How Effective Was the Contribution Made by Martin Luther King to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s?

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Martin Luther King is known as a prominent leader within the Civil Rights Movement period of time. Being the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) allowed him to play a major role in the movement, and inspire people throughout. Although he did face criticisms throughout his career, he had special qualities which made him effective in his work. Through his leadership qualities, speeches and involvement in campaigns, it would be suitable to say that Martin Luther King made a very effective contribution to the civil rights movement. Throughout his career, King was involved in a number of campaigns including Birmingham 1963, Selma 1965 and the Meredith March 1966, some of which were more successful than others. King was criticised for a number of his campaigns, such as Albany 1961, Birmingham 1963, and Chicago 1966, these criticisms were due to the methods used, or the outcome of the campaigns. Two campaigns which stand out as great successes are the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955 and the March on Washington, 1963. The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 was King’s first major success in his career. In an attempt to desegregate buses throughout the south, a challenge against segregation was needed. King, along with the NAACP challenged this in Montgomery, until segregation was abolished. The boycott lasted just over a year with the black population, walking and car pooling, where they would usually use buses. The bus company lost 65% of their revenue and after King was arrested, on December 21, 1956, the Montgomery Bus Company desegregated all their buses. The boycott led to wide media attention which signified King’s leadership qualities. Along with the inspiration he produced for thousands of black people in the US to stand up and fight for desegregation. This boycott was the turn around in the movement; it led to the establishment of the SCLC,
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