How Did Martin Luther King Jr Influence The Civil Rights Movement

The term martyr, while commonly used to describe a person of strong religious affiliation who is persecuted and killed for their theological ideologies, can be applied to anyone who is willing to risk every aspect of their lives to pursue and protect their beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement. His perseverance and dedication to racial equality ignited fear and hatred in the resistors of the movement. Born in the south, Dr. King was submitted to the abhorrence of bigots from birth. His life in Georgia and personal experiences with inequality pushed him to abandon all fear in the name of justice (King). King chose the path of nonviolence; surrendering his body to physical harm, because of his religious

Martin Luther King was raised in a strict, but structured family; dedicated to honor and religion. His father, Michael King, was strong and proud; he was known to beat King in an attempt to mold his character and make him both a respectable citizen, but also an individual demanding of respect. Michael King was known to defy white policemen, and refused to accept lesser treatment than whites. When patronized, Michael King would become extremely angry at the injustices inflicted on his race ("About Dr. King"). This is perhaps where King got his zeal for justice and his hatred for racial discrimination. From a young age, religion was an essential part of King’s life. He sang in a choir and used song to grow closer to God. His family encouraged him having an active relationship with God and using biblical stories as the basis for his moral convictions (King). Later in life, King would decide to dedicate his life to spreading The Word; choosing to become a Baptist minister, but only after pursing a proper education. King’s family wholly supported his strive for higher education, and King received his PhD in Theology from Boston University in 1955 ("About Dr. King"). In his pursuit of knowledge, Dr. King advanced his understanding of theology and added to his ability to speak publicly and persuasively; a skill that would later aid in his aptitude to lead protests. This concrete Christian background

King’s dedication to rail against the injustices of the racially tense South and refusal to hide from the public eye for his own safety gained him the recognition as one of the most monumental martyr figures in the 20th Century. Dr. King, motivated by his strong religious affiliations, refused to encourage violence amongst his protestors. Instead, he trained protesters to resist police brutality and to look out for one another ("Martin Luther King Jr.-Biography"). This refusal to fight violence with violence took away some of the police force’s justification for utilizing physical aggression against the black American protestors. Dr. King refused to play into the role of angry, uncontrollable protestors, choosing instead to stand strong and as calm as possible with his fellow protestors in the fight for justice (Ansbro). The South in the Civil Rights Era was a treacherous place to be for African Americans. The blatant racism, segregation, and physical violence experienced by black Americans threatened many into quiet submission. Dr. King, however, refused to be swayed by the horrible violence and hatred he observed; instead allowing these transgressions to fuel his fire for justice (King). Dr. King used his education and ability to speak intelligently to command attention ("About Dr. King"). With these skills he co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which encouraged religious leaders to spread nonviolent techniques for resistance. Dr. King was not