Martin Luther King’s Impact on Society and Perseverance

 
There are numerous instances where Martin Luther Jr. was not only instrumental in bringing change across the US but also his life and activities left a legacy observed to the present day. Perhaps his influence in society can be traced from 1954 when he became the pastor of the Baptist church in Alabama. As an advocate for equal rights for the minorities, he became a member of the Colored People Advancement National Association executive committee; a leading organization for civil rights in the United States (Nobel Prize. org). Moreover, in 1955 he led the first African-American nonviolent demonstration during the bus boycott that lasted for more than a year. As a result, in December 1956 the US Supreme Court declared the bus segregation laws unconstitutional leading to blacks and whites riding together as equals (Nobel Prize. org). However, during the go-slow that lasted for 382 days, King was subjected to atrocities such as arrests, personal abuse, and the bombing of his house but he emerged as a leader with a spirit for equality.

Similarly, in 1957 he led the Southern Leadership Conference as the president of the Christian outfit for the civil rights movement which borrowed its operational techniques and ideals from Gandhi and Christianity respectively. Further, from 1957 to 1968 he wrote five books and numerous articles, spoke more than 25 times, and traveled over 6 million miles (Nobel Prize. org). During that time, he initiated change in society through numerous massive protests across various cities in the United States. For instance, the peaceful resistance in Birmingham Alabama caught the world’s attention hence leading to self-awareness and coalition of the conscience. King did not fear to continue inspiring the people regardless of his predicament and the circumstances during the time. As such, he wrote a letter from jail which was a manifestation of the black people awakening.

Furthermore, in Alabama, people of color were registered as voters as a result of his relentless fight for voting rights for African-Americans. In addition, a peaceful match saw two hundred and fifty thousand people attending in Washington D.C where he delivered his famous speech, “I Have a Dream” where he stressed equality. On the other hand, he was assaulted 4 times and arrested more than 20 times (Nobel Prize.org). However, his courage, perseverance, and determination led to conferring with presidents and campaigning for them especially John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson respectively.

Through all these, he remained steadfast to defend the weak and marginalized in society. For instance, in 1967 violent and destructive riots were experienced across American cities such as Michigan, Detroit, Newark, and New Jersey (Freeman and Kolozi). The root cause of the aforementioned unrest was police corruption, economic hardship, unemployment, and systematic racial discrimination. Consequently, the Michigan governor used more than eight thousand National Guards while president Johnson provided 4000 officers from the US Army to counter the uprising (Freeman and Kolozi). As a result, forty-three people were killed while seven thousand were arrested. Thereafter, a commission appointed by the president to investigate the cause of civil disorders highlighted poverty and racism as the background to all mayhem witnessed; affirming King’s claims.