Contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Essay

Contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King - Essay Example What Gandhi had achieved for India, the same has achieved by King for the African-Americans. They are often referred as the leaders who were mutually influenced and both suffered exceptionally to cherish their dreams. When king had taken his first steps to political activism, he protested against the anti-black violence. The Civil Rights Movement of King was mainly influenced by the non-violence resistance of Gandhi (The Martin Luther King Education and Research Institute, 2014). King entered to the African American Civil Rights Movement in 1955. It was he who led the movement and took the decisive role in spreading it. The Civil Rights Movement actually began when a black Montgomery resident was arrested for not surrendering her seat on bus to a white man. The black activists, under the leadership of King protested against the Segregation law and boycott the Montgomery transit system. They also formed the Montgomery Improvement Association. This movement forced the Montgomery city g overnment to abolish the segregation on buses. King’s fighting, without violence caused for a political change and he was thus established as a powerful leader. Another significant contribution of King to American politics and social life was his endeavor to assure the voting rights for the African -Americans. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 assured the enfranchisement of African-Americans and it outlawed the discrimination in voting system.