King Martin Luther

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MARTIN LUTHER KING, HIS RELEVANCE AND

CONTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN HISTORY

Karan Agrawal

History -15

San Jose State University

Leslie Corona

10/11/2021

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This paper discusses Martin Luther King as a figure who had a great impact on the

American history. He used nonviolent approach on leading protests against racial injustice in the

United States. The study discusses him with a comparison to his peers in close relation to the

pillars of the American Culture and the impact he caused in the history of America. The rise of

the tension and fear in the anti-apartheid movement in the US through the analysis of various

past organizations of activists and their effort towards presenting apartheid in the famous culture

of America is discussed in the paper. The racial discrimination in America comprises of the

several committees, individuals, campaigns, and coalitions with their themes understood only by

revisiting the US culture and the national groups. Looking at the records from the movements

will give an insight of the decisions, debate records and the trajectory concerning the operations

of the movements and as well the significance and relevance of Martin Luther King in the

American history.

For several decades, the activists of civil rights, Martin Luther King being at the forefront

has been fighting the rules and the customs put in place in order to attain equality among all

Americans. The activists through several ways have attempted to win the anti-racism battles

either through legal means or protests. However, the victories achieved by the activists, could not

get rid of the racism that had affected the nation at large. These settings that do not treat the

Americans and Africans equally saw Martin Luther King join the struggle for civil rights of the

black Americans by championing the war against racism (Counts, 1984).

The American activism against racial discrimination generated a foreign policy movement

that was a success, and which was a reflection of the struggles against racial discrimination in the

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social, political and cultural life of America (Theodore, 1997). During mid 1980s, there were

some signs of the regime being led by the black in America represented by the groups against

racial discrimination in America. This was a sign that the foreign policy of America and the civil

rights coalition act could be affected by this group. This however, achieved a lot upon defining

apartheid in South Africa in the terms popular to American people. The growth of the

transnational advocacy against racial discrimination was a great inspiration to several global

movements in 1980s. The long-lasting outcome of the anti-racial discrimination found in the

civil religion of America was backed up by the representation of the anti-racial efforts of Martin

Luther and peers who were familiar to the Americans. It’s also important to note that the usage

of African American term to mean Americans with the descendants from Africa was an outcome

of the Pan Africanists (Borstelmann, 2000). The importance of the American efforts against

racial discrimination can be attributed to the end of the apartheid era and the promotion of

relationships between the races of the United States.

For a period of 4 decades, the anti-racial discrimination activism has been trying to foster

the vision of Martin Luther King about the worldwide union of people in all countries against

racism. Those American people who conjoined themselves with the efforts against racism joined

their hands together with the victims of the global terrifying racism with a view that the race

connections of America might also enter a similar circumstance. The United States’ dimension

across nations resulted into a multicultural politics in America which came from the struggle of

Martin Luther King’s fight against racism. It was also a combination of the debate on the

responsibilities of the reconciliation and the race in the period after the civil rights period in

United States.

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The declaration of conscience campaign by ACOA which is a human right organization in

the 1957 attracted the attention of the people about the apartheid state in other countries. Martin

Luther King Jr, Robinson Jackie, Roosevelt, Reuther, and Bishop pike were joined with quite

several liberals to declare their stand against racism. The campaigns against racism conducted by

ACOA caused a lot of events in America about the Africa continent and as a result the Human

Rights Day was declared an annual event.

During mid 1962 ACOA came up with the proposal to seek leaders in the already formed

civil rights organizations to come up with an organization that could raise the voices and

concerns of the black people. The Conference of American and Negro leaders was comprised of

the reputable personalities such as Martin Luther King, Wilkins, and Dorothy Height. This

formed organization was to champion the voices of the African people and immediately after its

formation, Randolph was elected the executive director and on the first meeting of the

organization, the resolution to sanction the United States and later organized the meet up with

President Kennedy of the United States in 1962 on the need to impose sanctions on some country

in the African continent.

The closing of ACOA in 1965 had a large gathering attend its conference at Hunter College

located in New York City. The purpose of the gathering was to celebrate the Human Rights Day.

Several singers such as Seeger and Makeba were the entertainers of the event with Martin Luther

King being the speaker of the event. The expectations of the event organizer Hooper did not

materialize after Martin Luther king chose to speak on the contrary. He was eloquent about the

evils that bedevil the races through racism and the duties of the black Americans in the United

States and the globe at large. Martin Luther King could relate racism with Nazism with the view

that some policies set up by the nations are barbaric.

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The anti-racism movement of the United States is very significant since it greatly

contributes of the apartheid movements in several parts of the world and as matter of fact, to also

lead to the unraveling of the apartheid in America. Martin Luther king as a reputable figure who

championed the fight against racism and his words of the alliance of the people from all

countries against apartheid have been adopted in the United States. The transnational dimension

that resulted from the antiapartheid activism of the United States gave a way for the multicultural

politics which is an outcome of the zeal and the synergy of the people of America in the

realization of the Martin Luther King’s philosophy against racism.

Anti-racism organizations in the United States had significant roles during the ant-apartheid

era. They were like non-governmental organizations tasked with a responsibility of influencing

policies and worldwide opinions. They acted as the organizations in America and as well-

arranged audience mobilization in restructuring the race based politics in the nation. The civil

religion of America rose from the ant-racism activities and movements. The airing out of their

views and ideological opinions in the political vocabulary of America saw them grow to success.

The importance of the struggles by the activists in transforming debate terms cannot and should

not be undermined.

The long-lasting impact of the anti-racism struggles was recorded in the American civil

religion terms. The differences that occurred between Jackson Jesse and Farwell Jerry were a

symbol for the American struggles about the policy of America concerning South Africa.

Transnational importance matter was referred to by the ant-racism movement using symbols,

methods and the vocabulary that were used during the United States Civil rights struggles

(Stultz, 1991). Through the extension of the logic within the civil rights movements, the anti-

racism activists were able to raise freedom and equality themes relevant in the political arena of

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the United States. The involvement of the whites and the black in the ant-racism movement was

very important in the integration of the rites and practices that require civic involvement and

protests Participation of blacks and whites in the antiapartheid movement helped to integrate the

rites and practices of civic participation and protests. This has led to the exportation of the ideals

of the United States while retaining the domestic benefits of the civil rights movements through

the transformation of the civil religion of the United States.

Civil rights movements gave rise to the civil rights that were foreseen by Robert Bellah. The

creation of direct actions for instance, those actions performed by the great anti-racism

organizations and the activists present in the nation was a great vehicle that supported the anti-

racism policies and also influenced the activities of the Civil Religion of the United States

(Doug, 1998). The anti-racism movement led by Martin Luther King was of great relevance in

influencing the political culture of America which was as a result of the traditions and the trends

created by the civil societies and movements and the ascending to power by the African

Americans through the defeat of segregation. The usage of the African American term to refer to

the residents of America with a descendant from African nations was as a result of apartheid.

The anti-racism activism provided a pivotal element to understand the multiculturalism

perception as the platform on which the civil region of the United States could build on in 1990s.

As the racism discussed by several peers of Martin Luther King such as Du Bois of South

Africa and Nkrumah of Ghana continue to thrive in the United States and the globe at large

(Borstelmann, 2000). In absence of the racism the ideas and the political legacy of such leaders

remains alive and well (Stultz, 1991). The division of the globe based on the skin color is still a

challenge that ought to be addressed. The integration of civil religion of the United States

through multiculturalism provides a perception that there will be a greater debate in the future

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that will require great solutions than the question of racism that Martin Luther King championed

before.

References

Borstelmann, Thomas. "Hedging Our Bets and Buying Time: John Kennedy and Racial

Revolutions in the American South and Southern Africa." Diplomatic History 24, No. III (2000):

435-63.

Counts, Cecelie, Sylvia Hill, & Sandra Hill. "Notes on Building International Solidarity in the

Us." The Black Scholar 15, no. 6 (1984): 44-52.

Doug Rossinow, the Politics of Authenticity: Liberalism, Christianity, and the New Left in

America (New York, Columbia University Press, 1998)

Stultz, Newell M. "Evolution of the United Nations Anti-Apartheid Regime." Human Rights

Quarterly Volume 13, no. 1 (1991): 1-23

Theodore E. Brown Howard University, CRD and Project." Civil Rights Documentation

Project:” (1997)