Civil Rights Leaders essays

Civil Rights Leaders essays When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of Gods children-black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants-will be able to join hands and sing: Free at last, free at last; thank God almighty, we are free at last. This was stated by one of the most famous civil rights leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. From the close of the Civil War forward, there have been many barriers facing African-Americans in the United States. For example, the Jim Crow Laws such as Literacy Tests and Grandfather Clauses kept the blacks from voting in many southern states. Furthermore, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was equal and therefore blacks could legally be forced to ride in separate rail cars, attend different schools, ride in the back of buses, and even the use separate public bathrooms and drinking fountains. Also, many blacks were abused and killed by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. It was impossible for blacks to achieve equality in such an atmosphere. These hardships, that the African-Americans faced, led to the Civil Rights Movement of America. There have been many honorable individuals and effective leaders who have fought for the equality of all men from this chaotic period to the present. However, two outspoken men, whose efforts against racism have made significant contributions to the overall achievement of the Civil Rights Movement, were Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Young Martin lived in a comfortable, middle-class home where his parents ensured their childrens security and happiness. As a child, Martin attended the Yonge Street Elementary School and the David T. Howard Elementary School. During his teenage years, he attended the Atlanta University Laboratory School and Booker T. Washington High...