King, Martin Luther, Jr. By Stephanie VanLieu Graduate Student,
Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University Martin Luther King,
Jr. came of age during a time when Jim Crow laws reigned
supreme, a time when “separate but equal” was the accepted
doctrine (Cornell University Law), a time when things were
always separate but never equal for blacks and whites. This was
a time when blacks were not permitted to use the same stores as
whites, to stay in the same hotels, or to attend the same
schools as whites. Oppression was practiced throughout America.
It was during this time that the winds of change started to
blow. King, one of many Civil Rights leaders in the United
States, rose to prominence due to his exceptional leadership and
oratory skills. It is true that the Civil Rights Movement would
have occurred with or without Martin Luther King, Jr., but it is
also true that without King, the Civil Rights Movement would not
have had the same impact on society. It has been said that
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not m