History Of Martin Luther King
When it comes to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the most well-known personality is Martin Luther King. He became a part of the movement from the very beginning, right from the days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, until his assassination in 1968. He was the face of the Civil Rights Movement and was also instrumental in getting international attention to the Movement. |
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Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to a Baptist preacher and his wife. His father and grandfather were also involved in the civil rights movement. After graduating from college in 1948, King was unsure what to do. He thought about studying medicine and law, but changed his mind and decided to join the Baptist Church, just like his father and grandfather. He study in Pennsylvania's Crozer Theological Seminary and it is during this period that King discovered the non-violent ways that Mahatma Gandhi had employed against the British to get India its independence. He became certain that using these same methods would help the civil rights movement immensely in the United States.
After finishing his theological studies, King got married to Coretta Scott. He was sent to Montgomery, Alabama, where he became the pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. It is here that King got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He was made the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which was formed during the bus boycott. Right from the beginning of the boycott, King was thorn at the sides of the city officials. They had him arrested and fine. His home was fire bombed to intimidate him. However, due to his perseverance and that of other leaders, the segregation in the city was lifted in 1956 and for the first time the city witnessed bus integration.
During the bus boycott in Montgomery, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was established. This organization gained a lot of prominence because its members were churches that represented the African Americans in the South. King was chosen as the president for this organization. The fact that the churches were very powerful gave the organization a lot of influence as well as power.
Right after the bus boycott came to an end in Montgomery, King wrote an essay called Stride Towards Freedom. Some students at Greensboro in North Carolina read the essay and began a sit in at the lunch counter at Woolworth, which did not serve African Americans. The students used non-violence even though they were assaulted and abused. The same method was used by Freedom Riders to bring about transport integration. Seeing the response of the students, Martin Luther King began traveling around the United States making speeches and encouraging people to join the Civil Rights Movement. During this travel, King realized that the African American communities wielded a lot of economic power. So, he encouraged the people to deal with shops and companies that were sympathetic to the Civil Rights Movement and boycott those that were not.
Martin Luther King believed a lot in the power of vote. Unfortunately, not many African Americans were registered voters due to the intimidation and discrimination faced by them. So, King encouraged the people to register as voters, as he realized that their votes could make a difference. It was due to the support and votes of the African American community during the 1960 US Presidential Elections that John F Kennedy won by defeating Richard Nixon.
With John F Kennedy becoming the president, the African American community was confident that things would change and they surely did. In 1963, Kennedy proposed the civil rights bill. To ensure that the US Congress passes the bill, Martin Luther King and other Civil Rights leaders organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was held on August 28, 1963 and around 400,000 people attended the March. It was deemed a success. It was during this event that Martin Luther King gave his legendary speech -- I have a Dream. This speech was broadcast all over the world and made King an instant legend. The US Congress passed the civil rights bill and this ended up becoming the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
One the Civil Rights Act was passed, Martin Luther King began concentrating on ensuring that the African Americans were assured their voting rights. And, this led to the enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Once King accomplished this, he began worrying about the poverty in the country among both the Blacks and Whites. He became more radical in his thoughts and words, and did not hesitate from using the word 'revolution' in his speeches. He clearly opposed the Vietnam War and also got involved in the issues of trade unions.
His meteoric rise to fame ensured that King had many enemies. The Klu Klux Klan began a smear campaign against King in the south. Even the FBI under J Edgar Hoover joined the fray. The FBI bugged the hotel rooms where King stayed during his tour of the country and started recordings of his so-called sexual improprieties. These recordings were released to the media. This led to many people questioning Martin Luther King's character. However, the smear campaign did not detract King and he continued to fight for the rights of the people.
It was on April 4, 1968 when Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while standing on the motel balcony. A single bullet was fired that entered his cheek and severed the major arteries. King roommate, Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, heard the shot and rushed to the balcony to find his friend unconscious. King was rushed to the hospital. However, he did not regain consciousness and He was just 39 years old.
Witnesses claimed that they saw a man running from the scene. This man was James Earl Ray. After a nationwide manhunt, Ray was arrested two months after the assassination. He was found guilty and sentenced to 99 years imprisonment. However, Ray claimed that he was innocent.
The assassination of Martin Luther King brought an abrupt end to the life of a man who wanted to bring about a change in other people's lives. He wanted to improve their lot and did everything in his power to achieve that. He is a true legend, who will never be forgotten. Martin Luther King is no longer with us, but his words and deeds are still there for all to hear and see. Today, Americans owe their right to equality and vote and this great man.
More Articles :
History Learning Site: Martin Luther King
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/martin_luther_king.htm
Wikipedia: Assassination of Martin Luther King
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.
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