Preview

How Did Martin Luther King Jr Rise To Power

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
802 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Did Martin Luther King Jr Rise To Power
Martin Luther King Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This is one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous quotes. Martin Luther King Jr was an African American male figure that made a change to this world today. He was born on January 15, 1929 and was assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was a leader throughout his whole life, receiving degrees and being elected president of a predominantly white senior class. Martin Luther King Jr revolutionized civil rights in America with his advocacy for nonviolence and his involvement with the bus boycott.
Non-violence was a way that Dr. King expressed his way of ending segregation and getting equality. His power of non-violence …show more content…
King was selected to lead the Montgomery Improvement Association to protest the arrest of Rosa Parks. After the supreme court, outlawed Alabama bus segregation laws, King pursued nonviolent civil rights movement. “In his role as the primary spokesman of the year-long Montgomery bus boycott, King utilized the leadership abilities he had gained from his religious background and academic training to forge a distinctive protest strategy that involved the mobilization of black churches and skillful appeals for white support.” (King Center 3) This quote relates to my claim because it explains that King used his leadership abilities to protest and fight for equality using his background knowledge. King was not only well educated, he was a very religious man. Due to King’s ability to take charge a become an outstanding leader because of his motivation, he was selected to become a leader. “In December 1955, when Montgomery’s black leaders, including Jo Ann Robinson, E.D. Nixon, and Ralph Abernathy formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to protest the arrest of NAACP official Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man, they selected King to head the new group.” (King Center 1) This quote is proving that King is well trusted and respected. With all of King’s hard work he inspired a few
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Martin Luther King's Stride Towards Freedom: The Montgomery Story
    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summary Of Martin Luther King's Stride Towards Freedom: The Montgomery Story

    When Dr. King was 25, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and accept an offer to become the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery. During King’s tenure at Dexter, the leading political activists in Montgomery formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to protest the arrest of Rosa Parks, an influential political figure and important NAACP official. Rosa Parks is now remembered today for sitting at the front of a public bus, sectioned for “whites-only”, and refusing to move. This famous and well known example of political activism inspired King and the MIA to lead a boycott on public bus transportation in Montgomery, the first major example of King participating in political activism. With the important encouragement…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mlk Letter from Birmingham
    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mlk Letter from Birmingham

    Martin Luther King Jr. was the acknowledged leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. King earned several degrees and was a bright man. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in April 1963, while he was in jail in Birmingham, Alabama, for acts of civil disobedience (499). His letter is a response to a letter signed by clergyman criticizing his actions towards civil rights. The clergymen believed that his actions were “untimely.” King states ,”if I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk…I would have no time for constructive work” (500). He usually does not respond to letter that criticize his work and actions, but he believed the clergymen were men of genuine good and they meant no harm. King was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and they had affiliates all throughout the South. King believed he was supposed to spread freedom. He agreed that if Birmingham ever needed him that he would be there. “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (500). King used an approach to resolve issues in nonviolent manners. It consisted of sit-ins, marches, and etc. Nonviolent direct action would create a tension that an otherwise ignored subject would have to be faced. With nonviolent direct action and ignored issue would come to light and can no longer be ignored(502). After the direct-action program, King hoped that the doors to negotiation would open.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Martin Luther King Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement
    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Martin Luther King Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most acclaimed leaders of the civil rights movement. He became one of the leading speakers of the civil rights movement and his leadership helped make the civil rights movement a success. His efforts helped bring an end to legal segregation and led to the creation of many laws guaranteeing civil rights for all. King first became well known when he presented a guest lecture for the NAACP and E.D. Nixon heard his lecture. Nixon was so impressed with King’s speaking abilities, that he decided to help King become the head of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement
    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement

    Michael Luther King Jr, known as Dr.Martin Luther King Jr, was a genius spokesperson and played a huge role in the civil rights movement of the United States. MLK Jr. made revolutionary changes to the world in the Mid-1950’s until he was assassinated in 1968. For example; he spoke out for what he believed in and for what he thought should happen involving the segregation of African Americans all around the world. In that time period most black men and women were not allowed to speak their mind without becoming a target for violence by whites. They were targeted by police and would often be arrested.…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The work of martin uther king
    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The work of martin uther king

    In 1954, King became the minister of a church in Montgomery, Alabama. In Montgomery, when people would ride the bus, black people had to sit in back and let white people sit in front. One of the first things King did was to organize a protest against the bus company. He began to organize other non-violent protests, and soon he was a leader in the civil rights movement.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Letters From Birmingham Jail 'And The Negro Is Your Brother'
    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Letters From Birmingham Jail 'And The Negro Is Your Brother'

    King followed the theory that change could happen without the use of violence. King showed ideas and methods from Mahatma Gandhi. King’s idea of resisting the racial profiling were to organize lunch-counter sit-ins, peaceful marches, and bus boycotts. His main goal was to show people around the world how violent oppressors were morally incorrect in the way they were acting. Dr. King overall delivered his philosophy and how you cannot fight racial injustice with violence, because it leads to give the oppressors something to rally against. With his ideas and philosophies a civil rights bus group emerged. That famous group were the Freedom…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Was More Successful In The Fight For Civil Rights
    • 511 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Who Was More Successful In The Fight For Civil Rights

    Critics and cynics often branded King a ‘glory seeker’ but it was clear that his ultimate leadership in rhetoric and direction was what made the movement. NAACP leader Roy Wilkins described King as presumptuous and self promoting, but King felt that God had called him to leadership. The March on Washington in August 1963 is a testament and historic moment in King’s leadership of the movement. Despite his fear that non-violence was decreasingly popular amongst blacks, many of whom were embittered by then slow pace of change, he felt the march would maintain black morale in advertising the effectiveness of non-violent protest. His memorable speech made a powerful appeal to not only black America, but white America too. King was seen to have coordinated a collaboration of the major civil rights leaders and united them through a national undertaking. Additionally King set up the SCLC in 1957 with the aim of improving the black situation in the South by attracting national attention to racial inequality, a more reasonable platform than that of Malcolm X. King was far more successful…

    • 511 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Impact Society
    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Impact Society

    King had formed groups and organizations to help fight the cause in many communities, but it wasn’t until 1957 that his movement went national. Time magazine published an article on how King was becoming a hero to the people of his community. It discussed how he transformed the city of Montgomery, and gave insight of his leadership. Following the article king received invitations to speak and meet leaders in countries around the world. After the international tour he received a prestigious award, the Spingarn medal. The medal recognized him for “the greatest contribution of race relations.” Even though King was grateful to receive the medal he was still focused on the fact that he and all African Americans would not being able to vote in the upcoming election. This is an example of how desperately he wanted civil rights. Voting in an election was having a voice, being equal to all other Americans and having a say in how the country was governed. Less than a year later after King’s movement went national, a book promotion occurred in New York City and King was there signing autographs when he was stabbed with a letter opener. Even in the fact of possible death, amazingly he wasn’t worried, he kept calm. King had said it made him more committed than ever to fight for equality. He left his job as a part time minister and the civil rights movement into was his only focus. In December 1959, King said “the time has come for a broad, bold advance…

    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Martin Luther King Have Power To Change
    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Martin Luther King Have Power To Change

    Have you ever wanted change so bad that you would do literally anything to make it happen? Martin Luther King, Jr. did everything in his power to accomplish the change that he wished for and ran into struggles every step of the way. Not only did he just struggle for change, but he inspired somebody each and every step he took to take charge for change. The idea of everyone being treated equally without discrimination motivated King to step up, and he was willing to struggle to make the change he longed for.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Why Was Martin Luther King Important
    • 2465 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Why Was Martin Luther King Important

    King was critical for the civil rights movement; he was massively proactive. This is evident from King’s first significant role, the 1955 Bus boycott - King put forward his method of non-violent protest as for correcting the inequalities of the American Society. Already from this first act we see King’s ‘pure’ intentions, his ideal of non-violent protest which he would continue to use throughout his civil rights campaign, King persuaded local people to boycott, without them it would be unsuccessful. The value of this one event is key to understanding the importance of King; this one event set the tone for the rest of…

    • 2465 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Influence The World
    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages

    How Did Martin Luther King Jr Influence The World

    Martin Luther King Jr. was a truly dynamic person in his short but eventful and important lifetime. He was responsible of the eventual equality of all races, and set a good example in his protests, but he was not always that way. Martin Luther King Jr. was influenced by his father, his religion, and a person that lived in India halfway across the world. These people shaped Martin’s attitude, perspective, actions, and protests. One thing was for sure, King was not born understanding all that he did once he had shaped the country of America for the better. His influences made him careful, kind, respectful, intelligent, and well gathered. Even as a highly famous and respected person, King also had to change.…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr Influence
    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr Influence

    was a very influential man on King's life. He was a Baptist minister and was in charge of the children's moral and religious education. To Mr. King, his father was a model of courage and compassion and strength. King Sr. "had led a successful campaign to equalize the salaries of white and black teachers in Atlanta". He worked hard and well for the rights of people and taught his son to do it as well. King Jr. knew from a young age that people didn't have the same rights and he couldn't understand the reason as to why. He tried to comprehend it, but he couldn't see how a man could be so distasteful to another man so much just because of the color of his skin. King once said, "I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character". He wanted to open people’s eyes and see each other as being people. Not to be judged on their race, religion, gender, age or anything except their character and what they are willing to do to change things in the world. "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." -Martin Luther King Jr. . He was very passionate and he wanted others to be as well.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr Influence
    • 1984 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr Influence

    influenced the idea of overall peace in the world in many ways, and led to America becoming less violent. When he led the march on Washington, he made the idea of segregation appalling. Martin was also the leading cause to many changes in laws in America. “He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965” (History.com). The main idea behind all of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work is peace. His tactics for protesting segregation, were to be nonviolent because he did not believe violence would create anything but more violence. “In Dr. King’s words, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction… The chain reaction of evil–hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars–must be broken or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation” (P.M.). Martin Luther King Jr. wanted a peaceful world, where everyone was equal. While he wanted to end, the humiliation implicated on his race, he also craved for America to come together. Martin made it possible for America to eventually reach the full equality that everyone deserved. It is because of his contributions that the world today has become…

    • 1984 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Obstacles In Life Of Martin Luther King Jr.
    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Obstacles In Life Of Martin Luther King Jr.

    was involved in was the montgomery bus boycott. According to Khadijah Jackson article “ King headed the Montgomery Improvement Association and lead one of the most mass civil rights protest and it was the first action taken to desegregate the Montgomery public bus system. ”Dr. King felt that something needed to be done, so he followed the footstep of Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. King led protests against segregation, but he did this in a rational manner and without violence.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Impact Of I Have A Dream Speech
    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Is The Impact Of I Have A Dream Speech

    King wasn’t just a guy that made a speech. Before the boycott, Dr. King was a pastor of a church just like his father, Martin Luther King Sr. Dr. King was a pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. King went to college to study theology, philosophy, ethics, the Social Gospel of Walter Rauschenbusch, and the religious and social views of Reinhold Niebuhr, and was rejected by his teachers and classmate, but was actually elected student body president. After college, Dr. King wanted to become a professor, but came back to his hometown and became a preacher at Ebenezer.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics