Major Figures In The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was undoubtedly a time of major change in America, one that integrated blacks and whites into society together in peace and happiness, the civil rights movement was a historical time in The United States history and more importantly in the lives of African Americans. This was the fight and struggle for equality for people of color., none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for some key figures that played major roles in building a more accepting America.
One of the most notorious figures in the Civil Rights Movement would have to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Pastor who took a lot of his ideas of peace from Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. King was really the leader of the entire movement. Martin Luther King Jr was born on …show more content…
King and sixty other members and civil rights activist founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This organization proved to be the powerhouse of the fast growing Civil Rights Movement. in the spring of 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the March on Washington. the historic March on Washington drew more than 200,000 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, emphasizing his belief that someday all men could be brothers. http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086
By 1968 all of the years of demonstration and confrontations began taking a toll on Dr. King. He was getting tired of getting thrown in jail and receiving constant death threats. he next day, he was standing on his hotel balcony, Martin Luther King Jr. was struck by a sniper's bullet. The shooter, a convict named James Earl Ray was caught after a two-month manhunt. The killing sparked riots and demonstrations in more than 100 cities across the country. In 1969, Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He died in prison on April 23, …show more content…
Before the start of the 11am service as the congregation was rising to start with their opening prayer they were knocked to the ground when the bomb exploded under the steps of the church down in the basement 4 little girls: Denise McNair (14) Addie Mae Collins (14) Carole Robertson (14) and Cynthia Wesley (11) https://www.nps.gov/articles/16thstreetbaptist.htm were all killed. The reason behind the bombing was the desegregation of lunch counters, restrooms, and fitting rooms. The city even began to hire African Americans to work in stores and became salesmen. As soon as the bombing happened the Birmingham branch of the FBI immediately launched an investigation. In 1965 FBI agents put out the names of four men that were prime suspects of the bombing: Thomas Blanton, Bobby Frank Cherry, Herman Cash, and Robert Chambliss. These men were all members of the Cahaba River Group, which is a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1968 the investigation was ended with no one being charged for the crime. In 1971 the Attorney General Bill Baxley reopened the case of the bombing he requested evidence from the FBI, and to speak with the witnesses that would testify. In 1977 Robert Chambliss was found guilty for the murders associated with the bombings. Decades after the other suspects were tried for the crimes. In 2001 Thomas Blanton was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, and in 2002 Bobby