Hearts of the oppressed will always cry out in desperation; waiting for anyone to swoop in and liberate them from their cruel reality. Few are capable of mustering up the gumption to throw their neck on the line in defense of the defenseless. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one such man. Trading in his comfortable life for one of danger and ridicule, King was catapulted to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement following the profound leadership he demonstrated during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. As a well-educated, African American pastor, he provided a unique perspective on the racial issues at hand. In contrast to the violent approach proposed by other Civil Rights leaders at the time, such as Malcolm X, Dr. King paved the long road to
Based on what I read I can infer that Martin Luther King Jr was very successful with his and many others challenge, black rights. In his time black people were shot at beaten and bombed because they had a different skin color. I know this because in the biography of Martin Luther King Jr. it states, "He received threats on a daily bases. Everywhere he went he was in danger of physical attack. Many supporters of the civil rights were killed. Bombs were thrown at busses headed to the south to register black voters." That paragraph clearly shows the struggles of being a African American at that time period it was horrible. Nowadays all rights are equal in America.
MLK is a kind of man who puts his mind to something and never gives up. His two pieces of work “I have a Dream Speech” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” both explain why segregation and discrimination are an issue. The strategy he uses is to grab readers and listeners attention is by using charged language and stirring emotions also called as “Emotional Appeal” or “Pathos” style of work. MLK does this by expressing his thoughts and feelings on what he thinks is right and what is wrong about the whole ordeal. He takes into consideration what the Negro women and children are experiencing, and what they’re suffering through. King wants this to end immediately, but he can’t do it alone without the help of the negro, and white men and women who
Martin Luther King had a seismic impact on the Civil-Rights movement in the 1950’s, but in order to make such an impact there were laws that needed to be proven unjustifiable. “King was arrested 5 times, and wrote his second most influential speech whilst in prison in 1963 for protesting against the treatment of the black community in Birmingham, Alabama” (Guy-Allen 3). He would go on to smuggle the letter out of the prison, so that his words could be heard by his people. Martin defended the idea of non-violent protesting against racism, and the belief that people have a moral responsibility to break laws that were
Imagine our society if Martin Luther King Jr. never fought for African American civil rights. People can not ponder the thought of today’s reality without equal rights. He did fight for equal rights and even gave his life to do so. King wrote “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 to defend peaceful protests or nonviolent resistance which is the reason he was arrested. It also says, people have the right to take direct action, because African Americans are getting tired of waiting. He was speaking out toward the clergy, by telling them he was doing nothing wrong wanting social justice. Although some may think differently, pathos and kairos are the most effective devices in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail,” because pathos triggers feelings of shame and guilt, and kairos adds a state of urgency.
Next, Martin Luther King Jr helped change the world with his accomplishments. He was known for speaking for the civil rights for blacks. Martin luther king was a well-known civil rights leader and activist who had a great deal of
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing to change the grim realities of the society. Hence, King’s works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower. In a similar light, King addressed the speech ‘I have a dream’ to a peaceful mass gathering in Washington asking for change. The speech deemed racial segregation to be an inhumane practice that subdivides society into groups that essentially alienate them from the true sense of humanity; which is brotherhood. King argues that all people are created equal and directly challenged the outdated and abhorrent views that upheld the false flag of racial superiority among White Americans. Luther’s speech was a passionate rhetoric that preached his views about the future. Furthermore his speech did not
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very established man who influenced America to make leaps and bounds in regards to racial injustice. He was born on January fifteenth, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, and led a very normal, two parent childhood, his father being a preacher and his mother also being very involved with the church, along with his two siblings. Martin realized during his youth what a devastating toll inequality was taking on America. An example of this would be when a young Martin and his father went into a shoe store and they were told they will not do business with “colored folk” in the front of the store; this hurt Martin’s feelings greatly, but his very religious mother had always told him, "even though some people make you feel bad
Martin Luther King Jr. had a big impact on us during the 1950s and 1960s. He spoke out against racial discrimination and delivered the “I Have a Dream…” speech to end, or at least try, to put a stop to segregation. Though he never got to fulfill his “dream” of seeing our nation become free of racism (because he was shot on April 4, 1968), he does still have an impact on us today. Here’s why.
Inequality and racism have always been present in the history of America. Many people battle these injustices through different forms, such as writing, speaking, or protesting. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Frederick Douglass are both experienced in writing and speaking against certain injustices. In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” as well as in Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” they claim that injustice and inequality must be combatted in order for everyone to be free and equal.
Courageous. Genius. Savior. These are just a few traits that Martin Luther King Jr. greatly portrayed. He believed that all people should have equal rights, regardless of their color or race. Martin Luther King Jr. incredibly impacted the world’s view on segregation and racial injustice.
Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th, 1929. He grew up in a desolate rural area in Atlanta, Georgia. As Martin Luther King was growing up, he experienced the effects of racism first hand. At this time Black people were in-equal to White people and Martin Luther King was affected by this in his day to day routines. An example of the unjustness that Black Americans faced was when they wanted to eat at a restaurant then they had to sit in a separate section of the restaurant, or even when they wanted to buy shoes they were served at the back of the store. Martin Luther King Jr realised the discrimination against Black people of America and he wanted to make an alteration to the way that Blacks were mistreated.
Although Malcom X was very forceful and to the point with his speech, “Ballot or the Bullet,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently displayed his point of view and tone in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Both men addressed the injustices in the social degradation, political oppression, and economic exploitation of blacks in America. Quite possibly, their life experiences and sense of morality played a role in determining their point of view, and therefore, their tone.
The film Selma directed by Ava DuVernay expertly represents the struggles African-Americans and supporters faced while advocating for an end to the corrupt exploitation of the civil rights of African-Americans. The issues that African-Americans contested during the film accurately represents the sentiment of many African-Americans during the Civil Rights movement. Because of the compelling and despairingly honest depiction of the struggles that the African-American community faced during this time, the film was able to create an accurate account and the importance of the historical events surrounding the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
The ultimate goal of justice is slowly but surely been achieved today for the black community. A day that heavily influenced this achievement was in 1963 during the March on Washington, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The man who changed lives that day only wanted those who heard him to apply his message to their lives. In his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uses repetition, specific, illustrative detail and examples, allusions, and figurative language in order to amplify his message that his audience needed to bond together in order to fight for civil rights and justice now.