Civil Rights and Autobiography

¶ … Martin Luther King Jr. The author of this document proposes to write a paper about the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. It will specifically evaluate the merits of his integrationist works which he foisted upon the nation in the name of civil rights. This topic satisfies the requirement for this research paper in a number of ways. Firstly, it is predicated on one of the five historic ethnic minority groups that are the focus of the class for which this paper is written. Martin Luther King Jr.

was widely hailed as a champion of African-Americans. He labored hard to attain civil rights for this group of people. One of the primary ways that he sought to achieve this objective was through the integration of African-Americans with Caucasians. Secondly, the actions of King Jr. are in accordance with the requirements for action that are a part of this proposal. King Jr. certainly believed that by integrating the races he could achieve social justice for African-Americans.

His goal of winning the civil rights for this group was admirable, if not perhaps somewhat misplaced. Nonetheless, his aim was definitely for social justice. There are more than a few people who believe he succeeded in achieving this objective. Thirdly, King Jr.'s aim was to attain social justice for African-Americans. As previously denoted this group of people is one of the five ethinci minorities studied in this course. King Jr.

Sought to procure the civil rights of these people via equitable integration with Caucasians, which certainly helps to satisfy the requirement for this proposal in which the social justice desired is for a group of ethnic minorities. Fourthly, King Jr.'s struggle for civil rights for African-Americans played a vital role in U.S. history because it largely helped to spur an integrationist movement between this group of people and Caucasians. "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" is an excellent letter that details the great lengths that Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. went through to attempt to achieve social justice via procuring the civil rights of African-Americans. As this work of literature suggests, he was jailed on multiple occasions. This letter also illustrates the non-violent, peaceful protesting tactics that characterized the Civil Rights movement 1 and which King Jr. largely appropriated from Mahatma Ghandi during the latter's struggles for social justice earlier in the century. Written by King Jr.

himself, this letter articulates the pain and struggles of the oppressive segregation system that the author battled for a large portion of his life. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" is an excellent resource for contextualizing and elucidating various facets of the battle for social justice upon which King Jr. dedicated his life. Specifically, it contextualizes the non-violent, civil rights struggles of Dr. King Jr. in the light of alternative perspective for winning social justice for African-Americans -- including those that advocated the usage of violence.

The author renders the harsh realities of life for African-Americans prior to the Civil Rights era 2. He also offers an alternative perspective on many of the tenets that were central to King Jr.'s doctrine, including his famed march on Washington, his preference for non-violence, and his integrationist policies. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois offers a wealth of background information regarding the Civil Rights struggle which King Jr. championed in earnest.

The author provides a surfeit of information about the various pieces of legislation and public policy directed towards African-Americans.