Martin+Luther+King+and+his+Efforts+in+the+Civil+Rights+Movement

**__ Martin Luther King Jr. __** Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist and a major leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He was born on January 15, 1929 and he died on April 4th, 1968. He was known for his efforts in the civil rights movement through nonviolent ways in trying to create peace and he heavily followed the word of Mahatma Gandhi. He helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. King is also known for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington in 1963. In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the civil rights movement. He became the youngest person to receive the Prize.
 * __ Table of Contents __**
 * 1) ** Early Life and Education **
 * 2) ** King’s Influences and Views **
 * 3) ** Montgomery **** Bus Boycott **
 * 4) ** The March on Washington **
 * 5) ** King’s Assassination and Legacy **

**__ Early Years and Early Education __** Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams. He lived with a very supportive, well educated family. As a child, King was familiar with the racial prejudice around him. At age six, King was told by one of his white playmates that their parents wouldn't allow him to play with King anymore because they were attending segregated schools, thus beginning King’s hatred for racial prejudice. He attended segregated schools until he graduated from high school at age 15. In 1944, King was accepted into Moor House College. Before college, King spent the summer at a tobacco farm in Connecticut and he witnessed how peaceful mixed races interacted with each other. “Negroes and whites go [to] the same church,” he noted in a letter to his parents. “I never thought that a person of my race could eat anywhere.” This summer observation only deepened King’s rising disgust for prejudice. While attending Moor House, King majored in medicine and law but during his senior year, he decided to enter the ministry. King’s mentor at Moor house was Benjamin Mays. He was a social gospel activist whose great speech delivering skills and open-minded ideas had an impact on King. Mays was committed to fighting racial inequality and accused the African American communities of tolerating bad treatment from the law. King graduated from Moor House in 1948. He went on to attend Crozier Theological Seminary and received his seminary degree. He then received his PhD from Boston University and became one of the most educated black men in America.

**__ King's Influences and Views __** King’s approach to civil rebellion and his beliefs on nonviolence were shaped by three influences: Gandhi, the Sermon on the mount and Niebuhr. He was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his concept of true force. He became familiar with Gandhi during college. Gandhi influenced King’s ideals by opening his mind to the possibility that there lies an endless truth in ones' life and that once one has glimpsed that truth, they will never be the same again. From King's perspective, the core of this truth was non-violence. The Sermon on the Mount was another influence on King’s beliefs. He believed that Christian love can be spread not just within love relationships but social relationships as well. Reinhold Niebuhr also influenced King by introducing the idea of a social evil. This concept assumed that simple love would not be enough to improve the social order but by expressing love in realistic ways, it could really have a social impact.

**__Montgomery__** **__Bus Boycott__**

The Montgomery Bus Boycott began on December 1st, 1955, the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus. This act began one of the longest protests in history. The organizers of the boycott met together and they prepared three demands for the bus company: that seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis; that drivers control themselves with greater civility to black passengers; and that black drivers are hired when necessary. In order to meet these demands, they all agreed to not ride the bus on December 5th. This group became known as the Montgomery Improvement Association and King became their president. From the beginning and throughout the entire movement, King stressed the protests fixed Christian principles. King’s motto was though blacks may be the victims of violence; black protestors would carry out no acts of violence themselves. The boycott lasted one year and King became a major target of threats and violence. King's house was bombed and he was arrested numerous times. In order for blacks to survive the boycott, blacks formed carpools and taxis or most walked to work. Soon the boycott began to affect businesses including the bus company; they were losing income by 50% percent. Instead of meeting the MIA’s demands, whites attempted to stop the boycott by bombing black homes, churches and businesses and later took the case to the courts. Soon, news arrived that the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Rosa Parks and the MIA. The boycott ended December 21, 1956.

**__ The March on Washington __**

On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C for the biggest protest gathering in the world. About 60,000 of these people were whites. Demands they hoped to accomplish were to eliminate segregation in all schools, provide jobs for the unemployed, and eliminate racial discrimination permanently. King delivered his famous “I have a Dream speech" that was broadcasted on all television stations across the nation. He spoke of hope and willpower and symbolizing the day’s message of racial equality, love and his belief that people of all races could live together peacefully. His speech is currently one of the most powerful speeches of all time.  **__ King’s Assassination __**

The spring of 1968, King flew to Memphis to participate in a strike of black workers who wanted equal pay as whites. King participated in a rally of 6,000 people. King stayed at the Lorraine Motel in a black neighborhood close to the scene of the protests. On the evening of April 4th, 1958, King stepped out onto the second floor balcony afer a meeting. After a brief time period, a sniper shot King in the neck and King died within an hour at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. The assassin James Earl Ray was caught about a month later. His assassination erupted riots throughout the nation. President Johnson claimed April 7th- mourning day- but citizens’ ideas of mourning took the forms of violence and arson. Funeral services were held at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta and thousands of people came out to pay their respects to King.

**__ Analysis for Martin Luther King Jr. __** Who was Martin Luther King Junior? Most people recognize him as one of the most prominent well known leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. He strongly believed that people of all races could live together in peace in one nation and he believed in nonviolent tactics. Between 1955 and 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. influenced America through his non-violent approaches to help African Americans gain equal rights in America and brought to the nations’ attention how wrongly treated blacks were; he was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophies of non-violence and he was a major leader and a great orator of the Civil Rights Movement that gave African Americans faith and courage to keep trying which eventually led to new laws that ended discrimination. Martin Luther King Junior’s strategy of civil rebellion and his belief in nonviolence influenced citizens all over the United States during the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Junior believed strongly in non-violent strategies in order to achieve social and political changes. Strategies such as protesting, demonstrations and speeches were one of many methods Martin Luther King supported. He felt that though wrongdoing might be done to you, you must be the bigger person and refuse to retaliate. Protests such as the March on Washington and the Montgomery Bus Boycott were one of many non violent strategies Martin Luther King Junior practiced. Martin Luther King wrote in his excerpt __Nonviolence: the Road to Freedom,__ “I can only conclude that the Negro, even in his bitterest moments, is not intent on killing white men to be free ”. This quote represents how he believed violence was not the answer and that the Negro race would not resort to violence at any time. He influenced America with his nonviolent ways which made him very famous amongst the American public. He believed that injustice in one area was a threat to justice anywhere. He strongly believed in the Christian approach to conflicts and nonviolence was the road to freedom for African Americans. He was proved right because through his nonviolent efforts such as protests, demonstrations and speeches, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed on March 15th, 1965. He opened America to the idea of a nonviolent society through his speeches and protests and though there is still violence to this day, society is not like it was during King’s time. Society’s in fact, better. Martin Luther King Junior’s beliefs in nonviolence were greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi philosophies. In college, King studied both Gandhi and his principles. He was inspired by Gandhi and opened his eyes to the possibility of another way to be heard instead of resorting to violence. He learned that power and social change could be achieved through love and honesty. Gandhi believed you could find truth through caring for others and you had to have the ability of courage to truly be nonviolent. King traveled to India to meet Gandhi to better understand Gandhi’s beliefs and he loved how peaceful India was. King began to adopt this belief and used these principles to achieve social and political change for African Americans. Martin Luther King once spoke “As I delved deeper into the philosophy of Gandhi, my skepticism concerning the power of love gradually diminished, and I came to see for the first time that the Christian doctrine of love, operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence, is one of the most potent weapons available to an oppressed people in their struggle for freedom”. This is evidence Martin Luther King was greatly influenced by Gandhi and his philosophies. Through Gandhi’s wisdom and word, Martin Luther King influenced the nation and helped achieve the impossible. Martin Luther King was a huge representative during the Civil Rights Movements, not just for African Americans but for all races across the nation. During his entire campaign for racial discrimination and equality amongst all races, he focused not only on African American rights but rights for all of American citizens. He focused on improving society’s violent ways to more peaceful, non violent ways. Martin Luther King once declared during his famous “I Have a Dream” speech,”In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force”. This quote is evidence that he once spoke of the need to improve America’s violent ways into peaceful, nonviolent ways and the immediate need for change. During his “I Have A Dream” speech, Martin Luther King also said “I have a dream that one day, // do //wn in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”. This quote deeply expressed King’s desire for America to change their perspectives on racial inequality and to grant equality to each and every citizen regardless of color. King’s efforts in the Civil Rights Movement represent a major part to American history as well as the present. King’s efforts in the Civil Rights Movement have led up to how our society is today. During King’s time, America was led by mostly white Christian males but now we have people of all races and backgrounds who have accomplished high levels in society and it is no longer rare but normal. This not only identifies their absolute rights as human beings promised in American Law but is the most valuable service America has. Martin Luther King Junior was one of the most important leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and he never stopped fighting for what he believed in. He influenced and helped change American society and end racial discrimination and he brought people of all races together as one nation. For this accomplishment, Martin Luther King Junior deserves the title of a National Hero.
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