Martin Luther King Jr., a defender of Freedom and Human Rights: Is his legacy relevant today?
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most visible person in the 20th century in defending African Americans’ human rights from 1950 since his assassination in 1968, while promoting values such as equality, justice and combating racial discrimination in order to make world a better place for all.
Born in 1929, with his legal name at birth Michael King Jr., he studied Theology and Sociology and was a symbol for the defense of human rights and white-black equality in America in a difficult period, especially for the southern states. The change of his name is due to his father, who changed his name to Martin Luther King Sr., in honor of the great protestant reformer, and his son’s name to Martin Luther King, Jr.
His work had been of major importance for American society, where the improvement of the daily life of the previously marginalized African Americans was at the epicenter. Despite the fact that the American Civil War ended in 1865, the Emancipation of Proclamation in 1863 which declared the end of slavery, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which guaranteed the citizenship to African-Americans and the 15th Amendment of the U.S Constitution which adopted that “ the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude”, the situation had not been improved in the southern states of the United States, as racial segregation continued.
Within this framework, the laws known as “Jim Crow’s Laws” which enforced racial segregation in all public facilities and lasted until the 1960s, led Martin Luther King Jr. to combat inequalities and defend the rights of African-Americans in order to live in a better and more equal world.
Martin Luther King Jr.: The key events
The influence and contribution of Martin Luther King Jr. has greatly affected American society and improved the previously existing situation in the life of African Americans, especially in states such as Alabama. The vision for a society of equality and meritocracy without racist attitudes was the main point of his view. The ultimate goal was a society in which race and color will not define how one person will behave to the other. Within this framework, from 1955 to 1965 there were 3 periods that marked the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and the fight for the rights of African-Americans.
- 1955, Montgomery buss boycott
The first major point was in November 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. Race segregation had affected all social activities and, by extension, the public transportation, especially on buses. In particular, African-Americans used to sit in the back half of city buses and to yield their seats to white riders if the front half of the bus, reserved for whites, was full. Symbol of that period is Rosa Parks, which refused to give way.
This move led to peaceful demonstrations, under Martin Luther King Jr., with a 381-day boycott of public transport. A characteristic slogan of the time was “ We came to see that, in the long run, it is more honorable to walk in dignity than ride in humiliation. So.. we decided to substitute tired feet for tired souls, and walk the streets of Montgomery.” On November 13, 1956, the Constitutional Court ruled that the laws of racial segregation in Montgomery were unconstitutional, and now Martin Luther King had gained wide acceptance in the field of equality and human rights.
- 1963, “I have a Dream”
8 years later, in August 1963, took place the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington. A century after the Emancipation of Proclamation and the end of slavery, the violation and limitation of African-American rights continued. The culmination of this protest was Martin Luther King’s most well-known speech “I Have a Dream” standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The number of the participants exceeded the 250,000.
The 17-minute speech is considered to be one of the most influential speech in history. The success of this March and Speech led to the adoption of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which ended racial discrimination in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Within this context, in December 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve racial equality through non-violent resistance in the United States. Martin Luther King had become the youngest person in the world to receive this award.
- 1965, Selma to Montgomery Marches
The discrimination and marginalization of African Americans between the 1950s and 1960s had been also identified in the fact that they did not have the right to vote in many southern states of the United States. In 1965 3 protests Marches from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery were organized with main demand to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
Although the right to vote has been established since the end of the American Civil War in 1863, southern states had voted a series of requirements, such as payment of a poll tax and literacy, comprehension tests, that had deprived African Americans of their right to vote. In particular, in Selma, the marginalization of African-Americans was to a large extent because from 87,982 African Americans and 47,289 whites resided, electoral rights had only 904 African-Americans versus 24,037 whites.
The result of this protest was the adoption of the Voting Rights of Act in 1965. Martin Luther King had been a symbol of the struggle for equality and human rights not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world. Indeed, its period of action coincided with the decolonization of Asian and African countries. He may not have had international action, but he has been a source of inspiration for defending rights and equality in the rest of the world.
Is Martin Luther King Jr. still relevant?
Martin Luther King’s contribution to the struggle for equality, meritocracy and the fight against racial segregation is remarkable and has greatly contributed to the consolidation of civil rights movements in this field. Even today, though not to the same extent, the racial segregation is observed. According to a study by researchers from Northwestern University, Harvard and the Institute of Social Research in Norway, it was recorded that racism against African-American workers has not been diminished during 1989–2015 in the United States. CVs with names that refer to whites receive 36% more phone calls than those of African-Americans.
At the same time, in recent years there have been reports of violence against African-American citizens, especially from 2014 onwards. Both the events of racial segregation incidents and the influence and quotes of Martin Luther King’s Jr. keep his efforts and contribution still relevant and useful in defending human rights and equality. His quotes and the non-violent resistance have been a source of inspiration, highlighting the need for perpetual progress, prosperity and justice. In a period of crisis of morals and values, but also of uncertainty, his great rhetoric remains relevant. His incredible quote “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward” could inspire everyone to chase his dream and contribute to a better world.
(*) George Koulouris– Political Scientist based in Athens, working as Project Manager/Communication Specialist. His interests focus on social inclusion, education, employment, minority and human rights. He holds a degree in International & European studies from University of Piraeus and a Master of Arts on Sustainable Development.
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