Civil Rights

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a powerful leader of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He used many methods to persuade the American people to stop discrimination among African Americans. After the arrest of Rosa Parks, King and his friends helped organize protests against bus segregation. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The SCLC was a group created to harness the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the service of civil rights reform. King led marches for blacks to vote, have labor rights, prevent desegregation, and other basic civil rights. He successfully enacted with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King traveled the country making speeches and inspiring people to become involved in the civil rights movement. King and other civil rights leaders organized the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The March on Washington took place on August 28,1963 with 250,00 people present. The March represented civil rights leaders who wanted to address civil rights and discrimination among African Americans. Martin Luther King. Jr.