Marin Pavliuc Dr. Price ENGWR 300 15 April 2016 The Great Man's Offering For a Noble Cause One of the most significant events that characterize the year of 1968 as a year of dissent and turbulence was the enigmatic death of the righteous men who brought a positive contribution in making important turns in American history. Martin Luther King was a black idealist who became a martyr as a result of his dedication in fighting successfully against racism and poverty putting himself in danger of being threatened and killed. Standing up for his beliefs, this man always appealed to non-violence, love, compassion, justice, and unity. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) is considered one of the most famous personalities of the twentieth century. …show more content…
In April, he was arrested because he continued to protest against a legal ban. In prison, he wrote the famous "Letter From Birmingham", one of the classical documents of the civil rights movement. That same year, King led the "march on Washington", attended by about 250,000 people. In front of the Lincoln Memorial, King held his famous speech "I have a dream", which says this "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (Martin Luther King Jr.). He was named the man of the year by Time Magazine. In 1964, King visited West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt and Pope Paul VI. The same year he received the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest winner of this award. In February 1965, Martin Luther King was back in jail for protesting against discrimination of blacks from registering on voting lists. The violence showed by the police while scattering the demonstrators, and brutal images on the TV frightened the population. The result was that by the same year the Congress of the United States issued the electoral law in which the various measures of segregation were declared …show more content…
On April 4, 1968, in the midst of discussions to organize a rally, Martin Luther King was shot by James Earl Ray. The circumstances of his assassination did not light yet. His death caused a wave of revolt among the African American population, which forced the government to approve new laws for racial integration. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, riots broke out in 125 US cities. About 70,000 soldiers were sent to end the riots. During the clashes, 46 people lost their lives, 5 whites, 3,500 were injured and 20,000 were arrested. The damages were estimated at 45 million dollars. A group of blacks decided to respond to violence with violence, they formed the "Black Panthers", an organization nationalist, separatist. Following strong protests that took place in Washington in 1968, in connection with the assassination of Martin Luther King, was founded in the basement of secret Pentagon a "center of operations civil" exercising a constant supervision over 150 cities