicity and research for the group. Throughout his role in the NAACP, he contributed towards founding the Niagara Movement, which was “an African American protest group of scholars and professionals” (NAACP.ORG). Du Bois also took part in writing The Crisis, a journal of 1910 (Revisor, Manly) which spoke publicly about the issues having to do with racism, targeting both African Americans and whites.