Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

Preview

Jan 1, 1963

-Martin Luther King Jr. was a Christian minister
-He was a civil rights activist
-MLK wanted to put an end to Jim Crow segregation.
-King was a firm believer in peaceful, nonviolent protest
-"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice" -MLK

Good Friday Parade

Apr 12, 1963

-King and others were protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama
-This parade took place on Good Friday
-Birmingham was one of the most segregated towns in America during 1963.
-King, along with hundreds of others were arrested in Birmingham on the charge of "parading without a permit"
-When King was arrested he was practicing his most well-known tactic- nonviolence

"Letter from Birmingham Jail"

Apr 16, 1963

-While in jail, King wrote his famous, "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
-King was writing to clergymen, who questioned King's reasoning for being in Birmingham
-MLK explained to them, respectfully, that he was in Birmingham because there is injustice there.
-King also explained that they could not "wait" any longer, as the clergymen suggested.
-MLK put every white person that read the letter in his shoes, as he explained in-detail, the every day life of a black person in a white dominated world.

Conflict Arises in Birmingham

May 7, 1963

-During this time, protest were very common in Birmingham.
-This was due to the lack of justice that was here.
-These protesters were met with high-pressure hoses.
-Attack dogs were also sent after them.
-These actions brought extensive media to the issue.
-Which was in turn, a good thing.

"Strength to Love"

Jun 5, 1963

-MLK wrote a book titled "Strength to Love"
-Religious book
-Explains the importance of peace and love
-Released as people were questioning Dr. Kings tactics

"I have a Dream"

Aug 28, 1963

-I Have a Dream
-This speech is what Dr. King is most known for
-King gave this speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
-200,000 blacks supported the March on Washington
-MLK's called on the government for civil and economic rights to end racism in the United States.
-According to attendees, King was patriotic and respectful, despite the circumstances
-King's "dream" was numerous examples of blacks and whites being equal
-"Let freedom ring"

"Man of the Year"

Dec 31, 1963

-MLK was named "Man of the Year" by Times Magazine
-King was stated as the "personification of the Civil Rights Movement"
-The magazine stated, "[King] has made himself the unchallenged voice of the Negro people- and the disquieting conscience of the whites"

Overview

Dec 31, 1963

What was his impact?
-He provided hope for those who felt hopeless
-During his time as a huge civil rights activist change became less of a dream and more of a reality.
-Jim Crow laws ended in 1965
-His tactics of nonviolent protest set the tone for the protests
-Overall, MLK's involvement in the civil rights movement is the reason we see the equality we do today.

Bibliography

Jan 1, 1964

-"Says Negro Must Dispel Racial Fears." Salt Lake Tribune. June 22, 1963.
-Roy, Deborah Ann. “The 1963 Good Friday Parade in Birmingham,
Alabama.” Journal of Supreme Court History, vol. 38, no. 3, 2013, pp. 413–431., doi:10.1111/j.1540-5818.2013.12026.x.
-"I HAVE A DREAM." National Archives. August 28, 1963.
-"Kings Plea--'Let Freedom Ring.'" Oakland Tribune. August 29, 1963.
-"Rev. King Named Time Magazine's Man of the Year." Hays Daily News. December 30, 1963.