Racism has been a large part of the United States of America’s history. This oppression began with the enslavement of Africans and African-Americans, which did not relent despite their emancipation. This is where the false complex of African-Americans being inferior to white people rooted in the United States. Over 300 years of systematic oppression occurred before the Civil Rights Movement took place. This movement was where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to make his imprint on American history. The Atlanta native, with his supporters and members of his church, were able to help change the laws that infringed on African Americans’ rights. One of the legislation acts that they were able to influence was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which rallied hundreds of thousands of people, was one of the key factors to the act being passed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped in organizing the event and played a key role. King’s life is depicted in his biography by Anna Revell in “Dare to Dream” which follows his childhood, through his rise in popularity and his contribution to the Civil Rights Movement, until his untimely death. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s publication of “The Truth about Leadership” details different “truths”, or the vital attributes, one must possess and accept to be an effective leader. Lastly, in the eighth edition of “Leadership: Theory and Practice” by Peter Guy Northouse, describes different leadership styles, some of which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some of his attributes that let him become such an effective leader were that he was a transformational and team leader. These leadership skills were characterized by King Jr.’s charisma and his ability to be interdependent on other leaders. He also lived by the leadership truths of being driven by commitment and having challenges be the crucible for greatness. His values and grit demonstrated how persistent he was while challenging oppression. The skills King Jr. possessed allowed for him to bring about many positive changes to society, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s transformational skills were part of the reason why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. According to Northouse on page 161, transformational leadership is the “process of engaging with others to create a connection that increases motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower.” This unique connection is partly made through the charisma that the leader should possess and the leader’s understanding of their followers’ needs (Northouse 164). Being an African-American himself, he perfectly understood his followers’ needs since he had experienced them first-hand. Revell states on page 22 that King experienced his father having to stand up for a white man on the bus, an incident that particularly resonated with him and shaped his conscience after his father had said he would comply with Jim Crow laws, but would never accept it. Another incident, one that was more personal, was when he made a white friend whose father made him unfriend King because of his color. This particular incident inspired parts his speech, “I Have a Dream” (Revell 22). King was very charismatic. His charisma can be observed during his “I Have a Dream” speech, which was analyzed by Robert Redziniak, a Psychology professor at Pennsylvania State University, in “The Transformational Leader – Martin Luther King Jr.”. This speech called on the people at the march and any who listened, to reflect on America’s society at the time, as well as the history, current treatment of African-Americans, and his hopes for the future (Revell 81). Part of charismatic leadership is the expression of high expectations set for the follower (Northouse). This is no better quote where this is emphasized in King’s speech besides where he states “let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” (Redziniak). This communicates King’s expectations for those participating in the movement to not use violence to resolve conflict or to fight for their freedom. However, without mention, he emphasizes one of his main principles and ways of combating oppression, through nonviolence. It takes a lot for a person to hold back their anger, especially what the people of the movement have put up with. They have been beaten up, hosed, threatened with police dogs, thrown into overcrowded jail cells, yet they still do not succumb to their anger. This ignoring of temptation is what King sets the bar for. The march and speech’s meaning had the ability to form a connection with its listeners and it swayed the hearts of those in congress. This led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated team leadership when he and other leaders came together to organize the march. Characteristic of team leadership is a “group of organizational members who are interdependent, share common goals, and coordinate activities to accomplish those goals” (Northouse 363). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent figure in the movement, but it did not mean he was the only one. According to the National Museum of American History, there were five other leaders of major civil rights activist groups. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, James Farmer, John Lewis, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young were the six key figures of the Civil Rights Movement, otherwise known as the “Big Six” (Revell 70). A. Phillip Randolph was the leader of the Negro American Labor Center, James Farmer was of the Congress of Racial Equality, John Lewis was of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, Roy Wilkins was the leader of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Whitney Young was part of the National Urban League. With King being of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the support they rallied was many and they had many helping hands to also assist with the organizing of the event, presented by the National Museum of American History in “Leaders of the March”. These leaders were interdependent on each other because without their union, they could not rally much support. These leaders had different priorities, yet were able to come together for the march. This union had proven to be effective and important because they had managed to gather more than 200,000 people by the end of it (Revell 70 and 91-92). Not only this, but they believed that by coming together, “their show of cooperation would be enough to make the difference they sought” (Revell 70). Their goals for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom were the same. They agreed on the following goals, which are some of the many they had drafted: end to school segregation, meaningful civil rights acts, federal law against discrimination while hiring, and a fixed hourly pay rate (Revell 73-75). Their drafting of goals proved how goal focused they were, especially by gaining agreement on the matter. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would not have been passed without the event of the March on Washington, nor King’s leadership. King directly provoked, then president, John F. Kennedy into clearly voicing his support for African Americans after saying Kennedy’s views of the movement was “tokenism” (Revell 68). This provokation of his character began the planning for the March. King made sure that Kennedy would provide security for the marchers and that he would keep his word (Revell 78).
In addition to the two leadership categories that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fell under, he also possessed a few “truths” to leadership. Kouzes and Posner present evidence-based ways that leaders have been able to become effective leaders. They call each of these ways “truths”. His third truth is titled “value drives commitment”. Essentially what Kouzes and Posner mean by this truth is that followers need to know what your values and morals are in order to stand by you. Not only this, but one must also demonstrate that one truthfully stand by these values because if one doesn’t, they will not be able to fully commit to the cause they are fighting for (29-43). One of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s biggest morals was about not using violence. He wanted to model after Mohandas Gandhi (Revell 10). King was able to communicate to his followers that he did not approve of violence as a solution. He believed that any kind of solution would be brought about by touching the hearts and changing the minds of those who opposed the movement. King was able to show his followers that he meant what he said, a well known example of his demonstrations would be the Montgomery bus boycott. After Rosa Parks was arrested, instead of rioting, or vandalizing these buses, the boycotters simply refrained from using buses. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was an excellent example of his followers’ understanding of his values and showing their commitment to it as well. With more than 200,000 people attending, at no point had the march become violent. With such a large amount of people attending, it was increasingly easier for things to rapidly turn chaotic. The march was intended to be peaceful, and it stayed this way as well (Revell 80).
The seventh truth, “challenge is the crucible for greatness”, is the focus for the entire movement. This truth essentially states that a leader must face hardships. Nothing comes without challenge, but one must learn and evolve from them in order to become successful. These obstacles tests our commitment and allow for people to become more resistant to opposition and other challenges (Kouzes and Posner (91-104). Bull Connor was one of the many hardships that King faced. Bull Connor was a racist politician. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protestors focused their efforts on Birmingham, where Connor was based. Most of these protestors were students. However, without regard, Connor retaliated by spraying protestors with fire hoses and police dogs (Revell 53). Thousands of protestors were arrested, but it did not deter them, it only encouraged them more to fight for the cause. They were able to become more resistant to those trying to oppose their natural rights. Their resilience had proven to lead to their success because the brutal tactics used on the protestors had led to more attention being shed on the Civil Rights Movement. The challenge of the march was their uncertainty. The team’s uncertainty of whether people would show up to join their cause, if it’ll be peaceful, if President Kennedy would really protect them. Their biggest uncertainty was what would occur. However, the march was a success. President Kennedy delivered on his promise and gathered 600 men for security, who weren’t used since the march was peaceful, another one of their concerns (Revell 62). The men accounted for 100,000 people going, however, they did not expect the 200,000 that would show up to show their support (Revell 80). These challenges and truths were crucial for the success of the march. With their persistence and commitment to their values, they made a strong body which could not be ignored. This prompted for change. As a result, Congress voted to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very prominent figure during the Civil Rights Movement. His leadership, values, and persistence contributed largely to his success and the success of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a transformational leader, his charisma and ability to sway the minds of those he encountered helped him gain the support he needed. As a team leader, he and his team, the “Big Six”, were able to organize and execute a successful march which prompted for a lasting impact on history, the passing of meaningful civil rights legislation. King’s values, morals, and his commitment to them allowed for him to become an effective leader. His plea for not using violence to resolve tensions or conflict gave respect to his cause. His persistence in having the movement be successful and prompting for change has been the pushing factor for his leadership. Lessons that can be learned from King’s leadership is that there are other forms of communicating your demands and pleas for change, other than violence. He also asks us to not be prejudice based on the color of one’s skin. In following these lessons, our world would be more united.
Works Cited
Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Truth about Leadership: the No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know. Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print.
“Leaders of the March.” National Museum of American History, 26 Aug. 2013, https://americanhistory.si.edu/changing-america-emancipation-proclamation-1863-and-march-washington-1963/1963/leaders-march. 29 Oct. 2019.
Northouse, Peter Guy. Leadership: Theory and Practice. 8th ed., SAGE Publications, 2010. Online.
Redziniak, Robert. “The Transformational Leader – Martin Luther King Jr.” PSY 532 Foundations of Leadership Clarke, 5 June 2016, https://sites.psu.edu/leaderfoundationsclarke/2016/06/05/the-transformational-leader-martin-luther-king-jr/. 29 Oct, 2019.
Revell, Anna. Martin Luther King Jr.: Dare to Dream: The True Story of a Civil Rights Icon. Publisher Not Identified, 2017. Print
