Martin Luther King Leadership

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a leader as one who guides others in action or opinion. Leadership is a strong quality that allows a person to have an influence over the thoughts and actions of others. When a group is being oppressed, it is a great leader who would be able to stand up for those people. Leaders have been seen throughout history, through government systems, revolutions and other movements. During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King chose to take that role to solve the unjust oppression that was occurring. King possessed the characteristics of a great leader; believing in equality, non-violent civil disobedience and a strong call to action. Through these, King was able to be a successful leader to the oppressed and had a strong influence across the world. The drive of the Civil Rights Movement was the segregation and prejudice that minorities faced. King writes “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” expressing his desire to end the injustice being caused by racism and prejudice. During this time, authority figures and leaders supported segregation and unfair treatment of minorities. Jean-Jacques Rousseau states that everyone person is “born free, their liberty belongs to them, and no one but themselves has a right to dispose of it”(63). King fights for this idea, the idea that these minorities should not feel oppressed, inferior, or prejudiced. King writes about personal experiences as a way to describe the effects of unjust racism. He describes the feelings of inferiority that his daughters form from segregation. King is able to have such a strong influence and be a great leader because he is driven by the idea of equality for all. King makes the statement that “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”(218). King was put in jail for marching without a permit. The reasoning behind it was that the law was used as a way to suppress the influence of minorities. Peacefully asking for equal rights without any acts of civil disobedience, no change or influence would have been seen. King performs these acts knowing the consequences that he faces, however realizing that it is still the only option to obtain justice. Henry David Thoreau writes “An individual who breaks the law that conscience tells us is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law,”(220). Thoreau and King both apply this to their civil disobedience acts. Thoreau was put in jail from not paying a tax that he though unjust. Both Thoreau and King accepted the consequences of their actions, and each was able to have a stronger influence on the opinions of others by being sent to jail. King knows that there is not a large response to the advancement of civil rights; he takes the role to create that change. King travels in the South to raise awareness of the movement and try to organize more people to be able to have a greater influence on the acceleration of the Civil Rights Movement. “A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority”(182), King actively tries to get the voice of the minority heard, and their thoughts expressed because most minorities would not voice their opinions in fear of violence. King announces a call to action for minorities in order to accomplish the goals of civil rights and equality for all. He wanted to alter the mindset of those who were forced to be segregated, oppressed and inferior. King wrote “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” trying to influence others to believe that the fight for civil rights was not a useless effort. King calls that no one gives up hope in the movement. By believing that the civil rights movement was not a futile effort, minorities would be able to change the injustice seen all around them. King’s call to action tried to convince all minorities that it is important to join together to resist prejudice and segregation. The larger the group to fight for civil rights, the greater and more influential the movement would be. By leading the Civil Rights Movement, King was forced to face many horrible consequences. However, King took these in great stride as he knew it was all necessary to justify the current system. He knew that in order to create change and in order to influence others, he had to make a stand that many would remember. By possessing the characteristics of a great leader, King was successful in having a strong influence over the movement to end segregation and begin to end prejudice over minorities. King followed the ideas of Rousseau and Thoreau that they saw would have a strong influence. King rose up in a time of injustice and was able to be the change that the world needed to see. King was a great leader because he was able to influence others to rise up and fight for what was rightfully theirs.

Works Cited
Jacobus, Lee A. ed A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.
Rousseau, Jean-Jaques. “The Origin of Civil Society.” Jacobus 58-74. Print.
Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience.” Jacobus 177-197. Print.
“Leader” The Oxford English Dictionary. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press.

Cited: Jacobus, Lee A. ed A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print. Rousseau, Jean-Jaques. “The Origin of Civil Society.” Jacobus 58-74. Print. Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience.” Jacobus 177-197. Print. “Leader” The Oxford English Dictionary. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press.