In this part of the assessment, you will write an essay. Carefully read the prompt and texts, and then plan for and write your essay. Read the Martin Luther King, Jr. passage set, and then respond to the following writing prompt:

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a well-known civil rights activist who greatly impacted American society through his boycotts, sit-ins, and marches. Think about which type of protest had the greatest impact. Then, write a four to five paragraph essay giving your opinion on which type of protest had the greatest impact on the civil rights movement. Use evidence from the three sources to support your opinion.

Which method of protest (boycotts, sit-ins, or marches) had the greatest impact on the civil rights movement? Why?

Source 1: An American Leader: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bus Boycott

On December 1, 1955, 42-year-old Rosa Parks took a bus home from her workplace in Montgomery, Alabama. She sat in the first row of the "colored" section. When the bus filled up, the driver demanded that Parks give her seat to one of the white men who was standing. Parks refused and was arrested. That same night, Martin Luther King, Jr. met with other local civil rights leaders and planned a citywide bus boycott. King was elected to lead the boycott. He was seen as an upstanding citizen who could make a real difference.

The bus boycott lasted for 382 days. Most of Montgomery's African American community walked, rode bicycles, or carpooled to avoid taking the bus. They often faced harassment and violence from angry fellow citizens. King's home was fire-bombed during the boycott, but he did not give up. He launched a legal campaign against racial segregation laws. On June 4, 1956, the laws were overturned. African Americans would now be allowed to sit where they liked, like all other Americans. The Montgomery Bus Boycott propelled Martin Luther King to the forefront of the national civil rights movement.

Peaceful Protests

In 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference so that he could continue to help organize and conduct more nonviolent protests for civil rights. He traveled around the country speaking about race relations and joined in many peaceful protests. He was arrested a number of times during these years. King was arrested once for joining students at a sit-in protest at a department store that refused to serve lunch to African Americans. In the spring of 1963, King was arrested again during a demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama. King had been peacefully protesting alongside many families.