Preview

How significant was Martin Luther King’s contribution to the civil rights movement in the years 1956-68?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
760 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How significant was Martin Luther King’s contribution to the civil rights movement in the years 1956-68?
There is no doubt that MLK shaped the way people campaigned for black civil rights in America during these years however weather that was significant to any head way they did make, one example of his significance is the amount of peaceful protest that was carried out, now that MLK was promoting peaceful protests more people could participate in campaigning for what they believed, this made the supporters for the civil right movement far greater in numbers than ever before and opposing people found it harder and harder to suppress any action they may take. The Montgomery Bus Boycott is a perfect example of a peaceful protest headed by MLK this was because this was the first real push for blacks to be more equal to whites and so they could be treated as people, the boycott would also not have succeeded if it weren’t for MLK as he provided structure and inspiration for everyone taking part. This is significant because it gathered more supporters for the movement and gave them more influence when it came to changing things.
Another reason that MLK was significant was he branched out the campaign from the south to the north and west which were places which may not have been as bad and public about it but were still very racist and discriminative towards blacks, this is significant because it helped a lot more blacks join in with the campaign and help support in numbers, it also made the pressure on the government larger as there were more and more supporters for the campaign and more and more people (not just blacks) who could influence decisions.
MLK had a special gift of being able to create moving and inspiring speeches, this highlights his significance because it was him that was the face of the campaign and with his inspiring speeches he created more and more support for the campaign but most importantly more white sympathisers as they had a lot more power and influence.
One other thing that highlights MLK’s significance to the civil rights movement was his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr, is one of the most important people in the history of America because he fought for equality between blacks and whites. His famous "I Have A Dream" speech made a huge difference. He believed in fighting hate with love.…

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    When we think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we often think of an African American man that led all African Americans into making history each day he led the civil rights movement. During the 13 years of MLKS leadership from December 1955-April 4 1968, the African American community achieved more progress towards racial equality in America than the previous years had done. King was and still is to this day considered of the most prominent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history!…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was well known for giving many inspiring speeches that had an affect on the American society during the 1960's. I believe his speech in 1967, "Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence" advances the cause of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement because Dr. King is challenging the logic that both black and white Americans fight in war together but they can not sit in the same seat in the same class together in school. As well as challenging the movement of peace by speaking for the weak or the voiceless.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr was one of the huge reasons for segregation to end. He put a lot of effort into making sure people were treated equal and he should be remembered for that. Not only did he change the world, but he also saved people. He saved people being neglected or hurt because of these laws that didn’t really make any sense. King was truly a hero and deserves to be remembered for all of his time and hard work he put into something he believed…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther king Jr. fought for civil rights in the south. At the time the south was segregated between whites and blacks,the whites often had the newest and best things. Dr. MLK believed that no matter your race, heritage or county of origin everyone should be treated equally and get to have the same opportunities to be successful. MLK got thrown in jail for parading, his anti-racism views. MLK successfully brought two different cultures of people together that had never been around each other before. neither group accepted each other with open arms but after a short backlash everyone learned to accept each other and live together as one. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on a hotel balcony after standing up for what was right and what was needed to be done at the time.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    MLK was a stounged Christian who preached integration and loving your oppressor. White leaders paid and subsidized MLK to educate African Americans to be defenseless against one of the cruelest groups of people the world has ever known. He was the perfect "leader" for white people because he would not have fight back against the white man’s violent, oppressive attacks on black people.…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    ‘Nothing mattered more to king than being an outstanding preacher. Martin Luther King had an exceptional personal some state. He was a very proud and an outspoken man. He had been ‘conditioned’ from the mere age of nine and ordained in a black church for later life purposes (1). At a young age racism surrounded him and was affected first hand. He was abused by a white mill owner purely on the colour of his skin. He also witnessed other black people suffering from violence when he saw a white mob attack and barbarically murder a black man. King was a very opinionated person and became a lead figure head publicly known on a national scale. This came to be evident from 1955 onwards when he represented the Montgomery bus boycott. However prior to this boycott in 1955, in 1954 he began to work as a pastor in Montgomery. King had a very likeable personality and rarely missed the opportunity to publicly speak in front of large crowds. He even flagged a marathon from Selma to Montgomery just to address a crowd regarding the civil rights movement and his feelings representative of many others. It is clear to see that Martin Luther King’s aims were to gain equality for black people. He wanted to draw attention to the racial inequality on a national level and more importantly challenge the status quo with ruthless determination that a majority of black people had accepted but the questions remains how pivotal was his presence to the success of the movement. This determination can be portrayed in some of his actions for example he would rather have faced a jail sentence rather than a ten dollar fine not due to money but with regards to principle. Martin Luther King is key to the civil rights movement as he could be seen by some as a role model and setting the principles for the early stage of the movement while there was little progress. Many have commonly noticed his methods in tackling issues…

    • 2318 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    - Also he carried out a major fight and stand against the Vietnam War and poverty . A year before his death, in his speech entitled Beyond Vietnam: time to break the silence , MLK urged by a moral change and called his country "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world".…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To what extent was Martian Luther King the most significant civil rights leader in the period between 1865-1992? It can be said that between this time of 1865-1992 MLK was a very significant civil rights leader, and in fact was the most important to the civil rights movement in this time. However there were many other leaders at the time that help progress blacks rights in the US at the time such as Booker T Washington, W E B DuBois, Ida B Wells, Malcolm X and many others, who all took apart in some way or another to push civil rights forward in the US. Some of the ways in which we can see that MLK was the most significant civil rights leader in this period is down to the fact that he is seen by many as the man who brought the blacks civil rights movement together, and was the glue to into keeping it that way. Before anything King said he was a minister and this carried with him throughout his campaign. He was seen as a great motivator and organiser, and brought together all parts of the black community, from the less educated blacks like DeBois and his following to many more. Within the year King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, which reacted to events and set up peaceful protests. Soon King was bringing help all around America for blacks trying to gain there civil rights this is seen through his support if Ella Baker and the NAACP when they started there sit in progress which was very successful, to help the freedom rides of 1961 where he gave his support in turn showing us how MLK helped promote black civil rights at the time. One of the most important things that MLK done was to gain white support for their cause, he done this very cleverly not just be his peaceful protest which helped but because he was a minster he brang a religious side into it which in turn made many whites want to support there cause and gave MLK and the civil rights movement a big platform ti stand one when bringing the march to Washington or…

    • 1709 Words
    • 49 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mlk Research Paper

    • 1513 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr most important accomplishment was concerned about the civil rights that black people had King tried to protect the freedom of discrimination based on “gender, religion, race, national origin, age or sexual orientation.” (History Alive ch. 46) King wanted to give African Americans their rights to freedom of speech. he saw to gain…

    • 1513 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people, however, argue that the most influential figure of the civil rights movement was Martin Luther KIng Jr. They argue that the March on Washington, his massive boycotts, and his extremely moving speeches were more important. The March on Washington “rallied 250,000 people” (www.nps.com) However, I argue that while the march was very significant, the nationwide effect of the murders were far more significant and influential.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that everyone in America now a days should recognize who he was and some of the things he did. The mid 1900’s were not the brightness for both blacks or whites in the country as segregation was still around but, 1950’s to 1960’s those who were segregated were starting to open their eyes and release their thoughts. Martin Luther King Jr. was considered the leader of these efforts and this did not go down unpunished. He was arrested numerous times however he was showing no fear during these arrests. He would write letters meant for whoever would read it such as the one from Birmingham Alabama Jail and it had purpose to it. The purpose which was the…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    MLK was a fan of Gandhi and he was the one who inspired MLK to approach his way of Black Rights with no violence. In addition, MLK led eight peaceful protests the first one was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the year 1955-56 it began on December 1, 1955 after Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her seat to a white person. The next day MLK proposed a citywide boycott of transportation at the city church. The boycott proved to be effective causing the transit system to run a huge deficit. Next, the second protest he did was The Albany Movement in 1961. This protest was in November in 1961 in Albany GA. Next, MLK joined in December planning to only run it for one day. Instead he was sent to prison during a mass arrest of a peaceful demonstrators and he declined bail until the city changed its segregation…

    • 2207 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most impactful leaders and speakers. King was able to capture his audience and persuade them to follow his movement. MLK’s use of rhetoric stopped the audience in their tracks. His words and arguments were powerful back when they were said and even in today’s society. So many of Martin Luther King’s arguments are based on emotion and appeal to culture.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil Rights Movements

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. played a crucial role in organizing many nonviolent events such as the March on Washington and Selma to Montgomery March. These events eventually influenced the Congress to pass both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. also led to dramatic impacts on later laws. Martin Luther King Jr. is the main reason why the 1960s US Civil Rights Movement succeeded, as he fought against de jure segregation and led to the changing of laws; however, this is justified only to a great extent, for he contributed little to social activism.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays