Final answer:
To impede African Americans from achieving equality, state and federal governments enforced segregation through Jim Crow laws and other discriminatory practices. Martin Luther King Jr. countered these measures with advocacy for direct action and speeches that urged for immediate justice and equal rights. Consequently, grassroots activism eventually led to significant civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
Step-by-step explanation:
To avert African American equality, both states and the federal government historically enacted measures that upheld segregation and discrimination. The excuses given for these measures ranged from preserving social order to claims of states' rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. consistently refuted these arguments, highlighting the urgency for justice and the ethical imperative for equal rights. MLK was often critical of the slow pace of legal change and advocated for nonviolent direct action to achieve civil rights goals.
A common tactic used by states was the enactment of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans. During the 1960s, the federal government did increase efforts to remedy inequality due to concerns that legal segregation damaged U.S. image during the Cold War, particularly in gaining new allies. However, these efforts were often met with reluctance and half-measures.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders mounted pressure through grassroots activism, direct action, and speeches. Their actions prompted eventual governmental responses, with key events like the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act signifying legal steps towards ending discrimination.