Final answer:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters fought segregation through nonviolent protests, civil disobedience, and systematic challenges to discriminatory policies, resulting in significant legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Did King and His Supporters Fight Segregation?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters employed a strategy of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to combat segregation. Influential initiatives such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which culminated in a Supreme Court decision against bus segregation, and the Birmingham Campaign, which demanded and successfully achieved the desegregation of Birmingham, highlighted the effectiveness of such methods. King's rallying cry for marches, like the pivotal one from Selma to Montgomery, underscored the pursuit for voting rights and an end to segregation. Catalysts for legislative change included landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which King and the civil rights movement directly influenced.
Organizations played crucial roles; the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), co-founded by King, was instrumental in driving forth the civil rights agenda. Additionally, federal intervention, evidenced by President Kennedy's actions to enforce desegregation of schools and his proposal for a new civil rights bill, was a response to the nonviolent pressure mounted by King and the movement. Victories like the desegregation of public schools, transportation, and public accommodations, inspired by the civil rights activists' perseverance, represented the fruits of a relentless struggle against segregation and racial injustice.