Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: The Rise Of African-American Equality

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On Tuesday January 15, 1929, a special crusader for African-American equality around the country was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would became the face of the movement which may have ultimately started the beginning of the end to post-Reconstruction racism. conceived on this day. Although Dr. King’s birth was over 150 years after the constitution was signed, yet racial tension was still evident. Dr. King had a special approach to fight segregation, he believed in gentle protests. He encouraged walks and rallies, yet never promoted violence. Dr. King believed everyman, no matter their skin color should all live under the same laws and guidelines. He believed every man should have equal opportunities in life. Throughout …show more content…

For example, the 14th and 15th amendments were passed to abolish slavery, and give equal voting rights to all American citizens. Despite this being a federal law, Blacks hardly got the opportunity to vote freely. With the number of regulations being set up for them to barely even vote at all. Than the Brown vs. Board of education trial in 1954. In this trial, the Supreme Court unanimously found state laws segregating public schools for blacks and whites to be unconstitutional. Three years after the trial, the Little Rock Nine happened in 1957 at Little Rock Central High School. Here, a group of nine African-American students enrolled in a public high school. The law was passed specially allowing African-Americans the right to go to a public school with other whites. Instead of letting them in like regular high school students, riots ensued. A crowd of about 1,000 people sat outside the school protesting. In fact, Gov. Orval Faubus ordered the national guard to block the door. President Eisenhower had to call in federal troops escort the nine courageous African-American students into the school. More recently, police behavior against minorities has taken most of the segregational headlines. Perhaps none more famous than the Rodney King trial in

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