Significance of Martin Luther King Jr.

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Martin Luther King Jr . and the African-American Rights Movement

The 1960s was a time of social upheaval and protest . There was an intense war on politics . Right-wing politicians pressed for the continuity of the status quo . Progressive politicians pressed for long-reserved rights of the colored people . The latter , however , were a minority in the government . The semi-rigid ideological flex of the US government prevented the institutionalization of the so-called `new liberties . In the old system , the basic political and civil rights are recognized

, but only in their classical sense . Blacks and other colored peoples were economically and politically discriminated

Martin Luther King Jr , realizing the plight of African-Americans , led the fight for the recognition of African-American civil rights . King believed that nonviolent protest is effectively in affecting policies changes across the nation . He attacked the so-called Jim Crow laws and pressed for black equality and voting rights . He convinced politicians that the only way to achieve genuine change is through electoral and political reforms . Reforms , however , should be accompanied by a general paradigm or mentality shift . Social acceptance would be the key for mutual understanding among groups of different ethnicities . King applied these principles actively in rallies and peaceful demonstrations . After he was assassinated , most of his reform proposals were finally institutionalized in the early 1970s - a victory for the colored people

Annotated Bibliography

Baldwin , Lewis V (1992 . To Make the Wounded Whole : The Cultural Legacy of Martin Luther King , Jr . Provides a comprehensive study...