“Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and social activist who played a key role in the American Civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968”(“Martin Luther King Jr.”). For many years people have celebrated a day known as “Martin Luther King Day” in honor of a man who stood up for his beliefs and stood up for his race (“Martin Luther King Jr.”). Many observe the third Monday of January as a regular day, while others observe it as a day to remember a man who changed America. But how did Martin Luther King contribute to the civil rights movement and what was the result of his actions? Of the prominent civil rights leaders of his time, Martin Luther King (MLK) was the most influential.
Back then, Blacks were not allowed to vote, and neither were women, and that became a fight for equality amongst all the African American men and women. As a result of this inequitable law, courageous people, like Martin Luther King Jr., became civil rights leaders that would change the view of racism all over America. Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Malcolm X have all created an impact on the way racism has changed throughout time. Unlike any other civil rights leaders, these four have, until this day, been remembered for their effort to change this prejudiced society into a more peaceful and free society where everyone can have equal rights no matter their color or sex. But,which civil rights leader did the most, and which one deserves to be known above all?
In 1955, an African American woman by the name of Rosa Parks boarded a city bus and refused to move when “…a white man boarded the same bus and needed a place to sit” (“Rosa Parks Bus”). Unfortunately, for Rosa Parks, she was arrested for not f...
... middle of paper ...
...t leader of the 1900s (“Martin Luther King Jr.”).
Works Cited
"Biography." The Official Malcolm X. The Estate of Malcolm X, n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
"Malcolm X." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1991. Web. 10 May 2014.
“Martin Luther King Jr.-Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013.Web.12 May
2014.
"Martin Luther King Jr." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 11 May 2014.
"Rosa Parks Biography." -- Academy of Achievement. N.p., Mar.-Apr. 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.
"Rosa Parks Bus - The Story Behind the Bus." Rosa Parks Bus - The Story Behind the Bus. The
Henry Ford, 2002. Web. 09 May 2014.
"Susan Brownell Anthony." Susan Brownell Anthony. Western New York Suffragists, 2000.
Web. 12 May 2014.
United States. National Park Service. "Susan B. Anthony." National Parks Service. U.S.
Department of the Interior, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 May 2014.
On December 1, 1955, Parks was taking the bus home from work. Before she reached her destination, she silently set off a revolution when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. As a black violating the laws of racial segregation, she was arrested. Her arrest inspired blacks in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to organize a bus boycott to protest the discrimination they had endured for decades. After filing her notice of appeal, a panel of judges in the District Court ruled that racial segregation of public buses was unconstitutional. It was through her silent act of defiance that people began to protest racial discrimination, and where she earned the name “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” (Bredhoff et
American icon and former civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This quote speaks volumes about the message that he is trying to convey towards society regarding racism. He is basically saying not to judge others just because of their skin color, but love them for who they are. We should not be too quick to judge others, and work to remove our own flaws. As a society, we should examine one based on "the content of their character." This quote is very significant and relevant to the topic, who was the most effective civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, or Huey Newton?" When considering this question, I had to look at each civil rights leader and their contribution to ultimately ending/limiting racism. All three of the civil rights activists have contributed there time and effort, to ending a very important cause, such as racism. I believe that, throughout his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. was the most effective/important civil rights leader of his era, among Malcom X and Huey Newton.
Garrow, David J. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." History Net: Where History Comes Alive. N.p., Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Throughout all the great civil rights leaders, I personally believe that Martin Luther King was the greatest of them all. What king achieved during the little over a decade that he worked in civil rights was remarkable. "There are few men of whom it can be said their lives changed the world" from wikipedia. Using Mohanda Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence King gained the power of many citizens respect which lead him in success in, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Birmingham Protest March, and breaking the barrier to allow black people vote rights.
On December 1st, 1955, Rosa had started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On that day, she was asked to moved to the back of a Alabama bus for a white citizen to sit down. She refused. Little do people know, twelve years earlier, blacks were allowed to pay at the front of the bus but were not allowed to walk past whites to get to their segregated section. So, they were required to get off the bus and re-enter through the back entrance. So one rainy day, the driver allowed Parks to walk past to get to a seat, purposely sitting in a white citizens, acting as if she was picking up her purse. Then making the driver so angry he forced Parks to get off and walk 5 miles home in the rain. “I’d see the bus pass every day. But to me, that was a way of life; we had no choice but to accept what was the custom. The bus was among the first
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s impact on the civil rights movement was nothing short of monumental. To say anything less may be considered sacrilege in the history of the United States. King’s liberal and Christian upbringing, comfortable and educated childhood, and his theological education all played a large part in his contributions to civil rights in America.
Rosa Parks was 42 years old and waiting at the bus stop after work on December 1, 1955. Driving the bus that picked her up was James Blake. Rosa was sitting on the bus, just behind the ten seats that were only for white people. The bus started filling up with people and the whites needed more seats. The bus driver told Rosa and three other blacks to move to the back of the bus to make more room for the white folks. The three others moved, but Rosa refus...
Rosa Parks was a very important woman in history, giving people a voice about racism. Rosa was an African American woman who was told move from the back of the bus and give her seat to a white man. “She was already sitting in the “negro” section located in the back of the bus and refused to relinquish her seat” (Stabler 1). This event causes a major controversy with the 20th century civil rights movement in the 1950-1960s. The 1965 action of Rosa Parks sparked the deceleration from the Supreme ...
The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most important events of the history of the United States. Although many people contributed to this movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., is widely regarded as the leader of the movement for racial equality. Growing up in the Deep South, King saw the injustices of segregation first hand. King’s studies of Mahatma Ghandi teachings influenced his views on effective ways of protesting and achieving equality. Martin Luther King’s view on nonviolence and equality and his enormous effect on the citizens of America makes him the most influential person of the twentieth century.
Rosa Parks was a member of the NAACP, lived in Montgomery Alabama, and rode the public bus system. In the south, during this time the buses were segregated which meant that black people had to ride in the back of the bus behind a painted line. White people entered the front of the bus and were compelled to sit in front of the painted line. Most buses at the time had more room for white riders who used the service less than the black ridership. Yet, they could not cross the line even if the seats in the front were empty (Brown-Rose, 2008). Rosa Parks made a bold statement when she sat in the “white section” of a Montgomery bus. She was asked to surrender her seat to a white man, but she did not move and was soon arrested. Her brave action started the Montgomery bus Boycott, with the help of the NAACP, none other than Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership as part of the Montgomery Improvement Association. As its President, he was able spread the word quickly which brought national attention to the small town of Montgomery’s bus Boycott. The boycott was televised and brought so much attention that the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional; a success spurring a more
She went and took a seat in the colored section, but the bus got crowded fast. It was so crowded that a white person had to stand. The bus driver told the blacks in the row closest to the white section to move because a black and white can not sit in the same row. Rosa was sitting in this row. The other three people got up and moved, but Rosa stayed put. The bus driver told her to get up, but she did not, Instead she said, “I don’t think I should have to stand up.” He threatened to call the police. Rosa stayed put, and said, “You may do that.”. He finally called the police and Rosa was taken away. She was taken to the police station, then was sent to jail. Rosa Parks got out jail on a bail. Her bail was $100. Four days after Rosa got out of jail she went to court. “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Rosa knew that by not doing anything, the whites would gain more power and the blacks would gain less, so she decided to do something about
Meyer, Ziati. “Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat.” Detroit Free Press; Detroit,
Throughout the African American civil rights movement opportunities were sought to spark a chance at improving conditions in the south. Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the Montgomery, Alabama bus was the fire to that spark. Rosa, standing up for herself something anyone person in today’s world would do, was arrested and put in jail. While Rosa was in jail she caught the eye of many people in the Civil Rights Movement, including the leaders. The Civil Rights leaders protested her arrest and hired lawyers to aid her in her trial. Although she was found guilty and was fined fourteen dollars for the cost of the court case, which lasted on thirty minutes, she wasn’t done yet. Rosa Parks has affected the society we live in today in many ways, she is the most influential person the black community has ever seen.
Claudette Colvin attended Booker T. Washington High School, where she was very studious. Claudette's family did not have enough money to afford a car, so she relied on the city's gold-and-green buses. On March 2, 1955 when Colvin was about 15 years of age, she was arrested for violation the local law. She refused to give up her seat to a group of white men that boarded the bus shortly after. She was on a bus called the Capital Heights, which was the same bus and the same year that Rosa Parks committed the same "crime" as Claudette only 9 months later. On this day, four white men got on the bus, and Claudette was sitting somewhere near the emergency exit. She was looking out the window when the white men stopped at her seat and said nothing. The bus driver ordered her to give up her seat to one of the men, and she ignored the order. She has given her seat up to white people before, but this is the day she was fed up with it. Claudette heard what the bus driver was saying, but she decided that day she was not giving up her seat to a white man just becau...
On December 1st, 1955, something extraordinary happened. An African American seamstress known as Rosa Parks preformed a bold action when she chose not to abandon her seat on the bus to a white man who needed it. In modern times, this wouldn’t be such a big deal. However, back in the 1900s, when there was an immense amount of racial segregation, it was a huge deal. Any African American who disobeyed a white could be severely punished. Sometimes the blacks were killed by the whites. Once again, it wasn’t as big of a deal back then. None of the whites ever believed it was a concern, and they never considered themselves murderers. After being told to move, and refusing, Parks got arrested and fined ten dollars (American Woman’s History). Her actions elicited a chain of events in the Civil Rights Movement, counting the Montgomery Bus Boycott.