...2013 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X The civil rights movement was a social and legal struggle to gain full citizenship rights for African Americans. There were many different leaders and influential people that helped throughout the civil rights movement. There was not one specific event that triggered this movement, but arguably a confluence of events triggered the modern civil rights movement. Events such as; the murder of Emmit Till in 1955, Rosa Parks and the refusal to give up her seat in 1955, and the legal victories in the Brown cases in 1954-55. Boycotts, sit – ins, protest marches, and refusal to abide by segregation laws were the activities the civil rights organizations and people took part in to show that something needed to be changed. Most of these events and activities took place in the south, where the segregation laws were persisted. Two very influential men and leaders of groups and organizations were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. They led protests and other civil rights movements events in hope for freedom. Both of them were great speakers and knew how to get people to follow them. These two leaders had different types strategies when it came to leading the African American organizations. December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male on a Montgomery bus, and was arrested and put in jail. This led to boycotts from the buses and marked the beginning of the modern civil rights movement and also...
Words: 672 - Pages: 3
...regardless of their race or color. Even with this 15th amendment, the whites in the South had their own methods to keep African Americans from voting. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was one of the many civil rights activists, whose idea was to get racial equality by grabbing the public's attention of racism, joined in the fight for civil right movement for black Americans. Dr. King led peaceful protests and boycotts without violence to get the right to vote for all kind. There were many strategies to...
Words: 942 - Pages: 4
...Civil Rights in the Sixties The 1960s brought about social change in America. America elected the second youngest and the first Catholic president (John F. Kennedy) and the Anti-War Movement began. The Anti-War Movement was based on people mostly the youth of America protesting a war (Vietnam War) that they believed America could not win. At the same time people were protesting the war they were objecting to the social injustice surrounding minorities; thus began the Civil Rights Movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was instrumental in starting The Civil Rights Movement the yearlong battle for equal treatment on buses gave minorities the strength to fight for more equal treatment and gave rise to Martin Luther King Jr. who was elected by the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to lead the boycott. During The Montgomery Bus Boycott whites tried to use the media to put out false stories by claiming the boycott have come to an end and that minorities settled for the same moderate desegregation plan that they received before the boycott. Public opion in Montgomery Alabama at first was against the boycott, but once the business community realized they were losing money because minorities were no longer shopping downtown their opion began to wane. Throughout the civil rights movement the media was a constant force some believe that without the media exposing the at times moving and often unsightly events of the movement that it would not advanced as much as it did. Some Southern...
Words: 1427 - Pages: 6
...The Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement is a very diverse subject. There are many different opinions on this subject and many political changing events follow this movement. Some of the struggles during the civil rights movement were covered through the media in such a fashion that it could have gone either way. I found an article stating, and I quote “Majority Queried In Times Survey Say, Negro Movement Has Gone Too Far, But Few Intend To Change Votes.” –New York Times (Sept. 21st 1964). Now another person questioned in this poll, and I quote “That many neighborhoods have always been known as ‘tough’, but they were white tough neighborhoods, if you know what I mean.” He added, “It was tough to a point, and no more. Now with colored it is a different kind of toughness, it is fear I guess.” I feel like with this last comment that this man had said, it is absolutely true of how the public viewed the civil rights movement, it was a fear, a fear of uncertainty of how to live with each other after being segregated for so long. In during this time the term ‘white backlash’ was used as a term used to give an indication that their voting habits were affected by the changes that has occurred in the civil rights act. Martin Luther King Jr. displayed a method of non violent protests which he referred to as a method of peaceful protest by oppressed people. From the article I read I quote “In a classical non violent situation the oppressed engage in mass demonstrations or in...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...free regardless of our ethnicity, religion, gender or social classes. We all deserve to have equal civil rights to life, liberty, and justice. In America, all black and white people of different 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...
Words: 1696 - Pages: 7
...As a person think, would I die for what I believe in? Martin Luther King was a vital leader of the black community during the civil rights movement. Through his upbringing, his role in the civil rights movement, and his assassination. Martin Luther King shaped the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King’s father and mother influenced him throughout his upbringing. Martin was taught peace by his parents. Martin’s parents told him that he should not hate white people and that his duty as a Christian was to love everyone (Bader 8). Non-Violence was something instilled in Martin at an early age. His father as a preacher knew violence was not the answer (Bader 2 and 6). Community was another value Martin Luther King Jr. Learned from his father....
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...I was very much interested in the Civil Rights movement, but my mother never allowed me to speak my mind about such a sensitive topic. She always thought I was just a little kid who didn’t know what she was talking about." But a young, intelligent person understood the very aspect of the Civil Rights Movement and the motives behind it. As people graduated from American High School, they attention veered towards the Civil Rights Movement and they feel it. Some communities are a predominantly black community in an inner cit. Many people in these communities do not seem as interested or affected by the historical movement. But everyone knew to follow the rules of not conversing nor interacting with whites. One person describes one hot July day, there was a rally held in Downtown Miami along with many other cities. The really lasted all day but messages were being spread. “I felt a sense of glory because it was the first time I felt a true connection with every other person in the country who was trying to make a difference in this country. “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love,” A message from Martin Luther King, JR. that showed his passion to promote unity and non-violence during the Civil Rights Movement. During the times of the Civil Rights Movement, many African Americans were angry and had hatred towards white people because of the oppression they endured for years. As a result...
Words: 1856 - Pages: 8
...FALL 15 FALL 15 Martin Luther King, Jr.: Charismatic Leadership in a Mass Struggle Dr. Mark Allen Organizational Behavior/Leadership (MBA-552) Harkaran Singh Hara & Aras Azarbay Martin Luther King, Jr.: Charismatic Leadership in a Mass Struggle Dr. Mark Allen Organizational Behavior/Leadership (MBA-552) Harkaran Singh Hara & Aras Azarbay 08 Fall 08 Fall Abstract The paper examines the myths associated with the life and leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the African-American Civil Rights movements of 1950s and 1960s and scrutinizes King’s depiction by the mass media as the sole significant leader of the struggle. It also examines the charismatic label associated with King’s name, his exceptional oratory skills and also his weaknesses as leader. The paper further discusses the contributions of King towards the civil rights struggle and also suggests us not to forget the contributions of leaders to the movement and the social factors which led to King’s rise. It also suggests some lessons we can learn from King’s life and relates his beliefs and methods to various scholarly works. Finally, it reflects upon the role of charismatic leadership and how it relates with transformational leadership styles in today’s business environment. About the Author This article which was originally published in the Journal of American History, 1987 is written by Dr. Clayborne Carson, who is a professor of American History at the...
Words: 2011 - Pages: 9
...justice” a quote from Martin Luther King.Who would have known On April 14, 1968 Texas the biggest civil right leader Martin Luther King Jr was assasinated in a hotel stairwell. Martin Luther King Jr. assasination was injust because he was a well educated civil rights leader and he was a non violent man who led a peaceful movement. But some people thought that all he was doing was starting a controversy. Martin Luther King Jr was a strong and well educated civil rights leader who was commited to ending segregation and equality. In the article by Asselinn KC the article states “ Martin Luther King Jr was well educated. He attended Boston Univercity and Morehouse college and graduated with a bachulars degree. Martin Lutherused his wits and smarts to over come tough challanges (Asselinn 2) From reading the quote you can tell that Martin was very smart and used his brain when dealing with rascist people who did not agree with Martin Luther king Jr and the violent police and the state goverment. Martin...
Words: 603 - Pages: 3
...The Drum Major Instinct. Martin Luther King, Jr. remains arguably the most recognizable African American figure in world history. First thrust into the international spotlight courtesy of his leadership of a boycott of the public bus system in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was pastor of a local church, King became the lightning rod for the civil rights movement that emerged in the wake of the successful boycott. During the 1960s he gave innumerable speeches characterized by oratorical genius, led a succession of mass marches in the heart of segregated America and helped to reconstruct American race relations before his assassination in 1968. Ever since Montgomery he has attracted the attention of biographers and historians keen to understand what made him such a magnetic and inspirational leader and what made the story of the civil rights movement so compelling. Martin Luther King is most remembered for a speech given during one of the finest hours of the civil rights movement -- a sermon that set the moral tone for the movement. But while the Aug. 28, 1963, sermon "I Have A Dream," delivered during the March on Washington, framed much of Martin Luther King Jr’s notions of a free America, it was not the speech that defined his legacy. One of the world's best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr., synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted...
Words: 2054 - Pages: 9
...“The Negro Is Your Brother” written by famous activist Martin Luther king Jr was written on April 16, 1963 as an open letter. Between the years of 1954–1968 the movement of American civil rights was going on. And during the movement of American civil rights African American people and non-colored people were treated very differently. Some examples would consist of colored people not being able to go to a certain amusement parks because of the color of their skin while non colored people were able to go to any amusement parks, another example where colored people were treated...
Words: 823 - Pages: 4
...The American Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s represents an important event in world history. The positive changes it brought to voting and civil rights continue to be felt throughout the United States and much of the world. Although the struggle for black equality was fought on throughout the United States. Lawmakers, law enforcement officers, public officials, and private citizens particularly from the south worked together to maintain the segregated way of life that had dominated the southern states since the end of the Civil War in 1865. Furthermore the people from the south ensured the preservation of segregation by the constant use of threat and violence against people who sought to end it. In contrast, the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement chose the tactic of nonviolence as a tool to dismantle the institutionalized racial segregation, discrimination, and inequality in the south. The movement was guided based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles of nonviolence and passive resistance. The success of the American Civil Rights Movement and the fight for racial equality in the United States is a testament to the determination of millions of African Americans who fought against discrimination in the 1960s. Instead of using the alternative strategy of using an armed uprising such as one of Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr. championed and thrived on the strategy of protesting for equal rights without using violence. King's non-violent approach was inspired and derived...
Words: 1196 - Pages: 5
...Accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a prominent American civil rights activist, but also a social reformer and an author. He is often referred to as the human rights icon since he called for equal rights for all without resorting to violence or aggression. Read on to know about the accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. "Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them." Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. King's original name was Michael King, Jr. His name was later changed to Martin after the German protestant leader Martin Luther. Martin Luther attended Booker T. Washington High School in Georgia and graduated in sociology from Morehouse College in Atlanta. After studying theology at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he pursued his doctoral studies in systematic theology at Boston University. King was awarded the Doctor of philosophy on June 5, 1955. Achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. The greatest achievement of King was undoubtedly as a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. He defended the Americans with African descent and fought for their rights. Martin Luther was greatly influenced by Howard Thurman, a civil rights leader, theologian and educator...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X – So Similar yet So Different The Civil Rights movement in the United States was a long struggle that sought to win equality for every American under the law. The movement spanned many years of heartache and violence as it exposed the racism and segregation that had taken hold of the nation. It was during this struggle that two great men stepped forward to lead. Although their methods of leadership were different, their goal was the same – equality for all African-American. These two men, two great African-American heroes, were named Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr., born on January 15, 1929 as Michael King, was a pastor, activist, humanitarian and leader in the Civil Right Movement. He led many protests, namely the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and the 1963 March on Washington, at which he delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was in direct relation to Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus. The Boycott was effective as the US District Court ruled to end racial segregation on all Montgomery public buses. Similarly, Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and later known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a Muslim minister and human rights activist. He was most recognized for his courageous advocating for the rights of black Americans and his words are believed to have been fodder for the Black Panther Party who sought to fight against police brutality...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Legendary Leader Matthew M. Thomas Harrison College Instructor Ward March 13, 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Legendary Leader Black history month of 2015 saw some milestones. The 50th anniversary of bloody Sunday and the movie “Selma” which tells the story of Dr. King’s march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama. These milestones have also made people reflect on the greatest leader in African American history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this paper, we will look at Dr. King’s traits, ethics, leadership style, and his method of creating team work in such a way that it changed the world forever. Dr. King’s Traits and Characteristics Dr. King was an Honest, god-fearing, loving person who got his roots in the African American church. Dr. King was a visionary who knew how to keep his eyes on the prize of equal rights, and he also had an ability that few possess to this day. He had the ability to people who normally would be feuding to work together toward a common cause. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech is a great testament to Dr. King’s ability to move the hearts of all men. Dr. King displayed courage in the face of adversity. He was sprayed with water as well as his followers and till yet he was consistent. Consistent with his fight and his message of protest and non-violence. He kept the entire movement moving in the right direction even when it seemed the movement for equality would destroy itself. When...
Words: 1578 - Pages: 7