Final answer:
MLK Jr. endorsed nonviolent civil disobedience, including boycotts, sit-ins, and marches, which were key strategies in the civil rights movement and differed from the more radical approaches of other activists of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Martin Luther King Jr. supported and promoted nonviolent forms of civil disobedience throughout the civil rights movement. This approach was largely influenced by earlier proponents of civil disobedience such as Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi. King emphasized the power of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience as effective tactics for overcoming racial segregation and injustice. These tactics included boycotts, sit-ins, and marches which brought significant national attention to the plight of African Americans in the United States.
Critical events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, and the Selma to Montgomery marches are key examples of this strategy in action. This organized, peaceful resistance played a pivotal role in raising awareness and leading to the desegregation of public facilities and the passage of civil rights legislation. Furthermore, King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is a seminal document that not only defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance but also critiques the passive stance of those who opposed immediate social change.
Different from other activists of the time, like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, who often favored more radical and immediate measures, King's steadfast commitment to nonviolence distinguished his leadership and continues to inspire movements for justice and equality today.