Martin Luther King as a Role Model Everyone has someone that they look up to. It may be a hero or a role model. Martin Luther King serves as a role model for many African Americans because of his contributions and fight towards civil rights. King became very popular and touched the lives of many. According to Robert A. Divine and other authors of America Past and Present, the arrest of Rosa Parks sparked a massive protest movement that witnessed the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr., as an eloquent new spokesman for African Americans. King led a prominent bus boycott in honor of Mrs. Parks. The boycott successfully ended a year later when the Supreme Court ruled the Alabama segregated law unconstitutional. As a result, King became well known around the world with his belief of passive resistance. He visited Third World leaders in Africa and in Asia and paid homage to Ghandi. He led a victorious Prayer Pilgrimage to Washington in 1957 on the third anniversary of the Brown decision. He held many vigils and led many protests to end segregation. King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to promote others to fight against segregation a year after the bus boycott. Then, in April 1960, he found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). These newly formed coalitions led to "dramatic success for the movement, but also ushered in a period of heightened tension and social turmoil in the 1960s. By 1968, he was winning the hearts and minds of more and more Americans on both sides of the color line. His efforts successfully merged the a... ... middle of paper ... ... Select Committee also concluded that "James Ray fired one shot at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; the shot killed King." After the House Select Committee released its final Report in 1979, Committee Chairman Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) and Chief Counsel G. Blakey ordered that all of the committee's backup. Credits Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters : America in the King Years, 1954-63. Simon & Schuster, 1988. Divine, Robert, et al. America: Past and Present. 5th edition; volume II, Addison Wesley, New York: 1999. Garrow, David J. bearing the cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Confrence. Morrow, 1986. Jakoubek, Robert E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Chelsea Hse., 1989 For younger readers. Lewis, David L. King: A Biography. 2nd ed. Univ. of Illinois Pr., 1978.
"You may well ask, Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?' You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. I just referred to the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So the purpose of the direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. We, therefore, concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in a monologue rather than a dialogue" (King 474-475)
It was there King meet Mordecai Wyatt Johnson (1891 – 1976) an American educator and pastor. He served as the first black president of Howard University, from 1926 until 1960. Johnson has been considered one of the leading African-American preachers of the early 20th-century. Johnson would traveled 25,000 miles a year throughout the country speaking principally on topics such as racism, segregation, and discrimination and his word become a source of great influence for the young Martin L. King. Year later both men spoke alongside each other on the subject of social justice. King was an gifted reader and was introduce to the works of great social reformers that include the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. King identified with the philosophy of nonviolence resistance, which Gandhi had used effectively to make positive change in India. King was impressed with his research and saw how these ideas were not inconstant with his Christian
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on the 15th of January in 1929, to parents Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr. Martin Luther King Jr’s name at birth was Michael King as well as his fathers but after attending the Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress in Germany Martin Luther King Sr. decided to change his and his sons name to Martin in the honor of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Martin Luther King Jr. was the grandson of A.D. Williams who became a pastor of small Ebenezer Baptist church with 13 members but under his leadership he was able to make it into a potent congregation. A.D Williams married Jennie Celeste Parks and gave birth to Alberta Williams. Michael King Sr. family were sharecroppers in a poor
The topic I choose to talk about is Martin Luther King Jr. because of his strong wisdom and bravery. I really admire Martin Luther King’s way of handling things in life because when he was no longer allowed to play with his friends at an young age and also when he was sent to jail for leading a march through Birmingham he was always peaceful about things. The way he chose to look at people who disrespected him and his race was amazing because many people couldn’t do something like that. He showed the world that you didn’t have to condone in violence for you to get your point across or if you’re not treated fairly. Why does the world see Martin Luther King as the most valued American? The reason why I think he is so valuable is because he focused
The title or term, Leader, and the name Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are synonymous in the minds, hearts, and souls of millions perhaps billions across the globe today and for many years to come. Not only was Dr. King an effective visionary leader, he accomplished enormous feats applying appropriate ethical principles along the way. As the focal point for the Civil Rights Movement from December 1955 through April 1968, Dr. King was able to successfully lead a movement that garnered more results for the equality of African Americans in the United States than the previous 3.5 centuries had produced. As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Southern Baptist Ministers, Dr. Kings up-bringing and religious faith provided a solid foundation of values and structurally sound ethical practices that aided and guided him along the journey he embarked on that would inevitably change the American landscape and transform the lives of every person that was fortunate enough to call America home ("The King Center", 2014). His overarching vision for the future of an equal and level playing field for all and the peaceful pursuit of such a climate in America is regarded as one of the most significant accomplishments in our countries great history. The first area we will explore in this paper speaks to how Dr. King was effective at using transformational leadership in leading the Civil Rights Movement. We’ll also look at how Dr. King was effective at aspects of Team Building. Being ethically sound was pertinent given the climate in America back then, so we’ll also dive into some of Dr. King’s practices and how they were ethically apt. Finally, looking back over the tools Dr. King used, we’ll explore how his leadership ability and ethical principles ...
What made Martin Luther King Jr so popular and recognized? Was it because he was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement? or because he gave powerful speeches that stood up for what he believed was right? Well it’s both of them actually, Martin Luther King jr was a very outgoing person, not only was he a leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement but he was also an American Baptist Minister, an Activist, and a humanitarian which is someone who is concerned with human welfare. Now there’s no reason not to live up MLK’s legacy he left when he was assassinated, but there are tons of reason to look up to MLK as a role model.
Martin Luther King, Jr. did many things in his lifetime to bring greater equality to America. MLK ensured civil rights for all people regardless the race. He has inspired many people, as he taught humans to protest
One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted in African-American religious traditions which were then shaped by his education. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and personality. We look at MLK and these traits to reveal the rationalization of his rise to transracial leadership in our society. Through studying the life and example of Martin Luther King, Jr., we learn that his moral values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, achievement and peace were what motivated him. King is not great because he is well known, he is great because he served as the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed King’s character which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Integrity is a central value in a leader’s character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one day this nation would live up to the creed, "all men are created equal". No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950’s and 1960’s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing "one man can make a difference", and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say and do, it is through King’s thoughts and actions that enabled so many people to have trust and faith in him. Through King’s integrity he believed that America, the most powerful and richest nation in the world will lead the way to a revolution of values. This revolution will change the way society views itself, shifting from a "thing-orientated" society to a "person-orientated" society. When this occurs, King believed that racism will be capable of being conquered and this nation will be "Free at last." King’s unconditional love for all humans was another value that strongly influenced his character and allowed him to have such excellent leadership ability.
Destined to receive equal rights, many black individuals took charge and did everything in their hands to obtain what they wished for. Many individuals “held public office and sought legislative changes for equality and the right to vote” (Civil Rights Movement). There were many key figures that represented the black community during the Civil Rights Movement but Martin Luther King was one of the most important leaders that held public gatherings in which he would read inspiring speeches. Martin Luther King was an activist and a minister that had a great impact during the Civil Rights. Martin L. King was the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that “would help conduct non-violent protests to promote civil rights reform” (Biography).
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most insparational world leaders that taught me to go after my dreams and that I have the power to change a whole generation. When you put your mind to it, you have the power to do anything that you dream of.
Throughout history there have been countless heroes that have been recognized, some who deserved to be recognized and some who don’t. Many people have helped the world and its population in many ways. One Hero in particular is Martin Luther King Junior, who as most people know, helped America see the flaws in its system regarding racism. A personal hero to me would have to be my brother, Connar. Connar has been with me through everything and has helped me in many ways.
"I think a hero is really any person intent on making this a better place for all people," said Maya Angelou. This is
Martin Luther King Jr. has changed today's society by giving women and men of color the inspiration they needed to succeed in life and he set the stage for more opportunities in America. He may be an example of what your fate is when you try your hardest to achieve your dreams, but there is no doubt that his legacy to obtain equal rights is not still carrying on today. He has also shown that hard-work and diligence is the key to achieving your dreams and his way of thinking during the Civil Rights Movement gives you an idea about being passive aggressive without using violence .
Over the years there have been many individuals who have been known as great and successful leaders, but there are some that are truly exceptional. These leaders are the ones that have adopted leadership as a vocation. Leadership, according to Northouse (2016), is “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 6). Today we are going to take a look at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who is a well known leader in America’s history. King adopted leadership as a vocation throughout his quest for freedom and equal rights amongst the American people. We are going to explore the theoretical framework, leadership style, and traits that King exhibited and how these qualities confirm that he has adopted leadership as a vocation. Through this exploration, we will identify qualities that one would seek to emulate to inspire followership
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement as he fought for the freedom of African Americans. King’s most influential speech is his “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963.1 King himself was a man whom thousands of people admired. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an expressive tone in his speeches by using verbal powerful imagery toward his audience, reminding them of the challenges facing them and defeating racism. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to take action, lead by example, as shown in his speeches and promoted non-violence as a method for change.