1.+Historical+background

Historical Background

Baptist minister Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of a movement that strived for racial equality. This came to be known as the Civil Rights movement, a series of events during the 1950’s and some of the 1960’s, established to abolish racial discrimination against African-Americans in the United States. This non-violent movement was lead by influential figures in the African-American community, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. himself. In the southern parts of the United States, the bigotry against minorities was the most prominent in the whole country. Ways that they were discriminated against included exploitation, violence, and racial segregation.

In 1963, southern states had not only separate black and white schools, churches, and neighborhoods, but elevators, restaurants, and drinking fountains as well. African-Americans were also denied any rights to vote. In addition, southern whites could commit crimes with little or no fear of punishment or prosecution. The system of racial division was enshrined in southern customs and laws.

One of the many milestones of this Civil Rights movement was on August 28, 1963. On this day, Martin Luther King Jr. arranged a march through Washington D.C., and presented a speech to the public. This was his historical “I Have a Dream” speech, which developed into one of the most well known speeches in United States history.