...been many cases of civil disobedience having generally positive results. Those such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks used civil disobedience while they were protesting against racial injustice. A more recent example of civil disobedience would be with Mr. Colin Kaepernick with his peaceful protests against issues in American by deciding to kneel during the national anthem of his team’s football games. These people were brave enough to peacefully disobey civil law in order to bring awareness, and ultimate change to issues that they were passionate about. Dr. Martin Luther King, during his protests against segregation and racial injustice, used a nonviolent approach in order to show his disapproval to the civil laws at the time. Dr. King would lead and participate in marches and give speeches against racial...
Words: 687 - Pages: 3
...being around inconsiderate and unsympathetic whites. It has recently come to my attention that not enough people understand how effective non-violent protest has been to our lives. The Civil Rights Movement has definitely made people, including me, realize how important their voice and opinion can be, which has significantly changed America. Peaceful protests work far better than taking a violent approach to it. With nonviolent protests, there are fewer obstacles to conquer and less physical involvement and commitment. Even though some non-violent protests are not successful and fail to achieve their...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...indirectly” quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. He was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. During the civil rights protests, he was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama because for protesting without a permit. Some realized arresting Dr. King is the best idea. However, Dr. King did not let jail block his...
Words: 839 - Pages: 4
...those in England and did not believe that their rights should be neglected. Similar to the British-Americans during the Revolutionary War, the pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement sought equal rights and freedom. Prominent civil rights leaders brought new ideas to the world, dreaming up ways to eliminate an archaic mentality. Ultimately, without the reinforcement of...
Words: 1218 - Pages: 5
...September 2010 Both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were goal-oriented leaders. Gandhi desired self-rule for India. King wanted first class citizenship for African Americans. Instead of separating religion and politics, both men incorporated both in their leadership roles. Both men chose nonviolence as their strategy because they had felt that it was the only practical solution capable of achieving their objectives. The ideas of nonviolent movements were difficult to achieve, but they were not impossible to accomplish which is shown in the work of these two great leaders Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Two men from two different time periods but yet they have the same views on how to establish a nonviolent movement. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were civil right activists who took a form of action to obtain equal rights amongst their society. The way they handled nonviolent situations was by taking a non direct action. Also the sacrifice that they had to go through whether it had been by being passive resistance or simply by injustice laws that had to be broken. Gandhi developed his theory of Satyagraha (“soul force”), which implicates social justice through love as well as suffering the consequences. Having to read two distinct stories at distinct time they both manage to have something in common which is CHANGE. We end with MLK- demanding that the actions for equal rights will be now! He then goes on to discuss how the time is being set to be neutral....
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...Is it possible to solve every problem through peaceful means and without any violence? Throughout history, there were many events that changed and shaped how society is today. Out of all the events in history, the Civil Rights movement is arguably one of the most important event. The main goal of the Civil Rights movement was to end discrimination and achieve equal rights, such as equal voting rights. Although people shared the same goal, they had different views on how the goal should be reached. Many believed non-violent methods were the right way to go while others insisted that violence had to be used. Protestors and leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., thought non-violence was crucial to the accomplishment of their goal. On the other side, many other activists like Malcom X, supported the idea of violence mainly because non-violence was not going to work. Violence is necessary...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...him to his choices as an influential writer. Thoreau disobeyed, he disobeyed the government. He refused to pay a poll tax, believing that it supported the Mexican-American war and the expansion of slavery. Because of this, Thoreau was arrested by a sheriff and jailed overnight. But being the Protester he is, Thoreau used his jail time and refusal to pay the poll tax as a way to inspire and raise awareness about the Mexican-American War. After he was released, he wrote an essay called “Resistance to Civil Government”, later titled “Civil Disobedience.” The essay was written about how tyrannical the government’s actions were and how we were to change things. “Civil Disobedience” has been an influence to peaceful protesters around the world, such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Without Martin Luther King Jr. our country might still be discriminating and racist. Without Thoreau’s inspiring essay, Martin Luther King Jr.’s protests may not have been as effective and peaceful as they...
Words: 519 - Pages: 3
...the African heritage. The most important historical bond is the recognition that most all African Americans descended from slaves. Slavery The first slaves were introduced to the English-American colonies by a Dutch trader. He sold 20 slaves to settlers in Jamestown, Virginia. After this initial trade the larger global trade pattern between Europe, Africa, and America became well established and routine. African Americans were drawn from a diverse range of cultures and countries within the large continent of Africa, but most came from Western Africa. African Americans were sold and lived on plantations in the southern United States. Many of these plantations still exist today in the south, but are currently managed for other uses. Slaves...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
...the right and wrong ways of dealing with this. “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, does not necessarily have to do with the racial oppression King describes, as Bambara tells a short story expressing how a group of children living in poverty view the richer lifestyle, but some of King‟s categories of dealing with oppression can be seen in how Bambara‟s characters react to what they are observing. At the start of Bambara‟s “The Lesson,” Sylvia expresses her dislike and almost hatred for Miss Moore. This is made obvious by many of the statements she makes when introducing the characters and story: “I‟m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree,” and “though I never talk to her . . . I wouldn‟t give the bitch that satisfaction.” Hatred is often the first step in acting violently, one of King‟s ways of meeting oppression. While Sylvia, or anyone else at any time during the story, does not actually act violently, their thoughts and feelings show signs of possible violence in the future. Not only do Sylvia and the children show a tendency of hatred towards Miss Moore, but to each other as well—especially aimed at Mercedes. The reader can gather that Mercedes‟s family has a little more money than the rest of them and Mercedes has no problem rubbing that fact in. When standing outside the store, Mercedes brags that her father would buy her the expensive toy boat if she wanted it, and Rosie responds by showing her some hostility: “Your father, my ass.” While the...
Words: 1916 - Pages: 8
...the time they start coming up with their ideas. They may look at the same problem and have different ways to solve them from other people. In this paper Bertrand Russell who was born in 1872 and died in 1970 along with Martin Luther King Jr. who was born in 1929 and died in 1968 will be examined. They used their own creative process to motivate people into seeing different issues their way. Each of these men made contributions during difficult times. In this paper specific problems and ideas that these men sought to solve, and the plans they put into action to resolve these problems. Their ideas and solutions were met with opposition from people who did not like change. Some of their solutions were constantly improved upon. A part of these solutions were logical solutions, which allowed them to be accepted without much resistance. The way these two men thought had a huge impact on the way other people started to think, this helped to make the outcome of personal issues for the better. Russell dealt with analytical philosophy dealing with realism, and King was for fighting against inequality and the injustice of segregation. Being that they were two different men, they looked at things with different perspectives that others did not see. Both of them could produce ideas and solutions to various issues. Sometimes they had to have perseverance and patience to outlast their opposition. Contribution to Society Bertrand...
Words: 1265 - Pages: 6
...resolved, this is when they start coming up with their ideas. They may look at the same problem and have different ways to solve them from other people. In this paper Bertrand Russell who was born in 1872 and died in 1970 along with Martin Luther King Jr. who was born in 1929 and died in 1968 will be examined. They used their own creative process to motivate people into seeing different issues their way. Each one of these men made contributions during difficult times. In this paper specific problems and ideas that these men sought to solve, and the plans they put into action to resolve these problems. Their ideas and solutions were met with opposition from people who did not like change. Some of their solutions were constantly being improved. A part of these solutions were logical solutions which allowed them to be accepted without much resistance. The way these two men thought had a huge impact on the way other people started to think, this helped to make the outcome of personal issues for the better. Russell dealt with analytical philosophy dealing with realism, and King was for fighting against inequality and the injustice of segregation. Being that they were two different men, they looked at things with different perspectives that others did not see. Both of them were able to produce ideas and solutions to various issues. Sometimes they had to have a lot of patience to outlast their opposition. Contribution to Society Bertrand Russell contributed to society by establishing...
Words: 1288 - Pages: 6
...government, because without government our society would result in chaos. Sometimes, when there is an unjust law and the government won't take the initiative to fix it, the public must act as civil disobedient to bring awareness and fix the unjust law. There have been times when citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government because of an issue that is unjust. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau made such actions to prove their point. Civil disobedience is justified when its goal is to obtain equal rights and service for everyone, without causing physical damage to people and their property, and without breaking the just laws that are already enforced. It should only be practiced when the government fails to uphold justice and fix laws that don't allow everyone the equal rights already given to some. In his essay, "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau wrote in 1849 after spending a night in the Walden town jail for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican War. He recommended passive resistance as a form of tension that could lead to reform of unjust laws practiced by the government. He voiced civil disobedience as "An expression of the individual's liberty to create change" (Thoreau ). Thoreau felt that the government had established order that resisted reform and change. "Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary" (Thoreau...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...our “free society”. The question of whether the created laws are just can generate ordeals that lead us to civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is a great part of the American history, giving the American population the extraordinary privilege of being able to speak against any policy or regulation that corrupts our great nation. Peaceful resistance has been practiced in our country since its birth. The fact that Americans are willing to have overlooked the consequences of civil disobedience is quite remarkable, as it instills the ideal that Americans are always striving for a better tomorrow. As a democratic country, protest was our very foundation. How did we get there? Since 1776, every generation has had an “end of the world” dilemma that they choose to resist with and without peaceful protest, including two movements that were very close in time but extremely distinct in outrage, the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War....
Words: 641 - Pages: 3
...case of, Plessy v. Ferguson. In 1896, legally mandated by Southern states and nationwide at the local level of government, voter suppression or disfranchisement in the southern states, denial of economic opportunity or resources nationwide, and private acts of violence and mass racial violence aimed at African Americans, were unhindered or encouraged by government authorities. Although racial discrimination was present nationwide, the combination of law, public and private acts of discrimination, marginal economic opportunity, and violence directed toward African Americans in the southern states became known as Jim Crow laws or acts. Peaceful protests against the discrimination of African Americans voting rights were demonstrated in Selma, Alabama in 1965 and led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Brutality erupted from the state police towards the peaceful protesters and Congress was awestruck. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the new civil rights bill that was used to combat such brutality. The new law guaranteed the right to vote with notations of severe penalties if anyone obstructed another citizen’s right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is the most prominent...
Words: 1661 - Pages: 7
...Symbols of Peace: Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas The issue of racism and oppression of one group of people by another or by its leader continues to be a concern around the world. Take for instance the latest events that occurred in Libya, Syria and other countries. For the most part, the oppressed who wanted to free themselves from the rule of a non-fit leader have backlashed with violent protests that have cost thousands of people their lives and have left their homelands in devastation. These political and social injustices affect people worldwide and each group reacts differently to inequalities they may experience. Some react with violence because that is all they know and others take the route of non-violence to make the same point or statement to the opposing side without causing havoc and violence. Two men, both seen as symbols of peace and harmony spent a great part of their lives advocating non-violence and peaceful protests during times of oppression and inequality. The commitment they made to their beliefs was to prove that the oppressed have the ability to change laws and make people realize inequalities. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi’s approach to resolve struggles of inequalities and oppression have changed the way people think through peace, non-violence and peaceful protests. Mohandas Gandhi, born in Western India on October 2nd, 1869, is often seen in images wearing a simple loin cloth and sandals and is well-known and accepted worldwide...
Words: 2880 - Pages: 12
