Mlk

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, but his legacy still lives on.  His activism at the state and local levels helped enforce the 15^th Amendment which states, “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (The United States Constitution).   It took nearly a century for many of the southern states to adhere to the legitimacy of the amendment so in 1965 the federal government passed the Voting Rights Act.  During the passage of this act, Dr. King gave speeches, created organizations, gained followers, arranged marches, and met and sought counsel from President Lyndon Johnson. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the face of the Civil Rights movement, but the most brilliant aspect of his legacy is his nonviolent stance on revolution.  He was moving to change hundred-year-old adverse practices, but fought back with peaceful assembly.  After news of the overt injustices of the Alabama state police spread, the rest of the country began to open their eyes to Dr. King’s message.  If Dr. King’s response to these injustices had been aggressive or reactionary, then the masses may not have been as partial to the plight of African American voters. 

During this last election, there were groups that alleged voter suppression was going on.  Certain states passed voter ID laws in which those who chose to vote had to present government issued identification.  Opponents of these voter ID laws claim that this is just a means to make it harder for certain ethnic and socio-economic groups to vote; not everyone has a driver’s license so they have no need for government issued IDs other than to vote.  Proponents of these laws say that the system is being taken advantage of and presenting an ID is a way to protect American’s rights to vote.   Some choose to believe that certain group’s rights to vote are still in danger by laws like this, but that is a matter of opinion.