How Is Martin Luther King Jr Effective

In the context of a rising Civil Rights movement and public unrest, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to take the reigns of this movement and steer the black population further towards equality. He bravely endorsed the strong, yet peaceful opposition to the racist white created laws. King used his charismatic preacher-like speech methods along with his religious worldview to influence other African-Americans and increase the Civil Rights movement’s power. His base in religion lead him to strongly endorse policies of love and forgiveness, and whether or not this is correct, it was found very effective in its use. King and his supporters faced a great “evil” that had been around for generations. Defined by him as mistreatment due to white supremacy, this existed beginning with the introduction of slaves through the triangular trade. Racism somewhat peaked at the Civil War, where blacks fought for the basic human right of citizenship. This fight still continues today, with King being one of the greatest soldiers for its cause. King motivated his followers to continue to fight by referring to this evil not as something insurmountable, but as an issue that they could march against everyday. He …show more content…
In the Bible, God says to forgive unconditionally, and so did King. The Bible also says to love thy neighbor, which King also promoted. He advocated not to humiliate “the white man” but to “win his friendship and understanding.” This showed a respect not only to King’s Christianity, but to the same religion that supremacists used to defend their beliefs. King showed kindness to those who hated him most in a time where racial tensions were at a high. As shown in a scene of the movie Selma, King greeted a southerner with open arms, who then proceeded to punch him in the gut. King’s face of love in a situation teeming with abhor demonstrated the most noble of attitudes, yet to be matched throughout