Analysis of Martin Luther King Jr. as a Great Leader

Martin Luther King Jr. was a great leader for the Civil Rights Movement and what he has done has changed America for the better. When asked what the characteristics of a great leader are, people will say devotion, confidence and inspiration. In the eyes of many Martin Luther King Jr. has the qualities of a great leader. He did not want to use violence to spread his word, he was devoted to his cause and would not give up and he was confident that what he was doing could change his world for the better.

One of the qualities for a great leader is the ability to inspire others. Martin Luther King Jr. was a big inspiration for peaceful protesting in America. In his speeches he would spread the world of peace and wanted everyone to know that violence would not solve their problems. He believed that through love and compassion that he could draw out the injustice that was being done to the African American community. He would not let the protesters “degenerate into physical violence” but instead he would inspire them to stay peaceful. He was not a violent man and was a “pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama”.

Another great quality shown by Martin Luther King Jr. was his devotion to his cause. While he was known as a leader for the Civil Rights Movement, many people would threaten him. Even when he was attacked Martin Luther King Jr. would not stop with the peaceful protest. He was devoted to keep the protest peaceful and even after attacks he never let the protests get violent. “Martin Luther King Jr.’s house was bombed by segregationists in retaliation for the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott” and he still decided to keep going with the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was determined to see African American have equal rights and dreamed that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Lastly a great leader needs to be confident in what they are doing. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that what he was doing would change the lives of American across the nation. He was participating in marches and giving speeches in hopes of changing the way people thought. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that what he was doing was difficult and came with many risks but he knew that if he kept doing it, that the country would change. “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” In this line he was confident that one day even the worst of places for people of color would eventually become a great place for people of every race to freely walk around.

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the many great leaders in American history. He has characteristics that every great leader should have. To many people he is known to be a great man and a great leader. He was able to keep people peaceful even when they were being attacked. He was devoted to the Civil Rights Movement and would not give up until he got what he wanted. He was confident that what he was doing was right and would change America. These are the reason Martin Luther King is seen to be one of Americas great leaders.