Within the context of the period 1865-1968. how important was the function played by Martin Luther King in bettering the place of African Americans? INTRODUCTION “When the unequivocal history of the American civil rights motion is finally written. one of the cardinal subjects will be that Martin Luther King. Jr. ranks among the greatest political strategians of all clip. ’’ This is the point of view of James A. Colaiaco and he argues that Martin Luther King played the most important function in the battle for civil rights and was ‘the most of import leader’ of the civil rights motion. This is the statement shared by Great Man historians sing of one of the greatest arguments amongst historiographers in the twenty-first century. Great Man historians … the success of the Civil Rights motion as a consequence top down alteration and acknowledge Martin Luther King as the front man of the motion who drove most important alteration. Whereas Social historiographers. see history with a ‘bottom up’ position. reasoning that the local people and less famed figures at the underside forced alteration up and look at it in footings of a bigger image.

For decennaries after the civil rights motion in America. Martin Luther King has been regarded as one of the most famed and most memorable figures of the motion and his birthday is even marked with a national vacation and it has merely been in more recent old ages that societal historiographers have challenged the significance and credibleness of the function he had in bettering the place of African Americans. Social historians reach the decision that other factors played a much more important function. However. it seems clear that. the Great Man theory of this argument seems to be more true and. Great adult male historians composing about the civil rights motion conclude that Martin Luther King was alone in his abilities and the success of the Civil Rights Movement was chiefly the consequence of Martin Luther King’s The point of view of James Colaiaco mentioned above is shared by Great Man historians.

Overall it seems clear that had Martin Luther King non hold existed. the motion woumld have taken a wholly different class to the 1 it did and the Great Man theory reasoning that Martin Luther King played the most important function in bettering the place of African Americans seem more accurate. Martin Luther King was a front man and one of the most recognized leaders at the clip the Civil Rights Movement had most of its cardinal successes and a adult male who gave the Movement the positive media coverage it urgently needed to accomplish what it did. WEAKER SIDE – Nevertheless. the part and function of other factors can non and must non be ignored. for Martin Luther King would non hold been so successful without the part of other factors that were forcing for equality throughout the full period.

Some revisionist historiographers portion a similar position of Clayborne Carson which is that ‘If King had ne’er lived. the black battle would hold followed a class of development similar to the 1 it did. ’ This side of the argument. argued by societal historiographers. topographic points much more accent on the function that other factors such as the federal authorities. local grassroots militants and other less famed leading figures played over the full 100 twelvemonth period. However. with mention to the 100 twelvemonth period it seems clear that this statement is non really strong as during the short period that Martin Luther King was active ; more advancement had been made than in the century before. demoing merely how important the function he played was. James Colaiaco argues that ‘during the 12 old ages that King dedicated his life to the civil rights motion. inkinesss made more advancement than in any other period in American history’ because King helped African Americans overcome the ‘damaging psychological effects of coevalss of subjugation. and gave them a ‘sense of integrity and dignity’ . argue that Martin Luther King’s function in the Civil Rights Movement is over celebrated every bit good as some who focus on undermining and decreasing Martin Luther King’s repute as a ‘Great Man’ through analyzing his personal life outside of the Movement.

GRASSROOTS Possibly the most of import factor out of these is the grass-root degree militants who fought for their promotion of all time since the beginning of the period. Their part is frequently unmarked and unreported in Orthodox surveies of the civil rights motion and societal historiographers show a displacement towards puting more importance on local communities and grass roots administrations. But because their runs were non in the limelight their part went largely unnoticed. particularly their attempts at the beginning of the period following Reconstruction. Local Peoples by John Dittmer. analyze how local black occupants of Mississippi fought the conflict for equality by themselves with barely any support from national administrations such as the NAACP. SNCC or SLCC and how the ‘grassroots forming proved indispensable to puting the basis and solidifying the motion. ’

Through his usage of primary beginnings. Dittmer

Yet without Martin Luther King’s engagement in the motion. MLK needed and wanted and aimed for authorities. Before Martin Luther King’s being. considerable advancement had already been made in footings of accomplishing both political and civil rights for African Americans. However. had it non been for Martin Luther King. the work done by these local militants would hold likely gone unnoticed by the media. and he successfully gave their difficult work the promotion it needed. For illustration. August Meier argues that ‘it was King’s presence that focused universe attending of Selma’ . Martin Luther King merely had to demo his face or be connected with a run for the media to latch on and do the narrative about him. although this is possibly an unjust representation of events and overlooked the legwork made by local people. it positively affected the civil rights motion and gave it the positive media attending and impulse that it so urgently needed.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION Furthermore. the success of the civil rights motion can besides be argued to hold depended on the federal authorities. The degree of support and committedness from the federal authorities surely varied over the period from president to president. with the authorities being of most value foremost at the beginning of the period during Reconstruction. and so secondly towards the terminal with the issue of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Steven Lawson in Debating the Civil Rights Movement stresses how ‘the federal authorities played an indispensable function in determining the lucks of the civil rights revolution’ and had the federal authorities non intervened at all Southern inkinesss would hold ne’er eliminated racial inequality.

During the Reconstruction period of 1865-77. the authorities issued the 14th and 15th Amendments of the fundamental law ; the first declaring that all citizens were entitled to full civil rights regardless of race and the latter vouching all inkinesss the right to vote. Although at the clip these two amendments were non enforced and deemed a failure in footings of bettering the place of African Americans. they would turn out to be the foundation of many runs during the motion. Robert Cook claims that ‘reconstruction anticipated some of the actions necessary to reform the South’s inhibitory caste system in the twentieth century’ and that Reconstruction was a important event. which gave ‘black work forces and women’ the power to ‘test the bounds of their freshly won freedom. ’ In old ages to come. black militants and national administrations would famously dispute the enforcement of Jim Crow Laws and obstructors to voting rights by declaring these Acts of the Apostless as unconstitutional under the 14th and 15th amendments.

Throughout the whole motion. many important events showed merely how of import federal intercession was to alter equality in footings of the jurisprudence. or in other words ‘de jere’ alteration. For illustration. the Small Rock event was one of the cardinal turning points demoing how much the motion needed federal intercession. Furthermore. Steven Lawson argues that the Supreme Court’s engagement in the Montgomery coach boycott ‘proved that the battle for civil rights urgently needed the federal authorities to check determined white southern resistance. ’ During the most cardinal old ages of the motion. the authorities. after much force per unit area. issued the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1965 Voting Rights Act. which have been viewed by many as two of the movement’s paramount successes. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 efficaciously ended the being of Jim Crow Torahs. one of the major purposes of the civil rights motion and it has been described by Steven Lawson as the most ‘far-reaching civil rights statue since Reconstruction. ’ Further. the Voting Rights Act … and the consequences of this were reeling.

Following the Voting Rights Act and aid from the authorities to implement it. ‘the bulk of southern Blacks were on the vote rolls’ by 1969 and ‘approximately 55 % of eligible Blacks had gained the ballot in Mississippi’ . a province that throughout the battle was described as However. although the slightly variable aid from the Federal Government was important to publishing these cardinal statute laws such as the many Civil Rights Acts of the twentieth century. if it had non hold been for Martin Luther King and the work of the SCLC these ‘de jure’ statute law accomplishments would hold remained merely ‘paper victories’ . It was Martin Luther King chiefly who sought to implement these statute laws and pushed to accomplish equality on a ‘de facto’ degree on the land.

On the whole. it seems clear that. when sing the full 100 twelvemonth battle. the authorities was more unhelpful than helpful in progressing the place of African Americans. and the authorities would non hold acted at all if it was non for leaders like Martin Luther King and national organisations like the SCLC and NAACP haling them to. As Steven Lawson states ; ‘powerful presidents. congressional lawgivers and members of the Supreme Court provided the legal instruments to dispute racial segregation and disenfranchisement ‘ . but it was the occupation of Martin Luther King and his followings to ordain this challenge.

‘History confirms that the federal authorities long had been derelict in its responsibility to protect the rights of black citizens in the South. ’ Page 100 OTHER FAMOUS BLACK LEADERS/NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS ‘Also of import were secondary and local degree leaders who provided the drift for those daily civil rights activities. ’ Steven Lawson –“the destiny of the Civil Rights Movement depended on the presence of National Organisation”

OTHER SIDE

However. Great Man historiographers are inexorable on the thought that without Martin Luther King. the civil rights Movement would non hold taken the same way and possibly been far less successful in accomplishing and so implementing civil rights for African Americans. CHARISMA Made the motion respectable. appealed to inkinesss and Whites. Christianity- God told me to make this. Most significantly. the bequest Martin Luther King left buttocks and the important input he had in the civil rights motion was mostly a consequence of his personal appeal and manner of leading and the celebrated maneuver of nonviolent direct action that he applied. By many. Martin Luther King is remembered for his celebrated ‘I Have A Dream’ address from the March on Washington run. merely one of his key. addresss. His addresss gained worldwide media attending which gave the motion much needed impulse and nonviolent direct action shifted it in the right way created such an inspirational and memorable leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Definitely possibly presence In August Meier ‘s the essay ‘On the Role of Martin Luther King’ in his book ‘A White Scholar in the Black Community’ he highlights how of import Martin Luther King’s function was in doing the motion respectable and how he acted as the ‘vital centre’ of the motion.

Martin Luther King acted as a ‘conservative militant’ and with extremists/militants on his one side and conservative/conformists on his other. Martin Luther King acted as a span between the two and provided perfect balance of the two. Meier’s take on King is highly valuable because he was composing before Martin Luther King was assassinated and it became controversial to openly speak of his defects. moreover by composing in 1863. Meier was besides incognizant of MLK’s bend to being more extremist. significance. This is apparent as Meier does openly knock King ‘In this combination of combativeness with conservativism and cautiousness. of righteousness with reputability. lies the secret of King’s tremendous success. ’ charisma Montgomery Bus Boycott is possibly the first indicant that MLK played a major function in the CRM and after this the motion started to take form. beginning of his celebrity. Nobel peace award 1964.

He had achieved so much in small clip which could state us that there was cipher more influential so King in the battle for equal civil rights. Addresss gained planetary worldwide media attending which gave the motion much needed impulse and nonviolent direct action shifted it in the right way In consideration of the 100 twelvemonth period. it is apparent that Martin Luther King has left a permanent bequest over the civil rights motion and although he was merely active for a 10 twelvemonth period he has remained the Could perchance equilibrate with defects but possibly non? DOESN’T detract from the facts about his function as a leader. Martin Luther King’s usage of the media made certain that he occupied the moral high land SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS pushed civil rights act. JIM CROW LAWS. de facto alteration. MoW – pinnacle of the CRM Furthermore. Martin Luther King’s function in the civil rights motion was highly important in footings of the successes he had in bettering African American’s societal place in society.

Although it is apparent that the authorities was needed to publish statute laws. if it had non been for the work of Martin Luther King and the work of the SCLC. statute laws and orders issued by the federal authorities would hold merely remained ‘paper triumphs. ’ Martin Luther King’s foremost major success was during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and was besides where ‘the civil rights motion had found its greatest leader and most inspirational speechmaker. The Montgomery coach boycott was important because it marked the start of the nonviolent direct action method ; a method that would in future old ages prove cardinal to the civil rights movement’s success. Martin Luther King mobilised the African Americans and the event showed their economic power and that were a force to be reckoned with. The 381-day protest resulted in the Supreme Court publishing Bowder V Gayle which ruled that segregation on coachs was illegal. seting an terminal to the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ .

POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Voting rights act. Selma

Although King who was merely active in the motion from… Up until his decease. whereas the Federal Government were about for the full continuance of the battle for equality from 1865-2968. . the government’s committedness bettering the place of African Americans varied greatly depending on each President’s personality with the clip period. every bit good as external factors such as the Cold War that pressured the authorities into doing more dedicated …towards the battle for equality between the races. However King recognised that he had to acquire to the top to alter this outlook of white Americans. Through the usage of the media and his ain cognition of the jurisprudence in respects to civil rights. King occupied high moral and political land. giving the civil rights motion some much needed coverage.

Decision
Figurehead. national interpreter for media attending

Can non disregard or undervalue all the legwork and difficult work done by grassroot militants and authorities and other leaders in the old ages before MLK’s presence but he was indispensable at altering the motion. giving it the way. . Even though Martin Luther King was non active/around the for full period of the battle for civil rights. it can be argued that he was the most … and influential leader of the clip of the most success. and his … was the pinnacle of the civil rights motion and as bombast bombast says. . he was entirely in many of leaders in what he could make. . unique…

It would be incorrect to state that the motion relied wholly on the being of Martin Luther King and that all these other factors were undistinguished in footings of bettering the place of African Americans. Nevertheless it seems clear that had Martin Luther King non hold been present during motion would non hold reached the extremum that it did between the old ages 1955 and 1968. In consideration of the whole 100 twelvemonth period. it is apparent that the old ages the Martin Luther King lead the motion were the most successful old ages in footings of bettering the place of African Americans.

Furthermore. although from 1865-1955 a batch had been achieved when compared to the old ages of bondage and pre-reconstruction. alteration was happening at a slow gait and African Americans were without support from the white population. Martin Luther King fought to stop a battle that had gone on for about a century. and his unfortunately short being

Between the old ages 1955 and 1968. Martin Luther King and his co-workers achieved the Voting Rights Act. the Civil Rights Act. the… all critical successes for the motion. Martin Luther King is justly remembered as the chief front man for the motion. It can besides be argued that had Martin Luther King been active in a different period.

done
WORDS – drift. part. promotion. aid. advocated. enhanced.
Existed

With mention to the 100 twelvemonth period – economic place hasn’t truly changed. but immense additions in footings of societal standing and political place. non merely de jure but besides de facto in many topographic points but of class still less obvious racism. Everything else e. g. authorities and grassroots were active for the continuance of the whole 100 twelvemonth period. but the most successful period was during King’s being – shows what a singular leader Martin Luther King was and he achieved what others could non and had been fighting to for decennaries – the manner he appealed and made Whites experience guilty was important.

In decision. it is apparent that the Great Man theory on the civil rights motion is the most accurate argument.