Who was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement?

The leader of the Civil Rights Movement is widely recognized as Martin Luther King Jr. He played a pivotal role in advocating for civil rights through nonviolent protests and was a key figure in organizing significant events, such as the March on Washington in 1963, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. His leadership emphasized the importance of equality, justice, and peaceful resistance against racial segregation and discrimination.

While other figures mentioned also made significant contributions to the civil rights cause, they were not primarily seen as the central leader of the overall movement. Malcolm X, for instance, had a different approach and philosophy that emphasized black nationalism and self-defense, while Rosa Parks is celebrated for her courageous act of defiance that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Frederick Douglass was an earlier promoter of civil rights, advocating for the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, but he operated in a different historical context, well before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to unite diverse groups around the cause and his commitment to nonviolence clearly position him as the leading figure of the Civil Rights Movement.