Martin Luther King And Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience: conscientious and public opposition of law or government demands to influence legislation of government policy. Coined by the renowned Henry David Thoreau and built upon the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly, civil disobedience is used worldwide by citizens to voice themselves to the government. Breaches of law have not only been prominent in Thoreau’s era, Martin Luther King Jr.’s era, but now, in current opposition against President Trump’s inauguration. As with every controversy, civil disobedience is met with two conflicting sides: is it wrong to break a law in any circumstance or should citizens be allowed to protest to bring change to the government? The core of a democratic-republic country is it’s citizens.
took ideas of civil disobedience from Thoreau’s writings. Following in the Transcendentalist’s footsteps, King led nonviolent campaigns in numerous states. In 1963, he led an alliance of civil rights groups to Birmingham, Alabama, to protest the unfair treatment of colored people. He led lunch counter sit-ins, marches on City Hall, and mass meetings until he was arrested for disobeying the state court anti-protest injunction. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, he states “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” King called upon his followers to continue protesting, so that the new Birmingham city council will listen and see the need for desegregation. Decades later, King’s dream has come true: colored citizens of the United States are given the same written rights as their caucasian counterparts. Despite this fact, colored individuals continue to suffer from racial attacks, and it is evident in recent
Tom Malinowski, former assistant secretary of state for democracy, stated “the entire national security bureaucracy of the United States [feels that] their commander in chief is a threat to U.S. national security.” The public thinks the same; many have turned to nonviolent protests and media to share their thoughts. Protests have been held in major cities: New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., and more. Citizens are seen holding signs of anti-islamophobia and anti-xenophobia, demanding that green card holders from Muslim countries be allowed to travel. Many believe that President Trump’s executive orders are misrepresentative of the United States’ morals: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”, a land that opens her arms to those seeking refuge and a land that protects its citizens and permanent residents, regardless of race or religion. Their peaceful protests allow them to fight for those unrepresented, so that those targeted by the Trump administration are given the opportunities and resources to fulfill their potential in the United