Civil Rights: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

When someone thinks of the civil rights period of the united states they already have some associations or connotations. Many people think of what the times were like, or who was present and fighting for their rights. Rosa Parks and the bus driver or Brown v. Board of Education are among the most popular and most recognizable . These are great people with brilliant ideas and beliefs that changed the United states for the better. The only thing is that they are not as popular as Martin Luther King Jr. . Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I believe, is the one person who is most accredited for pushing for civil rights for all minorities in the 1960s. From protesting, boycotting, and the march on Washington where he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech,

was a very active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people (NAACP). While with the NAACP, he was part of an exclusive group called the “executive committee”. This is where he was asked to lead the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Boycott began in the winter of 1955 and lasted 382 days. This was to protest the segregated bus system that Montgomery, Alabama had in place. This was a major issue for minorities because many people could not afford cars so they were restricted to riding public transportation. Also these rules that the buses had in place were so that if a white individual wanted the seat of a black or colored individual they would have to give their seat up. This was incredibly unfair because African Americans were forced into living in poverty stricken suburbs . After the boycott Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. really began his fight for civil rights, anti-Segregation, and finally proper freedom

Martin Luther King Jr. was a very honest and genuine man in his time. He was inspired by many people who came before him. One person who inspired him the most was Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi believed that there could be peaceful protesting. Martin then took this and made it into what he strongly believed in. Even in times when things got violent, Dr. Martin Luther king jr. and his followers pushed on for equality and freedom from prejudice peacefully. There were also many other people he looked up to for example, Henry David Thoreau, Bayard Rustin, and benjamin Mays.

The March on Washington On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an estimated 300,000 of his followers gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial for what would be one of the most famous speeches of all time. This speech was aimed toward the hardships that African Americans have faced in the workplace and in the general public for several years. 55 years later we still reflect on what was said that day. Most of Dr. Martins Luther’s dreams have been achieved, but some are still being fought till this day.

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