Exploring Why Martin Luther King Was Both Bitterly Criticised and Deeply Mourned by Black Citizens of the USA

Exploring Why Martin Luther King Was Both Bitterly Criticised and Deeply Mourned by Black Citizens of the USA

Martin Luther king was bitterly criticised by many people but

conversely he was also deeply mourned when he was assassinated on

April 4th 1968 at the Lorraine

Motel in Memphis, king was only 39 years old. His death was followed

by rioting in 125 cities and resulted in forty-six people being

killed. There are many reasons for this contrast in opinions of Martin

Luther King, some believed he was arrogant; when members of the SNCC

asked King to join them on the ride into Mississippi, he pompously

declined saying ‘I think I should choose the time and place of my

Golgotha’. On the other hand, Martin Luther King was hailed as the

most conspicuous- and eloquent – among all civil rights leaders and

he stood up for what he believed in and became a drum for justice .

King was an influential leader to millions of black citizens in the

USA however the extent to which his leadership skills benefited the

movement had been a controversial idea debated during his lifetime,

and this has since his death.

Martin Luther king was bitterly criticized by other groups such as the

NAACP and CORE who said he was a ‘glory seeker’. A NAACP leader Medgar

Evers was assassinated, Martin Luther King wanted to stage a massive

joint protest with all the civil rights groups. However, Roy Wilkins,

the Executive Secretary of the NAACP in 1963 disapproved this idea he

did not want Martin Luther King and the SCLC to get involved. Wilkins

believed he wanted to promote himself (king) at the expense of the

NAACP. Wilkins believed King tried to take credit for thi...

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...rticularly important because a by-product of racism was a

pronounced tendency to factionalism inside the black community. King

became the vital centre- a point of balance and unity.

In conclusion, despite being bitterly criticised whilst at the

forefront of the civil rights movement, after his death the extent to

which he had contributed to the movement became more apparent as the

old saying goes’ you don’t miss it until its gone’. Kings contribution

to the organization of the SCLC could be seen in the collapse of the

organization after his death. In addition some people believed before

and after his death the way he dealt with his personal life and his

lack of organization failed him miserably. While other have always

thought of him as inspirational role model who deserves to have a

national holiday named after him.