...How Important Was the Contribution of Martin Luther King To The Civil Rights Movement 55-65? 1955 to 1965 has been classed as the “golden age” of the civil rights movement. Undoubtedly Kings influence, he became the first out right leader of a diverse civil rights struggle. King was gifted with exceptional public speaking abilities & charisma which in due course changed and inspired a entire nation. King had many successes which include the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, the Birmingham campaign in 1963 and the March on Washington in 1963. Although we cannot ignore the various pressure groups other than kings SCLC. CORE, SNCC and NAACP had a major contribution into improving millions of lives. We also cannot ignore the Federal government and the relationship King had with them. In short King was a key player in civil rights but other groups and organisations also contributed to the civil rights movement. Montgomery Bus boycott – 1955 In 1955 buses all over the south were still segregated, this meant that the front section of the bus was reserved for whites only this meant blacks had to sit at the back, furthermore if a bus was full blacks would have to stand. The boycott started after Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat, she was arrested and fined $14. Because many blacks couldn’t afford cars to travel many resorted to using buses. The boycotts had a major influence on the bus company’s because the majority of customers were in fact black. By boycotting the...
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...Martin Luther King’s campaign for civil rights in the years 1955-1968? During this time period, Martin Luther King had many successes and failures in his campaign for civil rights. King played an iconic role in all the work he did for African Americans, his achievements for the Black people were outstanding. On the other hand there are ideas that contradict his greatness on making such an impact to civil rights. We are able measure MLK’s achievements, by analysing how successful he was with his campaigns. Success can be given upon by the result of the predicted outcome compared to the true outcome. In this case it’s whether King’s ambitions for the movement came to be achieved or if his campaigns failed. For this we shall be studying his achievements and failures in the civil rights movement between 1955 and 1968. You can also look at how much awareness of the campaign was made to America, along with this the consequences of the campaigns and what resulted after them. You can use all of these criteria to judge how successful MLK was. King’s first major involvement of leading a campaign started on the 1st of December 1955, when Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up a seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama. This was when King was first recognised as being a strong leader in gaining equality for African Americans, along with the backing of the church. The result of Rosa Park’s arrest became the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was run by MLK, the NAACP, MIA and the backing of...
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...In the PBS film by Tavis Smiley, “MLK: A Call to Conscience,” Tavis explored Martin Luther King’s stand against the Vietnam War and the influence of his legacy today. Tavis reached out to scholars, associates and personal friends of Dr. King who gave personal accounts of their feelings toward MLK and his movements. These events will also be supported by evidence from two other films, “Eyes on the Prize: Episode 4” which profiled MLK’s last year prior to his assassination, and “The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.” which provided additional details in regard to the FBI’s potential conspiracy against Dr. King. This film was chosen as my main source for analysis due to a personal connection with how I relate to Dr. King and his convictions for what he believes in. Just as Dr. King described Americans becoming complacent to the injustices of justice in his speech, we also tend to become complacent about why we celebrate this brilliant leader’s life. His drive and determination should be modeled by every American citizen, especially by those in successive generations who have been denied their dreams. I also intend to highlight why his ideology could live and thrive in today’s policy. The central message of this documentary builds on when Dr. King gave his speech, “A Call to Conscience” April 4, 1967 at the Riverside Church in New York City. As Vincent Harding, a close friend and author of this speech would explain the one thing that never changed during rewrites...
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...What in your view was the short-term significance of Martin Luther King to the Civil Rights Movement? Martin Luther King’s (MLK) short-term significance to the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) can be attributed to his non-violence and his unique relationships with the media and the President. These relationships played a key role in MLK’s and the CRM’s success. We should also not ignore the role played by global politics of the time. The circumstances were such that the CRM may have succeeded even without the assistance of MLK. In order to assess the short-term significance of King to the CRM, we must determine, was it MLK or rather the international situation that led to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement? Word Count – 502 MLK’s significance to the CRM stemmed from his use of non-violence as a tactic to achieve social change. Non-violence served as King’s ideology and methodology, and contributed to King’s significance. Non-violence being met with naked aggression and racism was showcased by the media and condemned by the government. Although several other civil rights leaders, such as Ralph Abernathy, possessed Christian credentials, MLK coupled these credentials with his non-violence and positive relationship with the media. In January 1960 a bomb was thrown on King’s porch and an armed mob gathered that was dispersed only by King’s insistence on calm. A white police officer on the scene remarked, “If it hadn’t been for that nigger preacher, we’d all be dead”. This quote...
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... 02 March 2016 MLK Jr vs Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had many similarities and differences when it came to their roles in the civil rights movement. A huge similarity of the two is they fought hard for their people with getting treated bad. They both wanted to see black people in the best position possible. Risking their lives everyday for the rights they felt they deserve. They were both assassinated because of their leadership role positions they played during this time. Even though they had different beliefs/religions, both their religions played a significant role in their approaches. They both had the greatest impact on the civil rights movement during the 1960s. One of the main reasons why Malcolm X and MLK Jr is different is their approach to the civil rights movement. While MLK Jr wanted to keep the peace and have a non-violent protest, Malcolm X was very opposite. Malcolm X felt that if they wanted to be violent then so should his people. Also, MLK Jr thought more of people being equal and Malcolm X was more for his people being in high power and being controlled by themselves. Also, their religion was a extremely huge difference and had an impact on the way they went about things. MLK Jr grew up in a Christian home where his parents stressed necessary things such as education and religion. Malcolm X converted to Islam after being arrested for drugs and burglary. His outlook on things were far more violent than MLK Jr. MLK Jr believed that...
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...In some ways Black Power groups did help the civil rights movement however in some ways it did hinder the civil rights and cause some problems for the other civil rights campaigners. Black Power groups were militant type groups who did not agree with Martin Luther King’s non-violence beliefs. MLK said that if they did use violence it would give the white racist an excuse of attacking law abiding blacks. However Black Power groups believed they could use violence in self-defence but MLK said you should never use violence. Black Power groups where often associated with black Muslims, but by the mid-1960s many of the activist in the SNCC and CORE had both moved away from their traditional views of non-violence, and joined the views of Black Power groups such as the Black Panthers. Black Power groups did help the civil rights movement because it forced the civil rights movement up the agenda, so it made the president make take faster action to try and get the civil rights bills passed through congress quicker so that the violence between the Blacks and the whites would stop. Another reason why the president wanted the laws to be passed was because of all the bad press America was receiving, mainly the communist USSR, who were saying things like how you can fight for freedom when you don’t even have freedom in your own country. This was a problem for America as they did not want people to stop believing in the capital system and join a communist system. Black power groups did cause...
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...The civil rights movement was one of the biggest movements throughout history. The movement was mainly to get African Americans equal. Although the main movement was getting blacks equal there was also hispanic movements to trying to become equal. The civil rights movement lasted from 1919 to the 1960’s. The Civil Rights movement impacted the society tremendously. There was two different tactics coming into this movement. There was the violent/ defense tactic which was lead by Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a minister in the Nation Of Islam, then he left the group in the year 1964. Malcolm preached black supremacy and rejected Martin Luther King JR’s movement and attempt to integrate. His whole idea was to use violence to get his point across...
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...What Lies Behind Many say a picture is worth a thousand words and photographs depicting two sides to a single movement is no exception. These two powerful photographs, one of Martin Luther King Jr. and one of activists on the streets, show two different sides of the fighting minority in the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was one of the biggest historical events ever to take place in the United States. The movement started in the early 1950s and was not resolved until long after, some argue it has yet to be resolved. There were many key players in the Civil Rights Movement such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and others. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech was one of the turning points in this historical event. He brought the most crucial...
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...Civil Rights Movement: Fight For Equality Introduction Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. -Martin Luther King Jr. The Civil Rights Movement is on of the most remembered time period because of how many protest and how unfair African Americans were even though they were just as equal as Whites. There were certain places, certain laws, certain leaders, and certain groups that all contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was an important time in US history. Background Information The civil rights movement was a time period were African Americans and even some Whites people were separated and fought with non violent protest to get their rights. In 1863 to 1965 African Americans...
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...Throughout history there have been many people who helped shape the nation. Individuals who shook the very foundations of beliefs that people had. People who helped create change for the better. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and Cesar Chavez were both servant leaders who contributed immensely to their respective causes. MLK was born in January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia and was a civil rights activist (Carson Clayborn). Chavez was born in March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona and was an immigrant workers rights activist (Cesar Chavez). MLK came from a religious home, his father was a baptist minister. MLK went to MoreHouse College from 1944 to 1948 and later went to Boston University where he began his doctoral studies in systematic theology in 1951. Chavez was raised in poverty in a family of immigrant farm workers, his family...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr. Web Quest 1. When and where was MLK born? Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia 2. What kind of work did his father, Martin Luther King, Senior, do? He is an early leader in the American Civil Rights Movement 3. Did Martin have any brothers or sisters? If so, what were their names? He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King. 4. How did Martin do in middle school and high school? Know for public debates, still faced racial discrimination. 5. How old was Martin when he started college? 15 6. Where did MLK give his first sermon? Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta 7. Who did Martin Luther King marry? When was he married? Find an image of his wife. Coretta Scott King 1953–1968 8. What was the SCLC? Why was the SCLC important? How was MLK involved in the SCLC? The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is an African-American civil rights organization. Its main aim was to advance the cause ofcivil rights in America but in a non-violent manner. From its inception in 1957, its president was Martin Luther King – a post he held until his murder in 1968. 9. What was the Montgomery bus boycott? Find an image of a photo taken during the boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a seminal event in the U.S. civil rights movement, was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on...
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...The Civil Rights Movement was a worldwide movement for equality that had a profound impact on American life many years ago. African Americans had gone through a difficult life and unjustly treatments to the white people during that time. Many black people were fed up with the segregation laws such as riding in the back of the bus, not allowed using public restrooms and water fountains. They were also being disfranchised, treated violently, denied by jobs, as well as the other things that were accessible to whites and also, they were lynched for no reason. The Civil Rights Movement had many influential leaders, like Martin Luther King, the Black Panthers, and Malcolm X, whose actions largely influenced the movement. Of all the the leaders involved in the movement, one man stands alone and that was Martin Luther King. He was named as the most important leader who helped unite the nation with his powerful speeches and use of nonviolent protests. MLK took his pride, courage, and sacrificed his safety to spoke up for the rights of the black people. He used his voice as a weapon for success – a weapon that healed all of their problems and resentments of the white people. As a leader, MLK organized and led marches and boycotts for blacks’ right to vote, for desegregation, and labor rights. Eventually, most of these rights were successfully enacted into the law. But during those times of success, he was also treated unfairly because of his race. He was stabbed by a crazy woman, hit...
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...themselves superior to any other race until thing began to change starting with the Civil rights movement. While society has maintained some levels of discrimination towards African Americans and continual African American culture, race relations such as segregation being legally abolished and societies views of African americans in politics and civil rights have significantly changed between 1940’s-2000’s. Throughout American history, African Americans made many sacrifices to get rid of segregation. During the 1950’s segregation was at its peak and African Americans began fight for their rights. During this process they...
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...The Best Way to Persuade: Fear “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, by Jonathan Edwards, is a speech that attempts to persuade individuals to join the Puritan movement. Edwards aims the speech towards everyone who is a part of the Puritan village and also those who are not. To sway the audience, Edwards uses a wrathful and intimidating tone. Jonathan Edwards believed that if you did not give your life to God then you would face God’s wrath. Edwards uses imagery and metaphors to persuade his audience to join the Puritan movement. Edwards, undoubtedly, uses imagery to persuade and affect his audience. Multiple times throughout his speech Edwards attempts to intimidate the audience using negative imagery. An example of this is, “There are black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder;” (Edwards). Edwards uses negative imagery to intimidate his audience to give their lives to God. He is telling his audience that God can strike his wrath at any point in time, which almost forces people to give themselves to God. Edwards paints a vivid image using thunder and clouds to scare the people and portray God as a...
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...When the civil rights act came to the table only 22% of all democrats voted against it and only 12% of all republicans voted against it. The civil rights movement started in 1954 and lasted 12 more years all the way until 1968. The most important civil rights activists consisted of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks(started the civil rights movement), and so on. There were many courageous men and women all over America who took a stand during the civil rights movement. The Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream speech, on the steps of the Lincon memorial, in Washington D.C. was one of the greatests speeches to be recorded. In the article titled MLK, I Have a Dream Speech, it states,”The 1960’s was defining decade in America, and...
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