Question

Martin Luther King .Jr was born ni Atlanta, Georgia, ni 1929. After receiving his doctorate ni theology from Boston University ni 195, he became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church ni Montgomery, Alabama. There, heorganized a382- day bus boycott that led to the 1956 SupremeCourt decision outlawing segregation on Alabama's buses. As leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he was instrumental in securing the civil rights of Black Americans, using methods based on a philosophy of nonviolent protest. His books include Stride toward Freedom (1958) and Why We Can't Wait (1964). nI 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Hewas assassinated in 1968in Memphis, Tennessee. Background on racial segregation In 1896, the SupremeCourt ruled in Plessyv. Ferguson that "separate but equal" accommodations on railroad cars gave African Americans the equal protection guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This decision was used to justify separate public facilities- including schools--for Blacks and whites well into the twentieth century. In the mid-1950s, state support for segregation and discrimination against Blacks had begun to be challenged. Supreme Court decisions in 1954 and 1955 declared segregation in public schools and other publicly financed venues unconstitutional, while Blacks and whites alike were calling for an end to discrimination. Their actions took the form of marches, boycotts, and sit-ins (organized protests whose participants refuse to move from a public area. Many whites, however, particularly in the South, vehemently resisted any change in race relations. By 1963, whenKing organized a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, tensions ran deep. He and his followers met fierce opposition from the police, as wel as from white moderates, who considered him an "outside agitator." During the demonstrations, King was arrested and jailed for eight days. While imprisoned, he wrote his "Leter from Birmingham Jail" to white clergymen to explain h

Answer 1

Martin Luther King Jr. leveraged nonviolent protests to challenge racial segregation, leading successful campaigns like the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His philosophy and leadership were pivotal in the civil rights movement, culminating in significant works like his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail.' His assassination in 1968 triggered widespread unrest and further exposed racial divides.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a monumental figure in advancing civil rights through nonviolent protest. As leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), King utilized tactics like boycotts, marches, and sit-ins to combat racial segregation and discrimination. The Montgomery Bus Boycott exemplifies a major success where after more than a year of persistent nonviolent resistance, the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional. In 1963, the campaign in Birmingham saw violent responses to peaceful protests, prompting King to write the 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail,' arguing the urgency for civil rights. Tragically, King was assassinated in 1968, which led to nationwide riots and heightened racial tensions.