The Importance of the Civil Rights Leaders

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Most people do not realize the sacrifices and risk that civil right leaders had to make. Civil right leaders constantly risk their lives and their freedom. Civil right leaders fought for equality and freedom for African Americans. Over 70% of African Americans were experiencing segregation and discrimination during the civil right movement. African Americans only had one another for support, so during this time African Americans appreciated civil right leaders. During the civil rights movement, many leaders helped African Americans cope with changes that they were experiencing. Some African Americans looked up to civil rights leaders, because they were African American, so they knew how it felt to be mistreated by whites. African American leaders wanted a change to come. In other words, most of the civil right leaders were African Americans who wanted to stop segregation and have equal rights. Therefore, African Americans listened to civil right leaders, because their courage and knowledge helped African Americans during the civil right movement. Martin Luther King Jr. made African Americans aware that changes needed to be made when it came to segregation laws. Segregation was a way for white society to separate themselves from African Americans. Segregation dehumanized African Americans, because they were always treated like outcast. According to David Howard-Pitney, author of “Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s”, King “saw how the system of segregation ended up in the exploitation of the Negro as well as the poor whites” (Pitney 42). In other words, King informed African Americans that segregation laws were created to treat all blacks and whites who were not wealthy unfairly. ... ... middle of paper ... ...lm X risked their freedom for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two leaders that African Americans admired and appreciated, because they both risk their lives for equality. Although they had different approaches; Malcolm X and King both had an impact on African Americans during the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his knowledge about segregation with African Americans. King also warned African Americans that it might take time for a change to cone. In other words, he told African Americans that segregation laws would not be changed in one day. However, Malcolm X wanted African Americans to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. He wanted African Americans to fight for their equally and he was willing to help them if necessary. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X wisdom helped African Americans.

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