How Did Martin Luther King's Actions Impact The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights movement's goal was to attain equality throughout society with nonviolent actions. Led by Martin Luther King Jr, the Civil Rights movement began with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and led to the March on Washington that culminated with Martin Luther King’s “ I have a Dream” speech. Through his actions and those involved in the movement, equality was gained through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1869 “separate but equal” was ruled constitutional in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. In 1954 the court then overturned the ruling of the Plessy v. Ferguson in the case of Brown v. the Board of Education saying “ separate but equal” was unconstitutional and was not equal. This case was the spark of the

Culminating with King’s “I have a Dream” speech, people of all races listened to the words of Martin Luther King. King told the crowd, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed–we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” In 1964 the Supreme Court passed the Civil Rights Act, ending segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. Congress continued to expand the act by passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which gave African Americans their right to exercise their right to vote. The Civil Rights movement were successful in gaining their freedom of equality, but there was still hatred towards blacks. With a large change to society with the passing of the Civil Rights act, people did not take to it and that has been passed through generations. People have held a grudge and that has filtered down the line to society today. Racism is a large part of people in this country and its root lay in the past, specifically when blacks were given the same rights as whites. I believe that the world today disrespects the black community because of their success with gaining their