Why Is Martin Luther King Jr Influential

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and fought against segregation through nonviolent means. At that time in the South, African Americans were forced to sit in the back of buses, were prohibited from drinking out of water fountains that were used by whites, were forced to attend segregated schools, and were not allowed to sleep in motels. After a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, King was arrested. He addresses and responds to “A Call for Unity” that the eight local clergymen questioned King’s methods due to the injustices and inequalities that the white moderates were doing to the African Americans that King saw in America, especially

This movement had its roots in the centuries-long efforts of African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, he was one of the main leaders of this movement; the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he wrote, was from a jail cell because he was given a penalty for parading without a permit. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during their protests in Birmingham. Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, and that he wishes to address their concerns. People can’t decide what race or color they want to be.

During the civil rights movement many influential people became prominent figureheads for equal rights and are now studied in schools across the nation. These leaders risked their lives for their cause in the fight for freedom and equality and are now regarded as some of the most influential people of their time. Among these heroes is Martin Luther King Junior, a non-violent activist for black rights. Today King is a well known hero, studied in many schools both historically and literary. He is probably as well known as a civil rights activist as much as he is known as the author of A Letter from Birmingham Jail, a letter written to inform and persuade others of the importance of civil rights.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the chairmen of SCLC since he was one of the founders. He was also the face of the Civil Rights Movement and SNCC did not appreciate the way which SCLC used MLK’s image as a base for their income. They also had different approaches to the way which they wanted to tackle the issues. Most of the members of SNCC were students which gave them a different perspective than the members of SCLC.

Martin Luther King was an activist who fought for the rights of black people by leading nonviolent protests. Martin helped the black community deeply by being responsible for acts like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. In addition, he also led the civil rights movement with his vision of change and leadership, which made the world a better place for all colored people. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin says “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create tension so a community will move toward negotiation”. Martin Luther King firmly believed nonviolent direct action was a very effective tactic so the community will slowly begin to understand the racism they were facing.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr was responsible for the success of the Civil Rights Movement which occurred during the 1960’s to a small extent. Although King played a significant role in the movement of achieving desegregation, he wasn’t the fundamental cause of change in the United States of America. The movement didn’t only take its cue from King’s leadership, however, his leadership per se predominantly relied on a vast network of local leaders, hence he had little to zero direct involvement. Rather, organisations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee directed vast majority of the voter registration which ultimately contributed to desegregation. Black Americans were denied certain of their civil rights and were expected to use

Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as one of the most influential people in the civil rights movement, He brought forth change and was one of the leaders and forth runner of the movement to end segregation and give all equal rights. Whenever or wherever King went or spoke the reaction was always seen, heard, and powerful, he had established a following that was always ready to listen and was ready to cooperate in whatever needed to be done to help further the movement. When King was asked to help with marches in Birmingham his heart and compassion lead him to go to Birmingham ready to change and bring justice. When he was jailed after the march through Birmingham, the letter he sent from his cell in April of 1963 redefined the way people looked at the desegregation movement and how

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is known for his strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience, which he used to advance the civil rights of black Americans who had been treated as second-class citizens for more than a century. King was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was a man that persuaded people worldwide to follow him during the Civil Rights Movement. King was a very passionate, caring man. A great leader that pushed and motivated blacks to achieve equal rights for all.

Based on what I read I can infer that Martin Luther King Jr was very successful with his and many others challenge, black rights. In his time black people were shot at beaten and bombed because they had a different skin color. I know this because in the biography of Martin Luther King Jr. it states, "He received threats on a daily bases. Everywhere he went he was in danger of physical attack. Many supporters of the civil rights were killed.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, and passed on April 4, 1968. His father was a pastor at a catholic church and was the co-pastor. Martin went to school in Georgia and he graduated from school at the age of fifteen. He attended Morehouse College, which is a distinguished Negro in Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951.

Martin Luther King Jr is the most iconic civil rights leader in history. If anyone is unsure of his significance, they could simply take a trip to Washington, D.C to view his magnificent monument. Dr. King in the 1950s and 1960s, led protests and spoke on numerous occasions about injustice and segregation within the African American community. Although he had many Anti- Racism protest, his most legendary took place in Birmingham, Alabama. While in Birmingham, Dr. King was arrested which led to him writing a detailed letter to the city clerk.

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.

Summary/Assessment: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which is an organization operating in every Southern state with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. He came to Birmingham, Alabama because injustice lies there and helped protest about it in a nonviolent demonstration against racial discrimination. The eight clergymen of the South did not approve of these demonstrations happening which caused Dr. King to be confined in Birmingham Jail cell, writing a letter to them men explaining on why he was in Birmingham and what his reasons were for these protests. He begins to talk about and explain the four basic steps that needed to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. He also gives the audience a better understanding by giving a visual glimpse of what the black community had to endure.

On April 3, 1968 King delivered his final speech “I’ve been to the mountaintop,” in Memphis Tennessee to a massive crowd at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple Church of God. His speech was to bring awareness to the unsafe working condition and wages that the African American sanitation workers received. Prior to Reverend King’s speech on Feb. 12, 1968 roughly one thousand black Memphis sanitation workers went on strike and refused to work until their demands were met. Unfortunately, their request was denied and King, as well as Reverend James T. Lawson, traveled to Memphis to lead a nonviolent march but some of the participants started to become violent breaking windows of building and looting. This was a setback for the peaceful boycott due to rowdy few one person was shot and killed.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a big impact on us during the 1950s and 1960s. He spoke out against racial discrimination and delivered the “I Have a Dream…” speech to end, or at least try, to put a stop to segregation. Though he never got to fulfill his “dream” of seeing our nation become free of racism (because he was shot on April 4, 1968), he does still have an impact on us today. Here’s why. Civil rights have impacted our nation in a tremendous way.