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Civil Rights Movements

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Civil Rights Movements
Who Is It?

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. Martin Luther King Jr. successfully influenced many government reforms through the act of nonviolence during the Civil Rights Movement. He was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, a nonprofit organization aiming to redeem "the soul of America" through nonviolent resistance. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a nonviolent campaign aimed at Birmingham, Alabama, which was known as the one of the most segregated city in the United States during that time. During this campaign, Martin Luther King Jr. advocated nonviolence in "Letter From a Birmingham Jail". Later on, the SCLC decided to use young children in demonstrations. However, more than 1,000 children were attacked by police troops. The images of children being assaulted by dogs and water hoses were captured by photographers, which led to a "national outrage resulting in a push for unprecedented civil rights legislation". This event drew attention to segregations in the South, and promoted sympathy for civil rights protestors across the nation. Over the next few years, Martin Luther King Jr. organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in and the Selma to Montgomery March. During the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the famous "I Have A Dream" speech. This march was a

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