...Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination | History class Fall semester Nov. 22/ 2011 | Susan Kennedy | The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 was a tragic blow, not only for the civil rights movement but also for the rights movement of all lower class citizens in America. Dr. King represented one of the few voices in 1968 able to form any type of consensus among increase-polarized groups in society. His death inaugurated a period of some of the worst race riots in American history. However, his death did not signal a end to the Civil Rights Movement. The movement had been splitting into factions for several years before he was assassinated. Dr. King’s death did accelerate the polarization of American society. The Black power became the leading force behind the transforming Civil Right Movement. However, to a far greater degree, King’s death signaled an alienation among white supporters of the movement who saw in King their opportunity to participate in the movement, while opposed to the movement hardened their stance in the face of the emerging drive for black self-determination. Robbed of the man who galvanized their community, outraged African Americans took to the streets to protest. Furor erupted among blacks in many cities as angry African Americans refused to heed the President\’s call for calm. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked...
Words: 843 - Pages: 4
...have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This was famous and inspirational quote spoken by activist and pastor, Martin Luther King Jr. He played a major role in black history and fighting for equality for all races. When thinking of Martin Luther King Jr., another person with very similar qualities comes into mind, Former President, Barack Obama. Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States who had many similar views and qualities to King’s. These two men have played a substantial role in shaping America into what it is today. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama both grew up in similar conditions and circumstances. They both raised in good conditions and grew up in households with their parents. Both men also came from middle class backgrounds. These two also graduated from some of the best universities in the Boston Area. Obama attended Harvard Law School in 1988 and graduated with great distinction in 1991. M.L.K. Jr. attended Boston University and was awarded his Ph.D. in 1955 when he was only 25 years old....
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...recognised in many of the real-life leaders, but Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the few who exhibited it very clearly. Martin Luther King Jr. was recognised by many and had a inspiring journey as he strongly indicated to others, the pain of the segregated lives. MLK with his heroic traits spread awareness about the torture and was able to gain significant civil advances and voting rights for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. embodies the characteristics of an epic hero...
Words: 653 - Pages: 3
...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Legendary Leader Matthew M. Thomas Harrison College Instructor Ward March 13, 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Legendary Leader Black history month of 2015 saw some milestones. The 50th anniversary of bloody Sunday and the movie “Selma” which tells the story of Dr. King’s march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma Alabama. These milestones have also made people reflect on the greatest leader in African American history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this paper, we will look at Dr. King’s traits, ethics, leadership style, and his method of creating team work in such a way that it changed the world forever. Dr. King’s Traits and Characteristics Dr. King was an Honest, god-fearing, loving person who got his roots in the African American church. Dr. King was a visionary who knew how to keep his eyes on the prize of equal rights, and he also had an ability that few possess to this day. He had the ability to people who normally would be feuding to work together toward a common cause. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech is a great testament to Dr. King’s ability to move the hearts of all men. Dr. King displayed courage in the face of adversity. He was sprayed with water as well as his followers and till yet he was consistent. Consistent with his fight and his message of protest and non-violence. He kept the entire movement moving in the right direction even when it seemed the movement for equality would destroy itself. When...
Words: 1578 - Pages: 7
...immense impact. However, none of them can compare to the enormous amount of impact that Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had. Both men displayed a massive amount of courage while trying to put an end to racism when no one else dared to. They both stood up for what they believed in no matter how much they were ridiculed. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the most recognized leaders in history who both had the same objective of putting a stop to racism but had several differences in their background, philosophy, and influences. Although they were alike in many aspects, the location and setting in which they were raised caused a distinction in the way they led. When Malcolm was six years old his father was killed by the Black Legionaries. This played an enormous role in his mother’s break down, which put her in a mental institution. Malcolm’s mother, Louise, could not handle raising eight children during the Great Depression, especially without their father. This is what led to six of the children becoming wards of the state. One of those children was Malcolm, who soon thereafter began to live a life of crime including drugs, con games, and thievery. Just before he turned twenty-one years old Malcolm was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison for burglary. In prison, Malcolm had to educate himself, and developed his debating skills, and pledged to replace black self-hate with black self-esteem (Treanor 107). The fact that Malcolm educated himself was later reflected...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.” –Coretta Scott King, page666 The 1960’s were a time of great turmoil in America and throughout the world. One of the main topics that arouse was black civil rights. In my essay I plan to compare the difference of opinion between these particular writers and directors, towards racism and the civil rights movement in the 1960’s The movement truly got underway with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X in the early 1960’s. Students who wanted to bolt on the equality and protest bandwagon quickly followed. Most of the students went to the Southern states (Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, etc.), to stop the racism and hate crimes. The truth of the matter is that the violence and abhorrence would get worse before it got better. The Klan became stronger and more violent, committing many more lynching and gruesome murders. Bit by bit most of the Caucasian Americans came around to the idea of integration, and did not believe that the African Americans as a ‘threat’ anymore. The only reason that this great monumental change occurred was because of the great leadership of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King jr., and not to mention the thousands of other less famous civil rights leaders, that worked to change the views of their community. There also where lobbyist and protesters that risked there lives and went out on a limb to struggle against injustice. All factors, put together, made one of...
Words: 2640 - Pages: 11
...Ever since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War there has been the issue of race and equality and rights. A movement occurred and two men gained power and influence the African American community. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X two men having experienced different things in their lives held different beliefs and morals and influenced people based upon those things. Martin Luther King Jr., came from a Baptist home with a fairly easy childhood, he was educated when he was younger and attended Morehouse College, an all black college, where he had several role models that shaped his beliefs. Malcolm X, on the other hand, experienced a hard childhood and used drugs and committed other crimes in his early adult years. While in prison he found a father figure in Elijah Muhammad and joined the Nation of Islam. There are many differences between Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X in the way they acted and influenced the African American community. This paper will look to describe their differing views and analyze their actions and their lives. In most cases a person’s childhood has a lasting affect on the rest of a person’s life. In comparing Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X this seems to be the case. Martin Luther King Jr., was born January 19, 1929 and was raised by a strong supportive family. He had a somewhat privileged life and “never experienced the feeling of not having the basic necessities of life.”[1] His father “was a community leader in Atlanta...
Words: 3427 - Pages: 14
...The Drum Major Instinct. Martin Luther King, Jr. remains arguably the most recognizable African American figure in world history. First thrust into the international spotlight courtesy of his leadership of a boycott of the public bus system in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was pastor of a local church, King became the lightning rod for the civil rights movement that emerged in the wake of the successful boycott. During the 1960s he gave innumerable speeches characterized by oratorical genius, led a succession of mass marches in the heart of segregated America and helped to reconstruct American race relations before his assassination in 1968. Ever since Montgomery he has attracted the attention of biographers and historians keen to understand what made him such a magnetic and inspirational leader and what made the story of the civil rights movement so compelling. Martin Luther King is most remembered for a speech given during one of the finest hours of the civil rights movement -- a sermon that set the moral tone for the movement. But while the Aug. 28, 1963, sermon "I Have A Dream," delivered during the March on Washington, framed much of Martin Luther King Jr’s notions of a free America, it was not the speech that defined his legacy. One of the world's best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr., synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted...
Words: 2054 - Pages: 9
...dramatic events of Civil Right Movements. It called upon Alabama residents, especially the Black, to stop their sit-ins, marches, and other kinds of resisting the segregation at that time. Furthermore, the eight clergymen encouraged the work of regional policemen, using ‘brutal punishment’ to those who did not obey the segregation. According to the Blessed Are The Peacemakers, eight Alabama clergymen who established the “Statement by Alabama Clergymen” were “Nolan Harmon, Paul Hardin, Charles Carpenter, George Murray, Joseph Durick, Joe Allen, Ed Ramage, Earl Stallings, and Milton Grafman” (Bass 9). They were white church leaders in Alabama, who were respected by...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...radical Black coordinators Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi made a Black-focused political will and movement development project called #BlackLivesMatter. This hashtag was made after the violent death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in 2012. The Black Lives Matter Movement is an ideological and political mediation in a reality where we bear witness to black lives who are deliberately and purposefully targeted for death. The Black Lives Matter Movement has developed into the biggest black driven crusade since the 1960s. While particular objectives and strategies for the movement shift by city and state, generally speaking the development tries to focus on...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...history, there have been numerous people that have had an impact on the lives of many. If I were to have the opportunity to speak to anyone, dead or alive, I would choose to speak to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) without any hesitation. King was a brave man who fought against racism and discrimination against African Americans. Being African American myself, MLK. and what he accomplished during his life is of great importance to me. Because of his hard work and dedication, I am able to go in public without fear of oppression, at least that is what most people would assume. Over the last few years, names like Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Sandra Bland have flooded news stories. Though these people’s...
Words: 499 - Pages: 2
...Investigate the History of Slavery and Discuss the ways in which this history Impacts Contemporary Society. HUMN: 303N Week 8 Final Essay The history of slavery has majorly impacted contemporary society as well as the ways in which we live. Ever since slavery was abolished in the United States, equality has been spread amongst African Americans throughout the world. This was achieved by the African Americans themselves, with their strong effort in fighting for what they felt was right. Following their strong attempts, “A terrible price had to be paid, in a tragic, calamitous civil war, before the new democracy could be rid of that most undemocratic institution” (G. Loury, 2015). A huge part of this time period was the Civil Rights movement. This movement was led by strong leaders that helped secure equal opportunities and privileges for African Americans. Although slavery was not officially outlawed until the 13th century amendment was passed, at end of the war slaves were set free. In M. Stevens (2015), “Fasts about the Slave Trade and Slavery, The Gider Lehrman Institute of American History,” slave trade and slavery itself has been thoroughly described. Steven starts off by stating that the United States had the highest natural increase in slave population. He then goes into slave trade, and explains what a slave would go through on a normal work day. This ties into the fact of the actual cost of slaves, and how vastly it changed through the years. The...
Words: 2612 - Pages: 11
...Eng-132 22 April 2016 Civil Rights Movement In history there have been many changes socially and physically. In the 1960’s the civil rights movement was significant for the equality of people. After the abolition of slavery in 1853, there had been a continuous conflict between the races of people who lived in the United States. In the United States there have been and still are many hate groups. Many think that after the civil rights movement African Americans and whites people got along perfectly; however, there are many stories on how white people have been disgracing African Americans. There were many types of protesting during this time. Some protest involved violent and some involved non-violent protesting. Many influential people were here at the time such as: Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. There were also many hate groups at the time that tried to erase the African American population. During this time there were many rights that were violated during the civil rights movement. Many amendments were also made to stop the segregation such as the 14th and 15th amendment. The civil rights movement was a mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States that came to national prominence during the mid-1950s. This was in the roots of centuries-long efforts of African slaves. (Carson, 2015) The south was worse than the north about how this. The civil rights movement was about of the Jim Crow laws. These...
Words: 1920 - Pages: 8
...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
...Over time there were many people that helped create defining moments in history, these individuals helped not only shape their communities but also the ideas of the people within these communities, one such person was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th 1929 and originally given the name Michael Luther King by his mother, before having his name changed at a later age, went on to become a advocate for the civil rights of the back people. He participated in various protest followed in the footsteps of this father and grandfather by becoming the co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. His belief in using an approach based on non- violence and peaceful protests was something that impacted many around him, and despite his being treated like an outcast, being arrested, having his house bombed and ultimately being assassinated, he worked to make the world a better place and to change the minds of society about persons of other races and ethnicities and cultures and his sole goal in life was to create peace and harmony within the bounds of unity. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta in a program for gifted students and received his Bachelors of Science for Sociology in 1948. As an undergraduate he wanted to study fields such as law or medicine but in turn decided by his senior year that he would enter the world of ministry and continue his family’s level of the church. He then went on to Crozer Theological Seminary to receive...
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
