King of Change
"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)
Negotiations hold the key to unlocking doors for disgruntled parties and most often produce a transformation to what seemed to be impossible otherwise. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", he poses the great question of whether to wait for negotiations which have been put off before, or take direct action with a nonviolent movement such as a march or a sit-in. Is there a time when talks can be over looked for something more aggressive like marches or sit-ins? Do the actions fit the need, or should proceeding into such a feat be taken? However the case may be negotiations should be the front-runner in how we maturely deal with differences of opinion and disagreements.
It seeks to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored” (d fjdsafkdsjfklsjf). In this quote King is explaining the idea of direct action and how that when one attempts to negotiate and others do not listen, direct action and civil disobedience is necessary. King describes direct action as a way to bring the issues to the forefront in a manner that the other party must stop and ponder the ideas you are conveying and consider them. King says that direct action causes the issues to no longer be ignored, due to how important they are through the direct action. In this quote you can see that King is very much for the idea of negotiating but realizes that if negotiations are not being heard, direct action and civil disobedience is necessary. King also states “My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for
The author, Dr. Martian Luther King Jr., makes a statement “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” He uses this concept to convey the point of the Negros hard work to negotiate the issue has failed, but now they must confront it. The March on Good Friday, 1963, 53 blacks, led by Reverend Martian Luther King, Jr., was his first physical protest to segregation laws that had taken place after several efforts to simply negotiate. The author uses several phrases that describe his nonviolent efforts and his devotion to the issue of segregation that makes the reader believe his how seriously King takes this issue. “Conversely, one has the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Dr. Martian Luther King, Jr. explains with this that an “unjust law is no law at all.” King does not feel like he has broken any laws in his protest against segregation. In his eyes, laws are made to protect the people, not degrade and punish. “The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him March.” As far as King is concerned, the Negros will continue to do whatever is necessary, preferably non-violently, to obtain the moral and legal right that is theirs. If they are not allowe...
applies the principles of civil disobedience in his procedure of a nonviolent campaign. According to him, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action” (King 262). The first step, which is “collection of the facts,” clarify whether the matter requires civil disobedience from the society (King 262). The second step, “negotiation,” is the step where civil disobedience is practiced in a formal way; to change an unjust law, both sides come to an agreement that respects each other’s demand, (King 262). Should the second step fail, comes the “self-purification,” in which the nonconformists question their willingness to endure the consequences without any retaliation that follow enactment of civil disobedience (King 262). The fourth and the last step, “direct action,” is to execute it; coordinated actions such as protests or strikes to pressure no one, but the inexpedient government to conform to them, and advocate their movement, and thus persuade others to promote the same belief (King 262). This procedure along with principles of civil disobedience is one justifiable campaign that systematically attains its objective. King not only presents, but inspires one of the most peaceful ways to void unjust
As Dr. King stated in Letter from A Birmingham Jail, “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. 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 tension that is necessary for growth. The purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” Such as in the case of the 1969 student site-in against the Vietnam W...
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
Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. (King, 1963)
Peaceful protests were the most prominent form of civil rights activities during the sixties, and often proved successful, given time. “Peaceful but relentless protest was more effective than violent action” (Lindop 30), the legendary civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. argued. One form of this protest manifested itself through James Farmer, who formed the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE for short), conceived the bril...
1. Nonviolent direct action is a group of methods used to draw attention to an issue for social change. It confronts an unjust authority using techniques of protest, sit-ins, and intervention without the use of threat or danger. Martin Luther King Jr. defined it as a way to “create such a crisis and foster such a tension” (Jacobus 380). Because the courts did not make an effort to end segregation, African Americans turned to nonviolent acts. In human experience, it is best implemented in the area of politics because, according to Dr. King, power does not only flow up, but it also flows down. For instance, the government can impose consequences on their citizens if they refuse to pay taxes and they could face penalties or jail. Nevertheless,
Martin Luther King’s, “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” provided his audience with an exclusive look into the perspective of how one should address unlawful situations. To begin, King wants his readers to understand that they should pay no mind to what anyone has to say about the hard work he puts forth. “Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas,” King states. The time we spend worrying about the criticism of others leaves “…no time for constructive work.” While King sat in his jail cell, he wasn’t fuming about the unfair and unjust reasons why he was there; he was preparing and bettering himself for the benefit of society. In his letter, his tone remains calm; the same tone he wants his audience to rest in when the time for protest arises. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” King claims we are all interconnected in some way. One injustice effects anyone either directly or indirectly. For the sake of humanity, for those who will take a stand, do so as Dr. King has demonstrated. Let there be peace woven into the words that are spoken; speak of life and not death, of victory and not
Mr. Carmichael I am writing to you in regards to whether SNCC should continue its nonviolent approach to civil rights or to turn to a more direct action. In my opinion nonviolence is the only approach that should be made. (Connect) “Nonviolence has been successful in changing attitudes.” If you continue to keep your mission nonviolent you will get more respect, your voice will be heard more clearly and your reward will be greater because there was no innocent person injured by your hands. (The Power) “The nonviolent resister is just as opposed to the evil that he is standing against as the violent resister but he resists without violence. This method is nonaggressive physically but strongly aggressive
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.
DO you know who changed our history. Martin Luther King Jr was that person. He was shot and killed in 1968. He was born in Atlanta Georgia and while growing up laws were unfair. White and Black were not allowed at the same school. In 1960 and 1950 he worked to change unfair laws. In 1963 he gave his most famous speech “ I have a Dream”. He also got arrested about 20 times.
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).
Leadership is the action where an individual influences and inspires a group of individuals to do or achieve something together. Throughout history there have been many leaders, good and bad. Martin Luther king Jr. was a substantial leader in American History; he influenced individuals and inspired them to stand up for what they believe in. He was a pivotal advocate for the civil rights movement. He dedicated his life to trying to make it so everyone was treated equally no matter what race, religion, or ethnicity they were. He gave many speeches, lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and participated in the Memphis workers
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.