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‘To what extent was Martin Luther King the most significant individual in the development of
black civil rights in the USA between 1865-1968’
The significance of Martin Luther King in progressing black civil rights is relative and has changed in
the years following his death
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Historian August Meier
emphasises King’s revolutionary strategies in publicising the issue of civil rights
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King is remembered as a
great civil rights leader inspiring others to fight for freedom and racial equality
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This includes key Black activists like Washington, Randolph and Malcolm X
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In
addition, this overlooks the contribution of presidents alongside government to enforce long-term,
legal changes
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On the significance of individuals during the Civil Rights Struggle, Historians Meier and Dyson offer
opposing perspectives
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He emphasises King’s revolutionary
strategy of utilising the ‘publicity of mass arrests’ to encourage ‘national and international
pressures’1 (Appendix 2A) manoeuvre the success of black civil rights
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His viewpoint is useful as
since the early 1960’s, Meier was a major force in his examination of African-American history
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Meier actively
participated and studied the in the civil rights movement alongside King and Malcolm X
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He holds King in great regard even as a white American showing the scope of support and impact
King had made
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He judges King’s activism as being
glamorized by the press for the content of his character rather than his actions
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He’s a black author, activist and
sociology professor at Georgetown University and is regarded as one of the most influential AfricanAmericans
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Especially having faced the force of segregation and discrimination in his own
education
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Presently, Dyson’s reluctant to accept that African-Americans have been freed
of oppression, questioning the scale of change King achieved
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King and
Malcolm X identified with one another in private and work towards a unified cause of equality
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unzcloud
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nytimes
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html

3

Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X, Michael Dyson, pg
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King’s contribution began in the later years of civil rights, thus cannot account for the significance of
earlier civil rights leaders, without whom King’s impact wouldn’t have been as significant
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4 White support was a major component of improving civil rights, but Washington’s
efforts stagnated after the era of Radical Reconstruction in 1877
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Washington
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He was instrumental during the lowest point of the civil
rights struggle following the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, abolishing slavery
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Washington founded the National
Negro Business League in 1900, boosting African-American entrepreneurship in business
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This removed the poverty trap that had hindered the development of civil rights
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The value of this black-led newspaper is significant as it highlights the hope that Washington
projected to the blacks community
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‘The Appeal’ also highlights the respectable status Washington earned from
White Presidents through his hard work
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It is evident that
the only objection that could be brought against association with such a man as that is colour alone,
and President Roosevelt will not recognise that prejudice
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Importantly, this source recognises that the outbursts from his association with President Roosevelt
can only reason to be race alone
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Despite this,
support from white presidents was important to the passing of civil rights legislations in the 20th
century so Washington’s significant in focalising presidential support
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’6 It wasn’t only poverty that stagnated the progression of civil rights but
also the adversity from the white moderate that needed to be combatted
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However, this
backlash must be considered in the context Washington operated in after Supreme Court
constitutionalised the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine in ‘Plessy v Ferguson’ (1896)
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, quoted in Along the Color Line: explorations in the black experience (Illinois 2002), p178

The Appeal
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;), 26 Oct
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Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
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of Congress
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[volume] (Saint Paul, Minn
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1901
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Lib
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(1954)
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Despite his short-term contribution to the development of black civil rights, his popularity
amongst “both colours” had a long-term impact in paving the way for King
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This
points to the fact that King’s more remembered for his efforts in advancing African Americans
socially and politically via his non-violent agenda with far-reaching effects
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Likewise, King’s ‘dream’ of equality wouldn’t’ve been possible if it weren’t for support from other
civil rights activists such as Philip Randolph
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Randolph was a key figure in combining ideals
of previous leaders
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Although King’s praised for his
involvement in the March of Washington, 1963 yet he cannot credited for the idea
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This ‘highly effective tactic of the march on
Washington which king dominated but Randolph organised’7 applied the necessary pressure
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Randolph also played a major role in teaching King how to organise non-violent protests and political
tactics, catalysing the rapid development of the Civil Rights movement
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Including marches, demonstrations and working with white sympathisers; this was key to the change
of momentum of civil rights
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’8 Perhaps this points towards King’s reliance on other black activists in polishing
his tactical skills
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Roosevelt’s significance is appreciated in terms of being the most important civil
rights leader to emerge from the labour movement
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King’s activism in the later years of black civil rights is considered ground-breaking as captured by
white journalist, Geoffrey Gould in the Boston newspaper
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Gould notes King’s stress on the slow pace of change of the civil rights struggle,
sparked from Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863
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(Appendix 1B)
Contextually, this source is valuable in projecting the emotional impact King’s rhetoric induced at a
when civil rights campaigns were at their peak, showing the change of attitude amongst whites
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His emphasis on King as a “magician” shows the extent to which King had an emotional
impact
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“Now”! Said the man in front
of me

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