How important was Martin Luther King Jr.?
If You Don’t Know… Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist, who led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968.Inspired by advocates of nonviolence such as Mahatma Gandhi, King sought equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest.He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American hero and an inspiration to many. His achievements were and are so great that even uncovering myths which have spread about him and his legacy do little to tarnish his reputation and in fact, make him appear to be more human and less "god-like" than he is often portrayed as having been.Read more at: Martin Luther King Jr Day Quotes
What did Martin Luther King do?
Martin Luther King Jr led the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s thru the 1960’s. The Civil Rights Movement was the conclusion to what America’s founding father’s had begun when they wrote and signed the American Constitution in 1787. The one thing left undone was the principle and law that all people regardless of race, sex, economic status or religion were equal in the eyes of American law. This left America vulnerable to the Civil War over slavery of the 1860’s, the North’s victory over the South achieved the goal of keeping the country from being geographically divided, but did nothing to stop legalized murder, discrimination and bigotry against non-white citizens. The Civil Rights Movement changed all that, it forced America to finally make real the promise of equality for all HUMAN BEINGS. This alone was a great accomplishment but not his greatest. The most important thing that Dr. King did was to teach America and the world how to make change, how to bring a superpower to its knees and bend it to the power of the people non-violently. Dr. King and the Movement defeated the world’s mightiest military without firing a single shot. Prior to the Movement Americans and people throughout the world relied on unsuccessful rioting like the labor strikes of the early 1900’s to force change. Dr King’s successful use of non-violent protesting has become standard practice not only in America but across the globe. That’s what Martin Luther King Jr. did, he taught America and the world how to make systemic change non-violently, anytime anywhere in the world you see people gathered together non-violently protesting for change or toppling dictators like Libya’s Momar Gaddafi thank Dr. King, the American Civil Rights Movement and their commitment to and use of militant non-violent tactics which spread across the world.
How would Martin Luther King Jr. feel about how things are today in 2019?
Another great question Tom!….. Each side of the political isle tries to claim MLK as having been on their side so-to-speak. But the truth is that Dr King was very “Pro-Life” and very concerned about the civil rights of the unborn. Dr King would have been marginalized by the Left-Democratic-socialist of today, with their litness-test on Roe V Waide. He always tried to be non-political, but he did not see Life & Death as a “political Opinion”. He stayed focused on freedom and Civil rights for all mankind. Quite frankly, I believe Dr King would be horrified as to the “scorched earth” ideas of the “left-wing”. He would have distanced himself from people like Barack Obama and his racism. MLK did NOT want handouts for Blacks and Minorities, he wanted equality. He did not buy into the ideas of reparations, he wanted only the same advantages given to all Americans throughout American history. Land in the West, for example, could be homesteaded, but after the civil war no option was given for former slaves to obtain land. Again, MLK simply wanted equality! Dr King supported a form of Affirmative Action for economic advancement of Blacks, but he did not see it as a long time crutch. To get a sense of what Dr King feelings and ideals in today's world would look like, look at Brilliant Black Americans like Kenneth Blackwell, Dr Ben Carson, The Honorable Clarence Thomas, Sheriff David A Clark, Colin Powell and so many Confident and Principled Men who happen to be Black. Yes, we have come a long way since Dr King, but we certainly have a ways to go. A Key signal of real progress will be when more Blacks and minorities start, owning and running businesses (small and large)… As long as any minority class of people stays hooked on handouts they will never be truly free…..
How can Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X be compared? Who made the most impact?
Dr. King was more acceptable to the white American mainstream. After all he was a Christian minister who advocated non-violence in his movement. Malcolm X was a follower of a faith that was widely viewed with suspicion and fear. To most white people, he was viewed as a dangerous radical. BUT...this is where the two men complemented one another. Malcolm's alleged radicalism made King's message far more acceptable. King was the "safer" alternative. In that respect the two men, though working independently, complemented one another. More or less like the "good cop, bad cop" scenario in the interrogation room. Incidentally, both men were killed when they were 39 years old. Imagine all that they had accomplished in such short lives. Imagine what they could have accomplished if they had a normal lifespan. Imagine both men living to see Barack Obama inaugurated as President.