“We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal,” was once written in the U.S. Constitution. These words are in America’s most important document, but somehow people did not listen until the Civil Rights Movement began. Two important leaders during this struggle for equality were Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Both had very different ideas for equality. Dr. King’s speech at the “March on Washington” in 1963 is truly iconic for many reasons, such as his optimistic message that racial equality and integration will be achieved and his inspirational tone. This look on equality could be thanks to his upbringing in a loving and religious home in Atlanta, Georgia, in which both his father and grandfather …show more content…
Throughout the speech, King’s common message was to achieve racial equality. He stresses this when he explains, “This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality-1963 is not an end but a beginning” (King 2). This quote supports the message by stating that this is a movement that is not short lived, and they will fight for equality. King’s tone is part of what makes this speech so iconic. He is very optimistic and inspirational. This is illustrated when he begins his speech with, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” (King 1). As one can see, Dr. King started this speech using many motivational words and his optimistim certainly shines through. This speech is also inspirational thanks to the sentence structure. He uses compound complex sentences to thoroughly get his point across. This is shown when he discusses, “When we allow freedom to ring-when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, …show more content…
Martin Luther King’s speech. Although both Dr. King’s and Mr. X’s speech both wanted a form of equality, Mr. X’s message is drastically different. He stated that integration would never work and that racial equality can only be achieved by creating a new nation, entitled “New Afrika.” He advertises this when he proclaims, “Because land is essential to freedom. How else can 20 million black people who now constitute a nation in our own right, a NATION WITHIN A NATION, expect to survive forever” (X 1). This quote clearly shows his thoughts on the subject, and how he very much supported an entirely new nation created by segregation. In this speech, Malcolm X very obviously had a demanding tone. This was shown when he says, “But, we must have some of this earth” (X 2). By using the word “must” Malcolm X demandingly stateed his message therefore creating a demanding tone. Moving on, The sentences in this speech are very simple, and one can tell he is yelling whenever it is written in all capital letters. This is illustrated when Mr. X declared, “WE MUST HAVE SOME LAND OF OUR OWN” (X 1). This quote not only relates to the sentence structure, but also to the demanding tone and the message of extreme segregation just by using a short sentence and capital letters. Even though Malcolm X was very passionate in what he is talking about, his unrealistic views and intense hatred are not currently in
Achieving Racial Equality On April 12th, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was leading a peaceful protest in the city of Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in him being arrested and jailed. Later that day, eight clergymen responded with the statement “A Call For Unity” in The Birmingham News requesting he ends all of his protests. A few days later, King created a response to the statement in the form of an open letter. In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. develops a well-proposed argument in response to the eight clergymen who published the statement. Throughout the letter, King uses rhetorical appeal in order to give the viewer a sense of King’s credibility, his emotions, and also his logic on why he does what he does.
Historians offer different perceptions of the significance of Martin Luther King and the 1963 March on Washington. Without examining this event within its historical context the media publicity and iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech can easily overshadow progress that was already underway in America. It was insisted by prominent civil rights activist Ella Baker, ‘the movement made Martin rather than Martin making the movement.’ What is important not to overlook is the significant change that took place in the United States during the previous 100 years. Such that, many influential figures in support of racial equality opposed the March. The Civil Rights Act proposed by President Kennedy in 1963 was already in the legislative process. Furthermore the Federal Government was now reasserting power over the entire of the United States by enforcing a policy of desegregation. It is important to note that these changes all took place less than one hundred years after the Thirteenth Amendment in 1965 abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth amendment in 1968 acknowledged the rights of former slaves to be acknowledged as U.S citizens. With this level of progress Kennedy was against the March going ahead due to the argument that it was limited in what it could achieve. Today, King’s 1963 Speech is viewed as one of the most iconic speeches in history. However, was it a key turning point in African Americans achieving racial equality? Federal endorsement would suggest yes after decades of southern states being able to subvert the Federal law designed to break down segregation. This support built upon the corner stones of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments in the nineteenth century. Therefore looking at the national status of black Americans fro...
During the time of Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr., freedom for African-Americans was relative terminology in the fact that one was during slavery and the other during the Civil Rights era. “Civil Disobedience,” written by Thoreau, analyzes the duty and responsibility of citizens to protest and take action against such corrupt laws and other acts of the government. Likewise, King conveys to his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” audience that the laws of the government against blacks are intolerable and that civil disobedience should be used as an instrument of freedom. Both writers display effective usage of the pathos and ethos appeal as means to persuade their audience of their cause and meaning behind their writing, although King proves to be more successful in his execution.
Compare and Contrast: To my understanding the letter that Martin Luther King Jr. composed while confined in the Birmingham Jail, is as one with the appeal that was given by David Walker. Both the letter and the appeal were pleas, pleas to the African American race. Not only to African Americans, but to my surprise and yours it was also written to all races suffering from the same injustice. These pleas were strong and very urgent.
Dr. King first starts out all pumped up on a very light note. He is very optimistic about his speech in the very first line. However he bluntly addressed the issues of hardship, which African-Americans endured while America was beginning to become a stronger symbol of hope and freedom. He acknowledged the experience of wealth which his race became accustomed to, the ghetto poverty. He recognized the right of each color and pale man who contains the right to live, liberty, and the pursuit of true happiness. As bluntly as he began his speech, he boldly pointed out the Supreme Law of The Land- the Constitution - and quoted the Declaration of Independence as all.
History has encountered many different individuals whom have each impacted the 21 in one way or another; two important men whom have revolted against the government in order to achieve justice are Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. Both men impacted numerous individuals with their powerful words, their words carried the ability to inspire both men and women to do right by their morality and not follow unjust laws. “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” by David Henry Thoreau along with King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, allow the audience to understand what it means to protest for what is moral.
When authors write about the same subject, they usually have some similar things that they write in their text. True, some things are going to be different on what they are discussing about. The same is true with the authors who wrote about the topic on the struggle for freedom. When they do that, they usually put it in their own words. Even though each writer has different ideas, they both address the struggle of freedom in their society.
The 20th Century had many important events during those 100 years. Great progress was made during that time for the Civil Rights of all Americans. The two marches demonstrations involving large groups of people: a March on Washington D.C. and a March from Selma to Montgomery Alabama to gain color equality in the south. There are differences and similarities to consider. In many ways, the March on Washington was one of the most important parts of the civil rights movement. The focus of this march was to gain equality for Blacks in the South. Over 200,000 Blacks and Whites showed up to support those efforts. The Selma to Montgomery March is famous for effecting change in the rights of colored voters.
King’s historical speech in 1963 has held great symbolic value not only for the African Americans, but also for all of the equal rights supporters of every age and race. He was the first one who really fought for the same rights of African Americans and therefore inspired other people to live his dream and to continue his work for racial equality.
In history we know that no two men are alike but, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were phenomenal people and leaders. Both had visualized some type of change in the future, yet were not literally able to see it. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X set out to bring a sense of confidence to blacks all over the United States. Their main purpose was to help instill black’s power and strength so that they could overcome racial disparity and prejudice that surrounded them, but both of them had very unique and distinct different ways of promoting their message. Martin was more geared and focused on equality and wellness of the world as a whole, a Malcolm X’s personal interpretation of the world was very well blinded by anger, bitterness, and the desire to get revenge at the expense of the world that he thought treated him unfairly.
On August 28, 1963 more than 250,000 civil-rights supporters attended the March on Washington. Addressing the protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Profoundly, he proclaimed for a free nation of equality where all race would join together in the effort to achieve common ground. King stated his yearning for all colors to unite and be judged by character, not by race. African Americans would not be satisfied until their desire for freedom from persecution, bitterness, and hatred prevailed. Not only were the points in his speech powerful, but also the delivery he gave was so persuading and real that it changed the hearts of many people across America. By using four artificial proofs, mythos, logos, ethos, and pathos, Martin Luther King was able to open the eyes of people who were blinded by the color of skin.
Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy were two very commendable men. They were two very different men that I feel had the same incredible amount passion for human beings. Both Dr. King and President Kennedy had such high hopes for this country and regardless of the sad and devastating time era, they both spoke with much poise and compassion. I truly believe they are exactly what this country needed and still needs to this very day.
Overall, Martin Luther King’s purpose of this speech was to unite African Americans and Caucasians to fight together for the same cause, equal rights for all people no matter the color of their skin. To successfully convey this purpose, King employed several tools of persuasion in his speech. He did indeed present an example of what could qualify as the "greatest demonstration" of arguments for true freedom for all Americans. He employed the techniques of ethos, pathos and logos with such skill that his audience likely was only aware of a single steering man towards a national unity.
The speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. to the African Americans and to the white Americans in the August of 1963 was undoubtedly a motivator for many. It is no wonder why a vast majority of people living in the United States can recite words from the speech of a now deceased man. Because his language and diction spoke to all believers in freedom as well as to freedom's adversaries, his message was universal and had a meaning to all who heard it. This continues today. Freedom and equality are something to be attained, for all of us.
King begins his speech by referencing important historical documents such as the Constitution of the United States and the Emancipation Proclamation. This is emphasized when he states, ”Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation...But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free”. Which shows how even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the African Americans from slavery, they still are not free because of segregation. He then transitions to the injustice and suffering that the African Americans face. He makes this