...Andrea Adams @02717441 HIST 0100 Prof. Tolbert April 21, 2017 The Life, Work, and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist from the 1950 to 1968 with a strong religious background. A strong advocator for all minorities, King did all in his power to end barriers of community, poverty, racism and militarism. The principle he focused more on, however, was racism. King defined racism as prejudice, apartheid, ethnic conflict, anti-Semitism, sexism, colonialism, homophobia, ageism, or discrimination against disabled groups and stereotypes (Haskins). Later turning his efforts to poverty, King believed that the United States should have equal rights for all men, women and children. Martin Luther King Jr. had a strong philosophy of non-violent protests, called civil disobedience, to which he gained supporters, changing the jurisdictions of racism and poverty to create the American Dream for all. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, to Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Born as Michael King Jr., King lived in Atlanta, Georgia (How Did Martin). However, in honor of minister and civil-rights activist Martin Luther Baptist, his parents gave him the name Martin. In 1931, King’s father became the lead pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, a very successful minister as his father and grandfather had been. A very intelligent man, King skipped ninth and eleventh grades, graduating from Booker T. Washington...
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...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 allies with his thought provoking speeches, and lead powerful protests and strikes, with each one ending in a peaceful demonstration. First, a look into the history of Dr. King. Though not known to many, Dr. King was not born with the name Martin; rather, his name was Michael, having changed it due to his father’s name change. The name change came across as a way of honoring the Martin Luther who wrote scriptures on doors. Dr. King was born January 15, 1929 to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1960 he served as co-pastor with his father in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, located in Atlanta, till his death, however he became head pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church before then in 1954. At fifteen he graduated from Booker T. Washington high school, he then sought after high education at Morehouse...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a solid force in the fight against racism and segregation in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was a man with profound speaking skills that led to his influence of the minority peoples of the United States. King was a sincere man who was against using violence to rise above the roadblocks thrown in the way of Black people all across the country. Background Michael Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 to the Reverend Michael Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. The Louisiana State University (1996-2011) website Michael was the first born son and second child for the couple. Michael Luther King, Jr. had an older sister named Christine King Farris and a younger brother the late Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King. When Michael was young King, Sr. started calling himself and his oldest son Martin. On June 19, 1953 King, Sr. performed the marriage ceremony for King, Jr. and Coretta Scott. Together they had four children, Yolanda Denise born in 1955, Martin Luther III in 1957, Dexter Scott in 1961, and Bernice Albertine born in 1963 (Louisiana State University, 1996-2011). King’s father and grandfather were both members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Atlanta, Georgia. His father’s own fight for equality in voting rights and teacher salaries helped to shape King into a political icon of the future (Carson, 2000). Education King attended two...
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...Kaory Foster November 16, 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister, and a great preacher. Unfortunately, he was not loved in the south because it was segregated, so his movement caused a great deal of hatred from some people. There were many others who supported his preaching and the Civil Rights Movement. The south at that time was very different than it is now and Dr. King tried his best to make changes in the way people thought back then. On August 28, 1963 he gave his famous life changing, “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington DC. That speech influenced people to want to stick together as human being, and not just as blacks and whites. He tried to give everyone hope that one day there wouldn’t be anymore segregation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for his Civil Rights movement, and wrote a letter from jail answering the comments that was said that he was an “outsider coming in”. After Dr. King wrote the letter they didn’t even want to read it. The letter became famous and called the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Martin Luther King Jr. became the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that was in support better human rights. He joined Ebenezer Baptist Church and was made the pastor. He created an organization to “March on Washington” that greatly influenced people to want to stop the violence that was going on in the south. Dr. King was assassinated on April of 1960 and that made a big impact on the nation and...
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...S. Supreme Court struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine that formed the basis for state-sanctioned discrimination, drawing national and international attention to African Americans’ plight. In the turbulent decade and a half that followed, civil rights activists used nonviolent protest and civil disobedience to bring about change, and the federal government made legislative headway with initiatives such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Many leaders from within the African American community and beyond rose to prominence during the Civil Rights era, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman and others. They risked—and sometimes lost—their lives in the name of freedom and equality. Advertisement Freedom MarchPlay video Freedom March Bet You Didn't Know: Rosa ParksPlay video Bet You Didn't Know: Rosa Parks Condoleezza Rice: Memories of Dr. KingPlay video Condoleezza Rice: Memories of Dr. King BACKGROUND Because large segments of the populace–particularly African-Americans, women, and men without property–have not always been accorded full citizenship rights in the American Republic, civil rights movements, or “freedom struggles,” have been a frequent feature of the nation’s history. In particular, movements to obtain civil rights for black Americans have had special historical significance. Such movements have not only secured citizenship rights for blacks but have also redefined prevailing...
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...Thus, African Americas have a long history of activism in America, from fighting for the right to vote to pushing for integration in public places. Activists like Stokley Carmichael organized the freedom rides, James Meredith fought to integrate blacks and whites at the University of Mississippi, and Rosa Parks instigated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Although these protests were often legal and non-violent, the protests made a powerful impact on civil rights in the United States. With the bravery and help of activist like Carmichael, Meredith, Parks and many others, the country slowly worked to acknowledge the basic rights and contributions of African-Americans within the United States. Through it all, African American civil rights leaders risked and sometimes lost their lives in the name of freedom to end segregation, discrimination and isolation to attain equality and civil rights. With civil rights activists leading the fight for racial equality, America slowly but surely became a better place. Through the protests, marches, sit-ins and news articles; African Americans showed there was more ways to attain freedom and equality as opposed to violence. Even before Rosa Parks, on Sunday July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings Graham boarded a street car of the Third Avenue railroad company at the corner of Pearl and Chatham streets. The conductor of the train ordered her to get off and Jennings refused. With the aid of a police officer, Jennings was ejected from the street car...
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...nationalities and religions are supposed to have the same opportunities for education, better life and happiness. When we do not receive those civil rights, we start to think to protest. Historically, the "Civil Rights Movement" refers to African- Americans in their struggle for freedom and racial justice. Martin Luther King, Jr., emerged during the Montgomery Bus Boycott movement and became the most effective non-violent leader. He brings his nation to freedom on the basis...
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...Martin Luther King Jr and Gene Sharp Martin Luther King Jr. once said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." From where King stood during the Civil Rights Movement show that he was a great man who preached nonviolence and made the ultimate sacrifice for it. By being persistent in his nonviolence discipline, he was able to show the world the violence of their opponents' repression for what it really was. Gene Sharp's book, Power and Struggle Part One examines the nature and control of political power. Sharp believes that social sources of political power include socially recognized authority, human cooperation and obedience, and the skills and knowledge of the population. All these sources rely on the support, cooperation, and obedience of the population. Therefore by withdrawing support, the population holds an effective means of resistance to political power. Nonviolent action works to control political power by affecting the sources of that political power. Sharp mentions that the three major categories of nonviolent action are: protest, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention. These actions work to change the opponents' behavior either by conversion, accommodation, or coercion. Conversion involves a change of heart in the opponent to the point where the goals of the protestors are now their own. With accommodation, the opponent...
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...Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. King wanted to make a powerful stand, in the form of movement, and with the power of the number of...
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...the spirit of agitation present even in this bleak time in American history (Kelley, 2010, p.5). The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle by African Americans in the mid-1950s to late 1960s to achieve civil rights equal to those of whites, including equal opportunity in employment, housing, and education, as well as the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination (Law, 2005). This movement sought to restore to African Americans the rights of citizenship guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The words civil rights often raise images of Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his soul-stirring “I Have a Dream” speech before the nation’s capital. "The practical cost of change for the nation up to this point has been cheap," Martin Luther King Jr. conceded “(LITWACK, 2009). Martin Luther King Jr., and other leaders of the movement anticipated, the movement provoked gains not only for African Americans but also for women, persons with disabilities, and many others. Organized efforts by an African American, W.E.B. Du Bois, who exhorted blacks to fight for the rights was one of the leading figures of this early movement for civil. Du Bois’s movement led, in part, to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights organization that brought together lawyers, educators, and activists as a group fight for black civil rights. In Sacramento, the NAACP led...
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...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
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...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
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...February 1, 1960, four black students attending a college in Greensboro, NC, were refused lunch at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and began a sit-in. This event triggered several other nonviolent protests throughout the south. Six months later, the same four students were served at the same Woolworth’s lunch counter. Student sit-ins throughout the South were very effective in integrating many public places. These sit-ins ignited a decade of civil rights protests that proved that the American people could have a real impact on segregation. During other sit-ins in other cities, media coverage was scarce, many of the stories being buried in the back pages of the newspaper if covered at all. The Greensboro sit-in was ran as front page news in the local paper. Associated press began arriving and two days later, The New York times ran the first of many articles covering the sit-ins. Coverage by the media was one of the many reasons the movement took off so quickly. In January of 1961, James Meredith applied to attend the University of Mississippi. His application expressed his desire to be accepted despite the color of his skin. His application was immediately denied. With the help of the NAACP, he challenged the University’s decision in state and federal court. The Supreme Court ordered Ole Miss to admit Meredith in September of 1962. Governor of Mississippi, Segregationist Ross Barnett had other plans. Using the media to appeal to the fears of whites in Mississippi...
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...Ever since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War there has been the issue of race and equality and rights. A movement occurred and two men gained power and influence the African American community. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X two men having experienced different things in their lives held different beliefs and morals and influenced people based upon those things. Martin Luther King Jr., came from a Baptist home with a fairly easy childhood, he was educated when he was younger and attended Morehouse College, an all black college, where he had several role models that shaped his beliefs. Malcolm X, on the other hand, experienced a hard childhood and used drugs and committed other crimes in his early adult years. While in prison he found a father figure in Elijah Muhammad and joined the Nation of Islam. There are many differences between Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X in the way they acted and influenced the African American community. This paper will look to describe their differing views and analyze their actions and their lives. In most cases a person’s childhood has a lasting affect on the rest of a person’s life. In comparing Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X this seems to be the case. Martin Luther King Jr., was born January 19, 1929 and was raised by a strong supportive family. He had a somewhat privileged life and “never experienced the feeling of not having the basic necessities of life.”[1] His father “was a community leader in Atlanta...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Life and Battle for Freedom Allan M. Ysunza Kaplan University SS310 Exploring the 1960s: An Interdisciplinary Approach Dr. Ronald K. Bolender March 09, 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr.: His Life and Battle for Freedom In my unit 5 project I will discuss the life of Martin Luther King Jr. I will define how his personal ideologies might have contributed to his assassination. I will discuss the implications of his assassinations from a sociological perspective. All through the discussions, I will explore his life and journey as freedom leader and his will to gain justice via nonviolent and peaceful protest against racial discrimination and oppressions. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was destined to be a preacher like his father and after seminary became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama at the age of 25. King believed that black and white people should resist laws that they thought unjust. If necessary, he thought, they should disobey such laws. But King also said that they should be ready to accept punishment for breaking such laws. In some cases, they should even go to jail. He had grown up with the injustices in the South, and it did not take him long to join in the fight. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 in response to Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat. He was arrested, but ultimately ended racial segregation on...
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