Final Research Paper

RJ Mosqueda
Professor Brown
English 306
3 December, 2016

Final Research Paper: MLK Jr.

As Americans, we understand how pivotal the Civil Rights Movement was to our history in the United States. The movement within itself is one of the most revolutionary forms of protest known to mankind. To truly understand it, we must dive deeper into it by getting to know the leader behind the movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. MLK is one of the most prolific and efficient peaceful protest leaders to have ever walked this earth. African Americans back then were facing serious racial discrimination simply because of their skin color. Because of him back then, we now have freedom for all people today.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. He was brought up in a Christian household. His maternal grandparents Adam and Jenny Williams were the Reverend and second pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dr. King was a family man, he had four children, two boys and two girls by name of Yolanda, Bernice, Martin, and Dexter (Schulke 1). Dr. King had such a way with his words. He was a baptist minister and and activist leader in the Civil Rights Movement. On April 4,1967, as Dr. King prepared to break his silence on the issue of the Vietnam War at New York City's Riverside Church, “He knew many Americans would be bewildered, even outraged. King's public voice, considered radical by some, moderate by many, was well known for positive messages of unity and hope” (Cook 75). Dr. King’s philosophy was all about peace and tranquility, that is why the protests he lead, were executed in a peaceful manner meaning zero violence. An example would be when he helped boycott the transportation system in Montgomery, Alabama. Here all he did was protest peacefully for equality on African Americans not having to give up their seats to White folks. He stood with multiple Blacks and rebelled peacefully which resulted in the boycott's official end and signaled one of the civil rights movement's first victories while making King one of its central figures.

Dr. King has led more than eight peaceful protests that were absolutely vital to the American Civil Rights Movement. He has led well known protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956), The Albany Movement (1961), and The Birmingham Campaign in 1963 (Mach 1-3). These protests developed because of racial inequality towards people of color. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was aimed for people of color that they must give up their seats to Whites and sit in the back of the bus. It escalated when a black lady by the name of Rosa Parks, was arrested for refusing to give up her on a bus to a White person. The next day, Dr. King proposed a citywide boycott of public transportation at a church meeting. “The boycott proved to be effective, causing the transit system to run a huge deficit. Montgomery’s black residents not only were the principal boycotters, but also the bulk of the transit system’s paying customers.” (Mach 1-3). The bus boycott was a success because “In June 1956, a federal court found that the laws in Alabama and Montgomery requiring segregated buses were unconstitutional. However, an appeal kept segregation intact until Dec. 20, 1956, when the US Supreme Court upheld the district court's ruling.” (Mach 2-3). The Albany movement was a coalition formed in November 1961 in Albany, Ga., to protest city segregation policies. When it came to the Albany Movement for MLK, it was successful long term. It did not work immediately just like the bus boycotts but “Three days into King's sentence, an Albany police chief arranged for his release. The movement eventually dissolved, with few substantial results after nearly a year of continued peaceful protests, but the campaign tested tactics that would shape future protests in the national civil rights movement.” (Mach 4). The movement was a coalition formed in November 1961 in Albany, GA to protest city segregation policies. Dr. King tried to join but got arrested instead for trying to protest where he later declined bail until the city changed its segregation policies.

Martin Luther King Jr. had people that supported and assisted him as well. He had the benefit of the Southern Leadership Conference which who had aided him in the Birmingham Campaign in 1963. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was created on January 10-11, 1957. This involved sixty black ministers and civil rights leaders met in Atlanta, Georgia in an effort to replicate the successful strategy and tactics of the recently concluded Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. “Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen as the first president of this new group dedicated to abolishing legalized segregation and ending the disfranchisement of black southerners in a non-violent manner. Later SCLC would address the issues of war and poverty.” (Cho 1). The Birmingham Campaign was a strategic effort led by Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to end discriminatory economic policies in the city of Alabama. Some of the protests included boycotting certain businesses that hired only white people or that had segregated restrooms. This peaceful protest was also successful and productive because when refused to change their policies, Dr. King encouraged protesters to hold-sit ins and marches with the aim of getting arrested to overcrowd the jails. The end result was glorious, “By the end of the campaign, many segregation signs at Birmingham businesses came down, and public places became more open to all races.” (Mach 4-5). Dr. King was truly a master at his craft. He believed in something greater than himself, freedom. Although he was assassinated, his legacy still lives on till this very day. These peaceful protests front lined by King were a major factor to freedom back then and even today.

After people started taking notice of Dr. King and the effects/changes of his protests, there would be one more event that would have the entire world watching. In Washington D.C. 1963, Dr. King would deliver his iconic “I Have A Dream Speech”. The speech was for the march on Washington for jobs and freedom.

King urged America to "make real the promises of democracy." King synthesized portions of his earlier speeches to capture both the necessity for change and the potential for hope in American society. “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.” (Martin Luther King Jr). The overall goal of Martin Luther King Jr, the American Civil Rights Movement, and these pivotal protests was to stop racism. Freedom and equality for all is what he and his peers were striving for and ultimately achieved a great deal of it.

When looking at MLK from a protest perspective, Dr. King was an advocate for active protesting. As stated in the beginning of my paper, he believed in peaceful protesting as he lead multiple successful peaceful protests such as The Birmingham Campaign (1963), The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955), and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, “I Have A Dream Speech” (1963). When studying his movements, it is clear as to what Dr. King was fighting for, freedom and equality. All of his previous protests were successful and great short-term and long-term but the “I Have A Dream Speech” one stood out in particular because it was nationwide so everyone could view it. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was basically an eye opener for a lot of people and was the ultimate exclamation point for the American Civil Rights Movement. MLK protested and made a statement with this speech by basically saying enough is enough, it is time for us to come together.

Martin Luther King Jr. was revolutionary and played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement.  From a historical context, African Americans back then were clearly being mistreated simply because of the color of their skin. It was clear that racism was going on, but due to technology back then, it was not widely available and documented throughout the United States. Some people were not aware as to what was going on during these times so it was that these protests slowly started getting recognition and getting out to the world. It was clear by Martin Luther King Jr’s standards that something had to be done. From a rhetorical/identity context MLK served as a voice and an image for all African Americans and even freedom/equality in general because that is what he was fighting for. MLK brought attention to the world on how unfairly blacks were being treated. “Any way you look at it, socially, politically, economically, education, African Americans were kept out of society. And they had to scratch and bite to get whatever advantages that they did get. And the majority could not get those advantages.” (PBS). African Americans back then dealt with so much from segregation, to restrictions on voting, and even violence. Whites in the South wanted to make sure there was no type of rebellion towards them, “Another issue was in order to make sure that African Americans did not attempt to assert themselves in any way, whether it was voting, whether it was trying to buy land, the white South resorted to terrorism. And that terrorism which was a legacy that never stopped from the time of the Civil War all the way up through this period, reached an intensity in the 1890s and in 1900. And it consisted of lynching African Americans, it consisted of burning African Americans, it consisted of whipping African Americans.” (PBS). Overall, the main reason for protest is because of how African Americans were treated back then. If it was not for Martin Luther King Jr. being the voice/image for these people, we would not experience freedom today. Because of Dr. King and his protests, we are free to this day. Freedom is the main reason why protests were started, it just happened to be revolutionized by Martin Luther King Jr.

 When we look at identity, specifically when it comes to African Americans, Martin Luther King Jr. fills that void immensely. He gave African Americans their own identity through his actions, intentions, and impact on Blacks as a whole. He has inspired numerous groups and people such as The Black Panthers, John Lewis, and James Farmer to stand out and protest against inequality, including the “Big Six” civil rights leaders. All of these groups and people were inspired and influenced by Dr. King himself because he gave everyone hope and was successful throughout his time of protest, his actions and results spoke for themselves. Dr. King brought everyone together, not just blacks, but anyone who was against racial inequality and gave them their own identity/image/voice through him.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence is still felt today. Although racism is clearly still at large, Dr. King’s efforts have propelled society forward by an enormous amount. Multiple examples reflect Dr. King’s accomplishments when it comes to freedom and equality for all. There are no more “white only” restaurants or restrooms. Public transportation is available to literally anyone, color of skin is irrelevant. Jobs hire anyone who is qualified for their standards, while race, ethnicity, and skin color do not matter. The world is now more aware than ever of racism and it is clear that it is present because we see it in the news, social media, and with law enforcement. Even though people are still racist today, MLK’s influence and involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement was very successful and revolutionary in society today. We’ve come a very long way as human beings when it comes to race.

In today’s society we’ve seen numerous forms of protests from Americans. Lately there has been evidential footage of law enforcement mistreating and killing Blacks. Colin Kaepernick’s protest reflects that of Martin Luther King Jr’s. Colin chose to sit during the singing of the national anthem prior to a game in the NFL. His action was immediately put on display by the media the whole world knew of this very quickly. Many people agreed and disagreed with his form of protest. Some were furious, while others supported. You would then see other players kneel during the anthem, and or speak out on the issue to express themselves on the topic. Many ignored the main reason why he was kneeling and continued to express anger towards Colin. Despite all the backlash Colin took, he imitated Dr. King and proceeded to protest in a non-violent manner simply by kneeling during the anthem. “Colin Kaepernick might have the hottest-selling jersey in the NFL, but he sure doesn’t have the support of white America. Only 29 percent of white Americans approve of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s recent decision to sit during the national anthem in protest of the mistreatment of people of color in the U.S., while 69 percent disapprove, according to a new YouGov poll.” (Strachan Web). The ones who do not agree with Colin are the ones who do not understand the true meaning behind it, he wants freedom and equality for all despite skin color. Colin is essentially doing what many African Americans did in the past. He is fighting for freedom. It is no different then how it was back then in the past. Colin is using his platform to do what MLK did during the civil rights movement and that is to protest and fight for equality for everyone.

Ultimately if people are being mistreated, discriminated against, being killed/hurted then they are going to stand up for themselves. Martin Luther King Jr. is the ultimate symbol for the American Civil Rights Movement because he believed it was necessary for change back then during that period of time and fought for freedom and equality for all especially African Americans. Dr. King served as a voice and an image not just for Blacks but for freedom as well. He ultimately fought for equality and non discrimination towards Blacks. The way he protested and stood up for African Americans was in the most peaceful ways possible. His actions and results speak for themselves, he was very successful both short-term and long-term while being able to influence Blacks to stand up for themselves. Without Martin Luther King’s protest and presence within the American Civil Rights Movement back then, there would be no people of color today in America. We as a human race would be divided, separated, and segregated even more.

My project as a whole teaches how protest can work as a place where identities are articulated because it shows how Martin Luther King Jr. as an individual brought African Americans together and through him by himself can also be seen as an identity for Blacks and freedom. Today when we think of Martin Luther King Jr. we know him for what he has done for this world. He pushed for freedom and equality for all so he can serve as an identity, image, voice for freedom and Blacks all around. When looking at the bigger picture, it is very straightforward and simple as it can get. The overall goal is to achieve freedom for everyone of all colors. We are trying to eradicate any type of racial discrimination/inequality and just live together on this earth as humans. It should not matter what color skin you have.  

Works Cited:

Cook, Vanessa. "Martin Luther King, Jr., And The Long Social Gospel Movement." Religion And American Culture 26.1 (2016): 74-100. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 3 Dec. 2016.

Strachan, Maxwell. "Black Americans Support Colin Kaepernick. White People? Not So Much." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 06 Sept. 2016. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.

Mach, Andrew. "Martin Luther King Jr.: 8 Peaceful Protests That Bolstered Civil Rights." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

Schulke, Flip. "About Dr. King." The King Center. JP Morgan Chase & Co, 2014. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

Cho, Nancy. "Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957 - ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957 - ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. BlackPast.org, 2001. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. ""I Have a Dream," Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute |. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

"Identity." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 551-555. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Dec. 2016.

Truman, C N. "The Black Panthers - History Learning Site." History Learning Site. Historylearningsite.co.uk., 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. ""I Have a Dream," Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." "I Have a Dream," Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom | The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.

Washington, Margaret. "Margaret Washington : Obstacles Faced by African Americans." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

"MLK Movement Leaders." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.