Essay On African American Nonviolence

African Americans have come a long way since 1619 when they arrived from Africa on huge boats. They were not considered people. They were considered property. African Americans were described as, “a thing to be used, not a person to be respected.” They were treated as less than humans and that’s how they felt. They were brought to America against their will, as slaves. There have been many successful strategies done to make a change in the beliefs of what people thought of the African American. The goal of the nonviolence is said to, “Not seek to humiliate or defeat the opponent but to win his friendship and understanding. This was always a cry that we had to set before people that our aim is not to defeat the white community, not to humiliate the white community, but to win the friendship of all of the persons who had perpetrated this system in the past.” The African Americans want the white community to be on their side and fight for the injustices, to have understanding, and beat the system that brings the blacks down.

The movement can be compared to the Gandhian movement in India. Dr. King thought that using hate with hate would intensify the existence of evil in the universe. He wanted the forces to hate to meet the power of love and not defeat the white man, but win their much needed friendship. Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous and powerful speeches of all time. Dr. King speaks about how the emancipation proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln was supposed to free the slaves, but 100 years later, they are still not free. Also, Dr. King speaks about segregation and the racial limitations on African Americans. “I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character.” Dr. King’s speech was important because it brought attention to the Civil Rights