Conflict Theory: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Conflict theory details that specific groups of society benefit disproportionately from established social, economic and political arrangements, prompting the advantage to employ necessary means in maintaining said inequality. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement, “We know through painful experiences that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed,” it is the societal imbalance between the white majority and individuals of color that Dr. King Jr. seeks to address and transform. Conflict theory is rooted in the principle that conflict is the energy of change, supporting Dr. King Jr.’s message that access to education, economical advances and freedom can only occur through the effort of the

oppressed and frustrated.
In the context of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, the goal of equality is deemed incompatible with the continued dominance of white Americans, evident by Dr. King’s need to demand freedom. The freedom Dr. King advocates for includes scarce resources, notably wealth, prestige and power, elements Dr. King Jr. believes and conflict theory supports, dominant white Americans will not voluntarily give to the oppressed and exploited. It is the unequal and perhaps unjust distribution that serves as a motivation for the underprivileged to demand more, a crucial element of conflict theory and it’s role in social change. In advocating for freedom and against the status quo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his supporters take steps toward social change, specifically freedom for the historically oppressed. Promoting social change through conflict is important to Dr. King Jr.’s argument, as it believed that conflict offers disadvantaged groups an opportunity to improve their position in society and to achieve freedom and its associated capital.