Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the extremely important factors contributing to the civil rights movement. He is what I consider to be a modern Transcendentalist. One of the attributes of this was his belief that the answer to gaining civl rights was to simply be non-violent. He thought that in doing this, their successes in the form of equality would come faster and in greater abundance. This simple beilief was an excellent motivator for many African-Americans at this time in history.
Another of his beliefs was that of human divinity. He believed that all people, black or white, were children of God and therefore should be treated equally in society. Being a minister, this was a hugely important belief contributing to his forms of leadership and active role in the civil rights movement.
Strong individualism was also an enormous part of his beliefs. He believed and preached this value endlessly throughout his career, in church but also to crowds throughout the country. He believed that in order to be accepted as equal, African-Americans needed to stay true to who they were, and be individuals instead of conforming to the way white people wanted them to be.
