Martin Luther King, Jr : the Fight for Civil Rights

Martin Luther King, Jr : the Fight for Civil Rights

1964

The Civil Rights Act

In 1964, a simple signature 'ended' something that black people could no longer stand.

On July 2nd, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act which illegalised racism in education and employment and segregation in public facilities. This signature from the President of the USA gave black people their basic rights.

The years prior to this movement contained both non-violent and violent protests. Although different Civil Rights Activists did not agree with each others methods, one thing was for sure; they all wanted equality. Throughout events like the Bus Boycott, numerous sit-ins in diners and the Brown v. Board of Education (that saw segregation become unconstitutional), the fight for equality was at the heart of it all. Martin Luther King had achieved his goal.

But was it all really over?...

1968

Martin Luther King's Assassination

On April 4th 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead in Memphis, Tennessee where he was going to lead a protest against low wages and poor working conditions for sanitation workers.

Two days later, the United States erupted in race violence. A man who had not brought harm to a single white person had been assassinated. A man who just wanted justice.

On the 8th of June, James Earl Ray was quizzed over his death and decided to take the guilty plea to avoid the death penalty.

1955 - 1963

Martin Luther King's role as protest organiser:

In 1957, King set up the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As part of his leadership in this organisation, he moved to Atlanta in Georgia to completely focus on inequality in the South. His goal was to publicise racial inequality without using violence :

'We have discovered a new and powerful weapon - non-violent resistance...we see the answer: Face the violence if necessary, but refuse to return to violence' (1957).

The SCLC were not successful. They received very little support from black people. Maybe this was because they were scared of fighting for the basic rights they deserved.

1964

Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

Martin Luther King's non-violent resistance had earned him an award-the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the October of 1964, King accepted the award. He was just 35, making him the youngest person to have received it. It was awarded to him because of his persistence and resistance. He received $54,600 for his role as a Civil Rights Activist and donated all of it to the Civil Rights Movement.

1955 - 1963

1965-1967

Martin Luther King's role as protest organiser:

Race Riots

In 1954, Martin Luther King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, became pastor of the local church and began his incredible journey.

He became the head of the Montgomery Improvement Association and due to this role, was asked to be the leader of the bus boycott that began on December 1st 1955 and ended on December 20th 1956. The bus boycott was one of the first significant protests against racial segregation in America and it saw Rosa Parks, at the time a tired, middle-aged woman, refuse to give up her seat on a bus that was unfairly reserved for a white person. After her actions on this day, black people throughout Montgomery refused to use the bus as transport and segregation on buses was forced to come to a close because black people contributed to two thirds of their economy.Throughout this protest, King stressed that it was non-violent but, because the majority of white people living in the South were against integration, his house was bombed and he was put in jail. These actions were a result of a protest that did not injure or harm any white people. It instead brought equality onto buses but, nevertheless, we can understand the extent of hatred people felt towards African- Americans being offered the same basic rights as them.

One year after the Civil Rights Act was signed, making racism illegal, the Watts Riots began - inequality was not over.

On August 11th 1965, Marquette Frye, a young African American motorist, was arrested under the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. There was a public outcry as they were convinced the white policeman had arrested her because he was racist. This event did not cause the Watts Riots. The event had just sparked underlying anger the residents had as a result of high unemployment rates, poor housing and inadequate schooling. In the underprivileged neighborhood of Watts, Los Angeles, large riots took place for six days.

What they did:

• Burned automobiles
• Burned housing and buildings
• Damaged and robbed grocery, liquor and department stores Effects:
• 14,000 National Guards deployed
• 34 people died
• 1,000 injuries reported
• 4,000 arrests

Despite the riots, no improvements were made; highlighting that Martin Luther King was right : violent protests were not answer.