Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson - 1400 Words

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson demonstrated unimaginable leadership skills in an effort to accomplish their respective agendas. Through the use of moral leadership, King would rise to become the head of the Civil Rights Movement by means of civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance. MLK began as a Baptist Minister, but after seeing the difference he could make in the world, decided to stand up for what he felt was right. Johnson, on the other hand, used political leadership in order to make a name for himself as President of the United States. LBJ was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish his goals, even if it meant going against the Southern Democrats who had elected him to political office. One of these risks†¦show more content†¦Niebuhr believed that the world was full of evils and oppressions that individuals needed to fight against. People should not stand back and allow the horrors around them to continue, but instead fight back in whatever way they can. MLK would take these teachings and apply them to his ideas of Gandhi’s nonviolent protests. Individuals who are in the minority, and thus unable to take drastic action, would benefit from the use of nonviolence. This strategy would allow Black Americans to seek justice and equality without truly disturbing the current relationship with White Americans. King’s plan was to allow his religious and political ideals to run on the same moral edge, something that Reinhold Niebuhr had surely allowed for in his ideology (Branch, 81-7). Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to use this religious and moral idea of nonviolence to unite Black Americans who were tired of their oppression. Violence and drastic action had proven to arguably make their situation worse, meaning that something as different as peaceful civil disobedience could prove to work. By the time of the 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the March on Washington, King had become the voice of the vari ous perspectives of life as a Black American. He now expressed the universal voice of all his people, and he was not afraid to use it in the pursuit of equality for Blacks (Branch, 881-3). Martin Luther King’s Birmingham campaign would prove to be theShow MoreRelatedVietnam War and American Culture1684 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Vietnam Wars Impact on American Culture Donna Whittle DeVry University Introduction to Humanities I. Introduction and Thesis Statement In the 1960’s America went through many cultural changes. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist, delivered his famous, â€Å"I have a dream† speech. African Americans were fighting for peace, freedom and equality. The United States was involved in the Vietnam War, committed to anti-communism. African Americans were deployedRead MoreMartin Luther King And The White House922 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King and The White House Throughout the Civil Right Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and other civil rights leaders worked with the executive branch to move towards equal rights. Though the civil rights movement spanned many administrations, the most progress occurred during the terms of President Kennedy and President Johnson, thus we will examine the relationship between two different Presidential administrations Martin Luther King, Jr. Each correspondence between the two groupsRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement And The American Civil Movement958 Words   |  4 PagesBlack, Unita Blackwell, Julian Bond, Amelia Boynton, Anne Braden, Carl Braden, Mary Fair Burks, Stokely Carmichael, Septima Clark, Albert Cleage, Charles E. 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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born into a loving and caring family on January 15, 1929 inRead MoreThe Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.1123 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) was known as an activist and a remarkable leader for African Americans throughout the Civil Rights Movement. He was put in jail for his non-violent civil rights campaigns, spoke out for racial justice, and tried to find an end to racial discrimination. King’s legacy is still known present day, and continues to be one of the most well known leaders. Throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s lifetime and the Civil Rights Movement, King was devotedRead MoreCivil Rights Act Of 19641337 Words   |  6 PagesLindsey Overbeck Mr. Wieser Government 1 April 2016 Civil Rights Act of 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson and President John F. Kennedy made many notable advances to outlaw discrimination in America. They fought against discrimination on race, color, religion, and national origin. 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