Question

What was their philosophy/ approach in leading the advancement of racial equality and civil rights?
Give explanation.

Answer 1

Rosa Parker and Martin Luther King used non violent civil disobedience as their form of protest towards racial inequality. Rosa Parks has been credited for kick starting the modern African American civil rights movement. in 1955, Rosa was arrested on civil disobedience charges after she refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama was one of the southern states where racial segregation was extensive. Her actions inspired civil protests and prominent figures like Martin Luther King.

Rosa parks efforts in protesting racial segregation and inequality did not start in 1955. She had been serving as the secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which campaigned for civil rights for African Americans. Rosa also went to school at the Highlander Folk school in Tennessee where groups of African Americans were trained in protest methods.

Rosa's arrest created the perfect opportunity for civil rights organizers to mobilize African Americans to protest racial segregation in buses. It is estimated that 17000 African Americans boycotted buses. Led by Martin Luther King who was not so popular at the time, the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) joined NAACP to fight for an end to segregation and the full integration of African Americans.

1n 1956, the Supreme Court decided that racial segregation in buses was unlawful and contravened the provisions of the 14th amendment which had provided for citizenship to African Americans and required that the state provide them with equal protection of the laws. This amendment lay the foundation for civil rights for African Americans.

Civil disobedience in the United States inspired other non violent civil rights movements across the world like Australia and the United Kingdom where the Bristol Bus Boycott which was a protest against racial discrimination in employment on Bristol Buses.

In 1996, Rosa Parks was awarded the Presidential medal of freedom, the highest award for any civilian.

Martin Luther King got his inspiration for Non-Violence from teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and the writings of Henry David Thoreau. The Montgomery bus boycott brought him and his ideology to the limelight. He held seminars and workshops and taught the philosophy of non-violence maintaining that civil disobedience should not include violence. In an incident known as the 'Bloody Sunday' in Alabama, freedom riders were attacked by conservative whites but none of them hit back following Martin Luther's model.

Non violent protests by king grew in numbers and forced the government to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under President Lyndon Johnson. This act prohibited segregation in public places and called for the integration of schools and public facilities. It also made discrimination in matters of employment illegal. It created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission through which aggrieved workers could sue. It also paved way for other acts like the Voting Rights act of 1965 and the Fair Housing act of 1968 as well as for representation of women, the elderly and the disabled.

Massive peaceful protests organized by King like the Washington march of 1963 and the 1965 march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery to protest lack of voting rights for African Americans in the South greatly influenced the enactment of Civil rights acts.

Having dedicated his life to non violence, Martin Luther King died ironically died violently following his assassination in 1968. Years after their deaths, King and Rosa philosophies of non violent protests continue to be instrumental in the American society and across the world as people stand up against issues of systemic racism like the Black Lives Matter movement.