The Civil Rights Movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Civil Rights Movement began in the mid 1950’s and over the course of it the mindset of the people had changed. In the beginning the movement lead by MLK was positive, non-violent, and about togetherness of the two races but then it took a turn for a more violent and black nationalism movement when Malcolm X took fire. Although both movements were for the people they were extremely different in obtaining them. MLK appealed and had the support there of the southern blacks, the federal governments, and whites because of the peaceful roots in his actions. Along with non-violence Dr. King adopted the method of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience took shape in the forms of sit ins, marches, speeches, rallies, and boycotts. Everyone that didn 't

Martin Luther King jr. lead the people in the fight for civil rights. He believed in integration of all races and wanted equality for him and his people. He wanted the right to vote for all blacks because he knew that that right would give the people a voice in a country they could call their own. One of King’s most memorable and impactful boycotts was the one that took place after Rosa Parks’ decision to stay seated at the front of a city bus. This boycott was known as the Montgomery bus boycott and it was protesting the racial segregation of public transportation. Lasting over a year, the boycott resulted in the desegregation of the buses and the freedom to sit where you please for all races. Marches were another form of peaceful protest done by Dr. King and his people that helped their cause. Possibly the most influential march held was the March on Washington of 1963. This march was protesting the discrimination black americans faced when looking for work. Over 250,000 black and white protestors stood in front of the washington monument in efforts to gain equal pay and job opportunity. At this march Dr. King gave his most memorable speech known as his “I have a Dream” speech in which he called for the end of racism. This event sent shockwaves throughout the country and brought light to the racism that lived within it and affected the minds of millions. King’s speech lead to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which gave blacks the right to vote and the restriction to discriminate someone for a job based off of their race. MLK’s non-violent methods gave the civil rights movement tremendous momentum towards the freedom and equality for all races in the United