Name: Trang Nguyen
Date: 11/10/2011
Paper # 2
Martin Luther King and President Lyndon Johnson
1960s was the period of changing in American society. There were many protests,
revolutions, movements of civil rights. It was the time for people thinking about their own right
and being conscious the real different between just and unjust. During a time of civil right in
which African American was not considered equal to White American, they could not forget to
mention the dynamic, powerful leader, Martin Luther King Jr. He emphasized the distinction
between just and unjust law. King’s ideal had touched the same goal with the President of the US
at that time, Lyndon Johnson. They both believed in the true justice and wanted to bring the
equality for all American, dismissed the segregation at the same time. The idea was the just laws
accordance with natural laws; the laws came from the moral of human. The laws were just if they
can protect human live, their liberty and their happiness. The law of segregation was the example
of unjust laws. These laws also betrayed the belief of white who trusted in the “human laws” and
believe that they doing right. They were also the pain for black people. These laws were unjust
because they went to the opposite direction of human want and need; and because it showed only
the one side benefit for white only. Unjust laws are no laws to the people who treated unequally;
and they caused the disobedient movements of black.
Throughout history, there have been many unjust laws. Many people followed laws just
because they are laws. Sometimes people didn’t even agree with a law, but they still went along
because it was acceptable in the society, or because it was just the law. People were confusing
the border of right thing between in their own personality and acceptable society. There was a
difficulty in how we determine whether a law is "just" or "unjust." So, Luther King brought it up
in the Letter From Birmingham Jail that: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any
law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King, page 3) That was the main reason he
decided to stand up for his people who were the victim of the “human unjust law.” They had
been through how much pain from the history as slaves and were hurt by the Jim Crow laws
“separate but equal.” If there were equality, they didn’t have to stand up at the area segregation,
or have the worse seats, or give up their seats to white. If there was equality, they would be the
first pick for job interview was always white, not black. If there were equality, black would have
the right to vote. They could put their trust in the leader who can protect their right, their freedom
and helped them to pursuing their dream. If there was equality, they would not feel that “your
tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter
why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and
see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children”
(King, page 2)…White could never understood black experiences not because they all were bad
or mean people; but because the segregation didn’t give them a chance to get close to black to
understand them deeply .It mean the segregation would ever go together with the equal as Jim
Crow laws. The equal could just be on the surface of law. In facts, blacks would felt they were
push away from the government’s protection and be “second grade” to white. They received a lot
of disadvantage across America. Hence they decided to leave their fear in life by bringing up the
justice to black community. To them, fighting for equal was the just law, a natural right and the
rightest thing not only for themselves but also for the next generations.
By supporting Martin Luther King’s attitude about unjust laws, President Johnson
stressed that the segregation was damaging American in general because it was hurting black
community, but also injuring white’s humanity: “there are differences-deep, corrosive, obstinate
differences-radiating painful roots into the community, and into the family, and the nature of
individual… For the Negro they are constant reminder of oppression. For the white they are a
constant reminder of guilt” (Johnson, page 4) 1960s was the period of white privilege, all the
advantages focused as much for white as disadvantage for color people. People always think
white were always racist and you could not grow up in America if you didn’t experience the
racist. Racism is a combination of prejudice and power. Prejudice came from the history while
the power came from the human laws which from white people. These laws made a mistake in
white’s mind. They always got the good things and huge advantage from those laws. Thus, it was
really hard for them to giving up the “white privilege” conception. They tried to be “blind” in
front of God laws and natural laws because the human laws giving them better and easier life. In
some cases, they might believe that their laws were also the laws of nature. They had freedom;
they had equality; they had the right to pursue happiness. To them, there was nothing wrong
about their laws which black called “unjust.” So, they could not realize the meanings behind
privilege or truly sensitive the racism. By that way, white betrayed themselves or being betrayed
by human laws.
As we learn from King, the problem was that laws are the standard of the public while the
justice comes from personal matter. Why people need laws for if the laws could not serve at the
same goal as people want. Basically, laws are necessary for a peaceful and stable society. A
country will be in chaos without laws. However, if the laws don’t work efficient, it will be like
no law at all and lead to the same bad outcome such as revolutions, disobedient from black
people. At the position as the president United States of America at that time, President Johnson
was in dilemma. He wanted to bring peace and happiness for his citizens; he wanted the equality
for black community too. However, the equality and peace could not present at the same time in
1960s. The change must go with the movements; the equality for inferior group didn’t come by
itself. Therefore, there were many protests in non-violent under King’s direction. This method
was really impressive to white, to the world, especially to President Johnson. It was what he
expected “change in peace”: “The American Negro, acting with impressive restrain, has
peacefully protests and matched entered the courtrooms and the seats of government, demanding
a justice has long been denied. The voice of the Negro was the call to action.” (Johnson, page1)
For example: In 1960 black college students sat down at a segregated lunch counter in North
Carolina and refused to leave; “March on Washington" in 1963, more than 200,000 people
gathered in the nation's capital to demonstrate for equality; Buses Boycotts in 1955…People
fought from their own justice. Finally, their endeavor was paid back, the right always had won.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964; that changed the face of
America. It opened all the public to all American regardless races, color, or religion. Black were
no longer being alone on the road because at least one white support them, President Johnson.
This victory was not only for all black, it represented for all people who were looking for the
equality and believing in laws of nature. Once again, the distinction between just and unjust of
Martin Luther King was so powerful: the human laws would be changed over time to adjust
human nature laws.
Both Martin Luther King and President Johnson played significant roles in the coming
about of civil rights for African Americans. Even they stood on different positions; they acted
different ways; they lived in different environment; they were not the same race. There might
hundreds of differences between them. They met each other only one point was they had ability
to listen to their heart and the voice of inferiority group. That only sameness could eliminate all
the differences. They were going on the same road, the road of justice. They helped people to
consider whether or not a law was just. If a law was unjust, people had responsibility to get it
overturned. They confirmed that the society should not live with an unjust law. They supported
each other in the complementary relationship to achieve their goal, a fair society.
.
Works Cited
Johnson, Lyndon. “Howard University Address.” 4 June 1965.
King, Martin Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” 16 April 1963.