######################################## #Written by David Tam, 1993-1994. # #davidkftam@netscape.net Copyright 1999# ######################################## "Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior" - Grade 11 English Thesis ========================================================== Martin Luther King made historical contributions to society. He was an influential man with a powerful dream, a dream that society would one day judge individuals by the content of their character, and not by the colour of their skin.(1) His life-long struggle against racism influenced America greatly. Though his previous experience as a preacher greatly enhanced his abilities in public speaking, this was not the main factor behind his achievements. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was successful in capturing America's attention and focusing it on racial injustice because of his nonviolent actions, his influence on minority groups, and because of the reactions from the authorities. As a result of his accomplishments, society is one step closer to racial equality. Martin Luther King's use of nonviolent actions was unique in America and it proved to be successful against an unprepared society. In 1955, he organized the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott in which 50 000 Negroes abstained from riding the municipal transit system for 381 days. This famous boycott nicknamed, "The Miracle of Montgomery", was the beginning of a long but peaceful battle against racial injustice. He led many peaceful protest marches and stressed the importance of battling hatred and injustice with love. "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."(2) He gave the Negro community pride, dignity, spirit, and courage. However, a protest march in Memphis on March 28, 1968 turned violent. Being a determined man, he returned one month later in the hopes of re-establishing a peaceful march. Protest marches were led by Martin Luther King in numerous cities in the southern regions of the United States, where segregation was notorious. These cities included Birmingham, Albany, Memphis, and many others. He willingly went to prison on numerous occasions because he believed in the judicial system. In prison, he wrote his famous "Birmingham Letter From Jail". On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King and other black leaders led "The March on Washington" where he delivered his renowned "I Have a Dream" speech to a quarter of a million people, at the Lincoln Memorial. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and delivered another famous speech, "I've been to the Mountaintop". America became interested in his cause because of his unique style of resistance. His nonviolent philosophy was easily applied by many ordinary citizens. His influence on minority groups caused many of them to implement his philosophy to fight racial injustice, which heightened America's participation and awareness of this activity. Many different groups formed because of Martin Luther King's actions. They adopted his peaceful philosophy of nonviolent resistance. These groups included: The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). White colleges of the North united with Negro colleges of the South to battle racial injustice throughout the United States. Peaceful sit-in protests at restaurants, that did not serve Negroes, became popular. Citizens, who were nick-named "freedom riders", travelled in buses across the United States to test the segregation laws at public bus terminals. Hunger strikes and freedom songs became popular because of Martin Luther King. These courageous citizens fought racism by implementing his philosophy. Many also followed his example by willingly going to prison. Martin Luther King sparked a fire within America's heart, causing many citizens to participate in the drive for racial justice. Not only did his actions influence citizens, but authorities as well. Little did the authorities know that their reactions would have brought unwanted media attention, helping to fuel the fire of racial justice. As a result of the Montgomery bus boycott and Martin Luther King's arrest for boycotting, the U.S. federal court declared the segregation laws to be unconstitutional. When the lawyers of the city of Montgomery appealed the case to a higher court, the U.S. supreme court also arrived to the same conclusion. This was a severe set-back on the intentions of the white supremacists of the city council. President Kennedy responded to the incident with the drafting of the Civil Rights Bill. The actual signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1968 insured the integration of public facilities and schools, and prohibited racial discrimination in the sale or rental of housing.(3) The reactions from authorities to the protest marches were mild in the beginning. Martin Luther King was sent to jail for various minor offenses such as boycotting, obstructing the sidewalk, failure to obey an officer, and disorderly conduct. In the beginning, protestors were fined and sent to prison. Eventually, when businesses began to lose money from such boycotts, authorities of the local towns began harassing Negroes and protestors. From the actions of the freedom fighters, white supremacy became stronger than ever. The Klu Klux Klan was involved in many beatings, murders, and bombings of anyone associated with Negroes. They also bombed, terrorized, assaulted, and killed freedom riders. There were many martyrs and innocent victims. The police commissioner of Birmingham, Eugene "Bull" Connor, was notorious for his brutal treatment of protestors. Children protesting racial injustice were attacked by police dogs, and blasted with high pressure fire hoses. State troopers and sheriffs attacked and assaulted peaceful protestors at other demonstrations as well. These events, which were captured by the media, shocked the nation. Another event which involved the use of the U.S. National Guards to protect protestors caused similar attention as well. Like most leaders who fought for a cause, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Violence erupted throughout the United States and these events received an immense amount of media attention. His life-long struggle would not be forgotten as a national holiday was declared to commemorate him. Because the aggressive reactions from those who were against racial equality were very cruel, the revelation by the media shocked Americans and naturally caused them to show sympathy. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was successful in leading America towards the dream of racial equality. His nonviolent actions proved to be very effective in capturing the nation's attention, because of its uniqueness in the Western World. His simple, yet unique philosophy influenced minority groups and allowed ordinary citizens to fight for racial equality. The reactions from authorities brought media attention, causing America to sympathize. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was one of the few great men of America who made a significant contribution to society. ============================================================================== End Notes ========= 1 Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream" in- Martin Luther King, Jr ------------------------------------------- ed, Flip Schulke (Markham: Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1976), p 218. 2 King, p 218. 3 Flip Schulke and Renelope McPhee, King Remembered (Toronto: Pocket Books, 1986), p 276. --------------- ============================================================================== Bibliography ============ Clayton, Ed. Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior. ---------------------------------------- New York: Pocket Books, 1969. Schulke, Flip. Martin Luther King, Jr. Markham: ---------------------- Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1976. Schulke, Flip, and Penelope McPhee. King Remembered. Toronto: Pocket Books, 1986. --------------- Shuker, Nancy. "Martin Luther King." World Leaders Past & Present. -------------------------------------------------- New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985.