Armed Resistance Strategies Essay

1509 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Leadership style of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

When comparing the two main strategies of the civil rights movement, peaceful direct action and armed resistance, it becomes clear that the more productive method of protest is the nonviolent objection to the restriction of rights placed on African Americans. Through the thorough examination of these two strategies both by themselves as well as when used in conjunction with one another the facts clearly point to one strategy becoming more effective than the other in the case of advancing civil rights.
The more attention grabbing of the two strategies is armed resistance, both for its physical as well as mental effects. These more subtle, and quite possibly effective, mental effects can be seen as simply the threat of violence. The fear in …show more content…

The whole idea behind nonviolence was to not react to the racism of the American South, to turn the proverbial other cheek. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became the figurehead for this type of movement, relying on his passionate speeches to bring about the change that violence had failed time and time again to generate. King continuously reminded his followers of all the things they and those who had come before them had gone through. He claimed that to resort to violence would be a dishonor and a disgrace the years of suffering that their ancestors had endured. He maintained the stance that no matter the atrocities committed by whites that African Americans wouldn’t stoop to their level. While speaking at a meeting to discuss the Freedom riders, Dr. King delivered a message that would become the central theme of the civil rights movement: “In our protest there will be no cross burnings. No white person will be taken from their home by a hooded Negro mob and brutally murdered. There will be no threats and intimidation. We will be guided by the highest principle of law and order….” Not only did this set the standard of future protests but it gave the image that the African Americans were taking the high road, that they were didn’t need to resort to violence as did the whites. King realized that this was something that really struck a chord with a lot of people who were on the fence of civil rights and persuaded them to join his

Show More
Related

  • Timothy Tyson's Blood Done Sign My Name

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    When we examine the various approaches for the Civil Rights Movement that are discussed in Blood Done Sign My Name we find that there is no one clear answer as to which is more affective, because it was the combination of all three: radical, liberal, and conservative that finally pushed some of what the Civil Rights Movement strived for. No approach on its own was able to do anything, whether it was the nonviolent marches and demonstrations which were not able to grab the attention of the white power structure, or the racially driven violence which simply terrified whites, and which most likely would have done nothing were it not paired with the nonviolent demonstrations as well.

    Read More

  • MLK Peace Maker

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    MLK once said "We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice."(The Biography.com website). MLK knew that if we used force it would be a disaster and they would never get freedom. While MLK was at Birmingham Jail he wrote about nonviolence for all people to read. He said"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community, which has constantly refused to negotiate, is forced to confront the issue."(The Biography.com website) So many thought MLK would come and be this guy who would see violence as a tool to use, but when he didn’t people were very supprised that nonviolence was his choice of action. MLK has a family too and it was not only but his family too. They probably wondered all the time if their father would be home that night. Many suffered from these movement acts and wondered if they would be able to kiss their kids goodnight, or see their wifes. Would you be able to not see your dad for weeks or maybe even months? This is why many had patience. They knew what they were fighting for all of them had a purpose. MKL knew one day there would be freedom everywhere. He also knew it wasn’t going to come easily. He never gave up though and he always believed in

    Read More

  • The Fight for civil rights in the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921

    1952 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this paper, I will also provide some discussion of the difference between the different civil right’s leaders and their movement in relation to the Tulsa Race Riot and why some of their advances were met with success when the one in Tulsa was met with complete failure. I will detail some of the prominent figures and the unknown figures that were crucial during the race riot and elaborate on their contributions. My thesis for this paper is as follows: After World War I the hope for equality both in the law and through the law was prominent in the minds of African Americans and many of them believed that taking a stand and declaring their rights was the way to fight against the inequalities against blacks; this was especially true for the African Americans whose actions spurred the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience And Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Justice is often misconceived as injustice, and thus some essential matters that require more legal attentions than the others are neglected; ergo, some individuals aim to change that. The principles of civil disobedience, which are advocated in both “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. to the society, is present up to this time in the U.S. for that purpose.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Antigone By Martin Luther King

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Non-violent direct action and respectful disagreement are a form of civil disobedience. Martin Luther King, Jr. defines “civil disobedience” as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. King is most famous for his role in leading the African American Civil Rights Movement and using non-violent civil disobedience to promote his beliefs. King also firmly believed that civil disobedience was the way to defeat racial segregation against African Americans. While leading a protest march on the streets, King was arrested and sent to jail. In response to his imprisonment and an article he read while there, King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, explaining that an injustice affects everyone and listed his own criteria for

    Read More

  • Henry David Thoreau Analysis

    1261 Words  | 3 Pages

    When it comes to civil rights, there are two pieces of literature commonly discussed. One of these pieces is Henry David Thoreau’s persuasive lecture On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. In this work, Thoreau discusses how one must combat the government with disobedience of unjust laws and positive friction to create change. The second piece is the commonly known article Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.

    Read More

  • The Power of Nonviolent Resistance (NVR)

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    When contrasting violent and non-violent forms of civil disobedience, one can look at the contrasting doctrines of civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent passive resistance to racial injustice. He once said, “unearned suffering is redemptive. Suffering,...

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Jr.

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    the segregationists, resulting in the injury and deaths of many of King’s followers. With these points in mind, King came to the conclusion that the best strategy in gaining the rights of African American was the use of non-violent protest. He believed that violence only “intensifies evil,';

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Leadership Analysis

    1366 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr. was a key figure in the fight for the equality of African Americans. King had a great impact on the Civil Rights Movement, and had a nonviolent method of achieving what he did. Dr. King is a well-known Civil Rights Activist who gave his life for his cause. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, he addresses his fellow clergyman on the topic of segregation and the protests against it. King is well known for his nonviolent protests, and even the participants of the event have to ask themselves during a period of self-purification, “‘Are you able to accept blows without retaliating? ', and ‘Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail? ' “(King). King believed that nonviolent protest were better to use because "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue," (King). King believes that nonviolent tension is

    Read More

  • The March on Washington - August 28, 1963

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation was written, African Americans were still fighting for equal rights in every day life. The first real success of this movement did not come until the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954 which was followed by many boycotts and protests. The largest of these protests, the March on Washington, was held on August 28, 1963 “for jobs and freedom” (March on Washington 11). An incredible amount of preparation went into the event to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people attending from around the nation and to deal with any potential incidents.

    Read More

  • Nonviolence vs Violence: Revolutionary Approaches in America

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the millenia, there have been several revolutionaries who have prefered the actions of nonviolence protest to that of violence. These ranks include those of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and the list goes on and on. However, in modern day America, African Americans are constantly fighting for more rights and equality. In 1865, the 13th ammendment was passed and slaves were given citizen ship. Since then, there has still been racism amongst the people and battles for equality. On the other hand, another form of revolution is that of violence and to force your voice to be heard. The most prominent person for the African Americans was that of Malcolm X. He voiced his opinion very strongly and made his voice heard amongst his opposers as well as his followers. These two methods are very different, but in the end, Malcolm X made a stronger point to benefit the African American's.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Jr Assassination

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    gave his first speech as leader of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, and said “ we have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have given our white brothers the feeling that we like the way we were being treated. But we come here to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice,” (King, 1955,p.4). Throughout the time of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. was always encouraging nonviolent protests to help make colored people equal to whites.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Gandhi And Martin Luther King

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Later, however, they accepted Gandhi’s principle, stating that any retaliation or violence was hurtful and could not be justified. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's success with nonviolent activism, Martin Luther King Jr. pushed forward his Civil Rights Movement with nonviolent activism as well. Although the two have personally never had contact, Dr. King learned of Gandhi's discipline while in the seminary. His first application of the nonviolent campaign came in 1955 during the Montgomery bus boycott. Here, he witnessed firsthand the power of a peaceful protest.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Acceptance Speech

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    “As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of nonviolence” (Obama, line 75-77, paragraph 75) emphasizes Obama’s agreement and admiration towards Martin Luther King’s peace making methods through nonviolence, along with providing proof itself towards this as well. “. . . nonviolence is the answer to crucial political and moral question of our time- the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression” (‘Acceptance Speech’ by MLK, paragraph 4) implies MLK’s acknowledgment and recognition of violence and, nonviolence. He does not disregard nor eschew the presence of violence because, he knows that it has taken place before, and still does happen. MLK emphasized this throughout his speech by mentioning examples of actual occurrences of violence against the people participating in the movement of blacks but, he emphasizes and sets a mood for them as well by using strong word choice. For example “I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for their brotherhood, were answered with hoses, snarling dogs and even death” (MLK, paragraph 2). Martin Luther King’s main objective has the same intentions as Obama, to achieve peace. “Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's Successful Philosophy

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout his education, Martin Luther King Jr. tried to find a way to demonstrate his belief of racial equality with the most effective means possible. He quickly realized that the best strategy to end segregation was to use nonviolent forms of protest. At Crozer, Morehouse and Boston University, he studied the teaching of Mohandas Gandhi, who used nonviolent methods to help India claim its independence from Britain. King read several books on the ideas of Gandhi, and eventually became convinced that his methods could be employed by African Americans to obtain equality in America. King knew that any violence on the part of African Americans would lead to violent responses from segregationists, which would lead to injury or maybe even death for his followers. He had to teach his followers not to respond violently to cruel attacks from segregationists. King decided to sponsor workshops to train African Americans in nonviolent beh...

    Read More

More about Armed Resistance Strategies Essay

Open Document