How Did Martin Luther King Influence The Civil Rights Movement

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On January 1957, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, 60 ministers and civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This organization was to control the mortal authority and to have power of black churches. Martin Luther King Jr’s contribution gave him power throughout the South, as well as a national platform. On February 1958, the SCLC helped by organizing more than 20 mass meetings to let black citizens vote. In 1959, Martin Luther King Jr and with help from the American Friends Service Committee, was inspired by Gandhi’s non-violent activism. King was so inspired by Gandhi he had went to India. His trip to India made him more committed to civil rights. Bayard Rustin, studied Gandhi’s teachings, later became Martin Luther King Jr’s associates and gave advice to dedicate king to …show more content…

The students would sit at an ethnically segregated lunch tables in city stores. The students would remain seated when asked to move or leave putting themselves into trouble. This quickly gained attention even in other cities. In April 1960, a conference was held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina with sit-in leaders. The student were encouraged be Martin Luther King Jr to still use nonviolent techniques from their protests. In the result of the sit-ins and the SCLC worked closely, they ended segregation at 27 southern city lunch counters by August of 1960. Martin Luther King Jr. returned to Atlanta to be a co-pastor with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church but also moved on with his civil rights efforts by 1960. On October 19, 1960, 75 students and Martin Luther King Jr. went to a local store and requested for a lunch-counter service, but they were denied. However, King and 36 others were arrested because they didn’t leave after being denied. Atlanta's mayor noticed that this incident would make the city’s reputation

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