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How did the two governments threaten MLK's attempts?​

User Mugzi
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Final answer:

The threats to Martin Luther King Jr.'s movement efforts from the two governments included violent opposition by state police, inaction and non-intervention by federal authorities, and tension caused by federal inaction in providing protection against Klan violence.

Step-by-step explanation:

Threats to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Movement Efforts

The civil rights movement, led by figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), faced numerous threats and challenges from both state and federal governments during its struggle to end segregation and discrimination. When a peaceful march was scheduled from Selma to Montgomery, the marchers were met with violent opposition from state police and sheriff's deputies. Observing the potential for a brutal confrontation, MLK made the difficult decision to abort the second march, which could have led to more violence and violated a court order. Despite these setbacks, televised images of the violence, including the tragic death of a White minister at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, garnered public sympathy and support for the cause, leading to a successful third march.

The relationship between the government and MLK was also tumultuous, as evidenced by the arrest in Atlanta of King and 52 others for sitting at a segregated lunch counter. The Eisenhower administration and then-candidate Nixon refrained from intervening in King's sentencing, creating a divide between the civil rights movement and government officials. Moreover, President Kennedy had to dispatch federal marshals in response to local and state defiance against desegregation orders, highlighting the federal government's role in enforcing civil rights legislation against resistant state governments.

Federal inaction also contributed to threats against the movement, as seen when Mississippi requested federal assistance to combat Klan violence and the Grant administration refused. This fed into a distrust between the civil rights workers and the government, exacerbating internal tensions within the movement.

User Hekmat
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