Sacrifice played a big role in changing the status quo during the 1950s and ‘60s. A few courageous individuals stepped up; inspiring others and putting forth their effort for the freedom of blacks, ultimately, legal segregation was ending. Without courageous people, like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and, the public would have not been inspired to stand up for itself. Martin Luther King had a vision of a society in which race was not an issue in how people were treated or in how they were allowed to live their lives. While nothing is perfect or complete in the battle for civil rights, the efforts of King and those like him have, in fact, changed the country and the world, for the better, in non-violent ways.
Prior to this movement most African Americans would consider themselves more conservative. But during this period they tended to shy away from the Republican Party and really haven’t looked back since that time. The civil rights act of 1964 was a major reason for the Democrats winning over the minority vote. As we fast forward to today it can be understood that it was the Democrats that nominated and help elect the first African American President in the nation’s history. So to look back to the 1960’s in this country to now it is safe to say that process philosophy has done its job.
Why did the visions of Martin Luther King Jr feature in Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign and inauguration speech in 2009? The Role and significance Martin Luther King Jr in America’s History: Martin Luther King Jr was a leader; he gave a voice to the African American citizens who could not express their own needs and opinions. His role was to lead the civil rights movement, and speak for justice, peace and equality in the lives of every American man, woman and child. King struggled with the laws and politics of his time and worked to eradicate segregation and discrimination from the American way of life. Martin Luther King Jr’s writings, teachings and speech’s are timeless; they left people rethinking their attitudes towards African Americans and racism.
Social change refers to the shift in the characteristics of culture and society (Henslin 2010). One way in which society was changed was through the words of Martin Luther King “Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: / we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”(MlK1963). While it has been said that Martin Luther King Jr. did not make the Civil Rights Movement but rather that the Civil Rights Movement made him, it is believed to be true that without Martin Luther King Jr.
However, there is also the contrasting argument from historians, such as Peter Ling, that whilst Martin Luther King participated in some important events in the movement that represented the process of change, his role in the Civil Rights Movement and the amount of transformation he actually achieved could have been exaggerated greatly. Several historians have afforded him elevated status in the Civil Rights Movement, which may not be justly deserved as King can be regarded as merely a spokesperson throughout this time rather than a leader. Many events during this period actually started successfully without him, for example the Albany campaign, and King took egotistical moves in ensuring that he received credit for these crucial events. The Civil Rights movement symbolised a real process of change throughout America, many factors contributed in gaining equal rights for African Americans during this time. It is therefore a debated opinion of whether Martin Luther King can be considered responsible for the political,
Take Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for example, Dr. King played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement that led to the desegregation of the South. There are some cities and states that refuse to have a street or even a park named after him. According to Schaefer, “Efforts to recognize significant figures in African American history have often been controversial. There are only 650 cities in 41 states that have renamed streets in honor of the late and great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Oh my dear friend when will we all love and live as one as Dr. King wanted? Another issue my people haven faced for some time is racial profiling and here lately it has been on the hot seat!
Why do we know Martin Luther King Junior? And why only him when there were millions of blacks fighting alongside him in the anti-apartheid movement? It is because he chose to never give up on his struggle for civil rights and it is this perseverance that made him a natural leader. Martin Luther knew that the path he chose would be abound with obstacles, including the prospect of being jailed, but despite this he was committed
was born into a very religious family. Martin Luther King Sr. was one of the most important ministers of the south. Their family had a decent amount of money and lived in a decent neighbored. When Martin was six, a white family told him that he was not allowed to play with their son because he was an African American. When he went home and told his parents, his father told him something that he would never forget, “Don’t let it make you feel you are not as good as white people.
Matthew Bergland 9-17-2012 Mr. Carman English 4 Period 3 White Rose/ Human Rights Martin Luther King was an American activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. He was known for the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. His main goal was to have peace for both whites and blacks. He wanted everyone no matter what color to get along and live among each other instead of being segregated. His advice was not to judge one another by the color of their skin but by the contents of their characters.
His story gave many African Americans hope. All could see that he rose out of the shadows of nothing so why couldn’t they do the same? All black men, women, and children came together to overcome one thing; racism. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were a significant peace to the puzzle because they had the power to unite people into one cause. Without these men’s ideas of non-violence retaliation the black race would not have been seen as the victim, instead the problem.