Martin Luther King Jr Research Paper
It’s amazing how social conflicts can impact a life so hugely and shape the motives and perspectives of an important leader such as Martin Luther King Jr. A persons character is formed through the challenges they face in their lives, and all the struggles MLK faced in his have helped him to become the great leader he is known for today. Things like racial segregation and the Vietnam War caused him to want to fight for a different society and show how change can help better our future. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 which was a time of racial segregation. Because he was African American’ he endured much of the suffering inflicted on his race. There were many laws segregating colored people from whites in schools,
restaurants, bathrooms, and other public places. Seeing his brother and sisters being treated so badly caused him to want a change. He became very active in the Civil Rights Movement. He organized marches and speeches to end segregation although he risked many thing including death. Martin Luther King Jr. was also affected by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow Laws were all about racial separation. Martin Luther King helped persuade public opinion against the laws. His use of civil disobedience showed the cruelties of the whites towards the blacks “inferiority”. The KKK was a group of white supremacists that were devoted to hurting blacks. They bombed houses, tortured and even killed blacks. They did what they could to tarnish MLK’s name without success. Another big social influence on Martin Luther King Jr. was the Vietnam War. He strongly opposed this war stating that it was only “taking young black men who have been crippled by our society and sending them 13,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem.” He also argued that the money they were using for the war should be spent on improving the American Welfare System. He wrote “Beyond Vietnam: The Time to Break the Silence,” which discussed why he was against the war so heavily. The struggles of racial segregation and the Vietnam War were just a few problems Martin Luther King Jr. had to face during his lifetime. They helped shape his motives for change. They contributed to his perspective on things and helped him to become a catalyst for change. Although these obstacles, he rose above them and became a great leader striving for equality.
restaurants, bathrooms, and other public places. Seeing his brother and sisters being treated so badly caused him to want a change. He became very active in the Civil Rights Movement. He organized marches and speeches to end segregation although he risked many thing including death. Martin Luther King Jr. was also affected by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow Laws were all about racial separation. Martin Luther King helped persuade public opinion against the laws. His use of civil disobedience showed the cruelties of the whites towards the blacks “inferiority”. The KKK was a group of white supremacists that were devoted to hurting blacks. They bombed houses, tortured and even killed blacks. They did what they could to tarnish MLK’s name without success. Another big social influence on Martin Luther King Jr. was the Vietnam War. He strongly opposed this war stating that it was only “taking young black men who have been crippled by our society and sending them 13,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem.” He also argued that the money they were using for the war should be spent on improving the American Welfare System. He wrote “Beyond Vietnam: The Time to Break the Silence,” which discussed why he was against the war so heavily. The struggles of racial segregation and the Vietnam War were just a few problems Martin Luther King Jr. had to face during his lifetime. They helped shape his motives for change. They contributed to his perspective on things and helped him to become a catalyst for change. Although these obstacles, he rose above them and became a great leader striving for equality.