Impact in America
Martin Luther King Jr. made a lasting impact on the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Through his passionate speeches and emphasis upon non-violent protests, King united the movement together, and provided it with a number of clear goals. The Civil Rights Movement would have undoubtedly been unable to advance as far as it has without him.
King managed to inspire a number of successful protests. Infecting his audience with his passion and determination, he poured life into the Civil Rights Movement. The impact his speech on the Montgomery Bus Boycott had on all its listeners is a clear example of King’s influence. Through the spoken word, King rallied the support of virtually all black citizens of Montgomery, sparking a 384-day protest that would ultimately achieve the goal of desegregation.
King’s words also sparked a large amount of initial resistance against the boycott. Black buses were attacked by snipers, with one even shattering both legs of a pregnant woman. A number of houses, including King’s, were bombed. However, King would continue to condone violence, and support non-violent protests.
King made his most influential stand during the March on Washington. Through his words, King managed to unite the crowd into a single mass, all intent on achieving the ‘dream’ of racial equality. Though those before him spoke of the future in tough, harsh language, King infused passion, emotion, and hope into his speech. The words he said were simple, memorable, and yet carried so much depth and meaning. Many in the crowd were moved to tears, and almost all the participants remember the speech clearly even to this day.
Responses to the march were mostly positive. Many viewers believed that the march would cause a great change. President Kennedy remarked that the speech was “damn good”, and released a positive 400-word statement on the march. The FBI’s assistant director of domestic intelligence, William Sullivan, remarked that King was “the most dangerous negro of the future of this nation.” Even today, the speech is still widely referred to, with many other protests using the phrase ‘I Have a Dream’.
Ultimately, the march would lead on to provide a large amount of momentum for other notable events within the Civil Rights Movement. It pumped life back into the movement, renewing the faith of its supporters within non-violent protest methods. The Civil Rights Act may never have taken place without it. It gave racism a bad outlook, and caused many people to rethink their stance upon it.
King is still a national figure today – in fact, it could be said that he has become even more prominent. On the third Monday of every January, which is approximately King’s birthday, the USA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On November 11, 2014, a movie titled Selma was released, detailing the Selma to Montgomery March. It received mostly positive reviews, thus showcasing the influence that King still has, even today.
However, there are doubts as to whether King would be satisfied with what has occurred today. He would likely have been unable to foresee something as controversial as a black man being elected as president. A number of advances have also been made in racial equality, to the extent where racism is essentially illegal. However, people still unconsciously judge other people by their skin colour, and black people still earn less than white people on average. King may also be quite disappointed with the amount of violence still going on in the world today. Overall, it is difficult to judge what he may have thought, as some of his dreams were fulfilled beyond expected, while others are still yet to be seen.
King managed to inspire a number of successful protests. Infecting his audience with his passion and determination, he poured life into the Civil Rights Movement. The impact his speech on the Montgomery Bus Boycott had on all its listeners is a clear example of King’s influence. Through the spoken word, King rallied the support of virtually all black citizens of Montgomery, sparking a 384-day protest that would ultimately achieve the goal of desegregation.
King’s words also sparked a large amount of initial resistance against the boycott. Black buses were attacked by snipers, with one even shattering both legs of a pregnant woman. A number of houses, including King’s, were bombed. However, King would continue to condone violence, and support non-violent protests.
King made his most influential stand during the March on Washington. Through his words, King managed to unite the crowd into a single mass, all intent on achieving the ‘dream’ of racial equality. Though those before him spoke of the future in tough, harsh language, King infused passion, emotion, and hope into his speech. The words he said were simple, memorable, and yet carried so much depth and meaning. Many in the crowd were moved to tears, and almost all the participants remember the speech clearly even to this day.
Responses to the march were mostly positive. Many viewers believed that the march would cause a great change. President Kennedy remarked that the speech was “damn good”, and released a positive 400-word statement on the march. The FBI’s assistant director of domestic intelligence, William Sullivan, remarked that King was “the most dangerous negro of the future of this nation.” Even today, the speech is still widely referred to, with many other protests using the phrase ‘I Have a Dream’.
Ultimately, the march would lead on to provide a large amount of momentum for other notable events within the Civil Rights Movement. It pumped life back into the movement, renewing the faith of its supporters within non-violent protest methods. The Civil Rights Act may never have taken place without it. It gave racism a bad outlook, and caused many people to rethink their stance upon it.
King is still a national figure today – in fact, it could be said that he has become even more prominent. On the third Monday of every January, which is approximately King’s birthday, the USA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On November 11, 2014, a movie titled Selma was released, detailing the Selma to Montgomery March. It received mostly positive reviews, thus showcasing the influence that King still has, even today.
However, there are doubts as to whether King would be satisfied with what has occurred today. He would likely have been unable to foresee something as controversial as a black man being elected as president. A number of advances have also been made in racial equality, to the extent where racism is essentially illegal. However, people still unconsciously judge other people by their skin colour, and black people still earn less than white people on average. King may also be quite disappointed with the amount of violence still going on in the world today. Overall, it is difficult to judge what he may have thought, as some of his dreams were fulfilled beyond expected, while others are still yet to be seen.