Martin Luther King Jr.
What is peace? To Ronald Reagan peace is “not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Peace is harmony in relations, and a state of tranquility (Merriam-Webster). Throughout history, many men have fought to have peace in this world. Meanwhile, many have destroyed the peace, wanting power. The ability to control struggles in nonviolent, peaceful ways is a gift that has appeared in history multiple times. Martin Luther King, Jr. had this gift. He also had a dream. A dream to inspire others, bring them to work for peace, and lead them to live his vision of equal rights.
Dr. King was a great inspiration to everyone. He pushed people to stand up for their beliefs and he pressed for equal rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. always encouraged people to react with love, not hate, and was not shy in letting people know what he had faith in. African Americans were afraid to stand up for equal rights, but Dr. King gave them inspiration and a reason to fight. ”While nothing is perfect or complete in the battle for civil rights, the efforts of King and those like him have, in fact, changed the country and the world, for the better, in noticeable ways. His vision has made the
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world a more equal place, if not an equal one, and it has helped to ensure that minorities have a voice” (yourdictionary.com). Dr. King had the ability to see others as equals and individuals regardless of race or ethnicity, and he brought them together for a common cause. The more people he recruited for freedom, the stronger the fight for rights was, and Dr. King was very great at recruiting people. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, and still is, a great symbol of hope, faith, and inspiration we can use to guide us in our future. Equal rights were Dr. King’s main goal, but he worked for these in peaceful ways. One of the peaceful methods he used was boycotts like the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On December 5, 1955 a group of African Americans refused to ride city buses to oppose segregation of Negroes. Even though those boycotting took up 75% of bus riders, the government refused to withdraw the segregation laws. Boycotters carpooled and got discounts on taxi rides from African American drivers. Most people walked to their destinations. For 381 days the African Americans sacrificed and fought for the rights they deserved. Eventually, the Montgomery Federal Court repealed the segregation bus laws (History). Another way Martin Luther King used peace was by marches. Freedom March, August 28, 1963. Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference marched in Washington DC for rights (History.com). Many people were inspired by this march and many people started to be aware of the fight for rights. It was a nonviolent way to fight, but people never forget those who stand up for their beliefs. Especially when you achieve their goal with peaceful methods. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that 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 the content of their character. I have a dream today!” (King). Each of us are required to live out the dream Dr. King has set for us. He was one of the first to lay the groundwork for us to follow. We must also add our dreams of equality, freedom, and justice to his, as these rights travel around the world. We can spread these dreams by standing up for others. We can spread these dreams by fighting for our rights. And we can spread these dreams by leading others to do the same. Doing these things are essential for the very roots of our country, as claimed in the Declaration of Independence,“...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”The Constitution of the United States of America also discusses, in the 14th amendment, how no law can take these rights away. It is obvious that the dreams the Martin Luther King Jr. had are in the foundation of our country, and we must working daily to keep them alive. One of the lessons Martin Luther King, Jr. taught is to dream. All the boycotts that he lead, and the marches he organized were because of his dream. Dr. King was determined to make his dream come true, and we should be, too. Martin Luther King Jr.
states that “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Are we willing to fight for the things that truly matter in this world? Are we willing to stand up, hold on to our truths, and stand for the right side, no matter the obstacles? We have a brilliant example of this before us, a man who persevered his entire life to hear freedom ring from the mountainside. We need to let our voices sound and reach to all the edges of the land of the pilgrim’s pride! We need to hear freedom’s song in the breeze and the trees! We need to see our land be bright with the light of freedom! (Samuel Francis Smith). Then will we know what Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting for, and what made him such a great
man.
It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. did great things. We have learned in school that he was a leader in the movement to desegregate the South. He has served as a role model for people across the globe. But even though Martin did change the world for the better, it was not without hardships. We gathered new information on Dr. King in the essay, “Heeding the Call” by Diana Childress. From his childhood to his last days, Martin faced massive opposition. Still, all of these challenges brought Martin the wisdom and idealism he used throughout his life.
“As we walk, we must make a pledge that we shall always march ahead.”(MLK , I have a Dream Speech). Martin Luther King JR. was a remarkable man. He helped the community like no other did. He is a great character and role model towards all African Americans and others. He shows bravery, kindness, and has the eyes to make change happen. He was an inspiration to many less fortunate people than him, and people who had more than him. Do we have the bravery and courage that this man had? Do we have the eyes for change? MLK had something many didn’t. MLK made a change because something was bothering him in his community, he brought people together, was an inspiration to many because of his patience, and had a dream.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest civil rights leaders to ever live. Through his empowering speeches, he made a huge impact on the world for the equality of all races. Throughout King’s life, he showed everyone how he believed equality should be acquired. With his peaceful protests and amazing speeches, he influenced people both during his time and after he passed. Many believe that King’s work in the Civil Rights Movement was the final push that America needed to finally respect people no matter their skin color.
Black Americans needed a Martin Luther King, but above all America needed him. The significant qualities of this special man cannot be underestimated nor taken for granted. Within a span of 13 years from 1955 to his death in 1968 he was able to expound, expose, and extricate America from many wrongs. His tactics of protest involved non-violent passive resistance to racial injustice. It was the right prescription for our country, and it was right on time. Hope in America was waning on the part of many Black Americans, but Martin Luther King, Jr. provided a candle along with a light. He also provided this nation with a road map so that all people could locate and share together in the abundance of this great democracy.
Dr. King effectively expresses why his critics are wrong in a passionate tone. He is extremely zealous about the rights that African-Americans have been neglected to have and should have, as well as everyone else. Mr King was criticized for his “untimely” actions in Birmingham. “This wait has almost always meant ‘never.’” (King 264) Martin Luther King isn’t just a bystander witnessing the injustice; he is a victim and one of the few who is willing to fight for justice well deserved.
Martin Luther King Jr. is a prominent inspiration to me because he was a passionate man who brought about change to the world around him. He was a strong leader that many people devoutly followed. His ability to gain followers was undeniably amazing. Accordingly, he used his strong leadership skills and passion for equality to bring about change. He was only one man, but he did extraordinary things. He created alternatives in this great nation. His ability to alter people’s minds through frequent speeches and appearances, where he spoke of his aspirations, was very admirable. Dr. King made it clear that all one needs is a driving passion for a worthy cause. Therefore, he had this driving passion, and these things are a part of what made him an effective leader. He was zealous about gaining equality, and he would not let his adversaries deny him of his goal. Dr. King was one leader that utilized his passion to form a better world and overcome his afflictions. One such affliction was a result of the I Have a Dream speech, which turned out to be very inspiring. Unfortunately, it prompted people to contemplate their hatred and wrongdoings, and for others it prompted them to get rid of him for inspiring our nation. Nevertheless, he encouraged people by this particular speech, and I wou...
Dr. King is a man who is over flowed of nothing but creditability. Not once he pointed his finger as a child would and blame the Caucasian men for forcing the African-American to attempt to survive a horrific ordeal of history. He encouraged his brother and sisters of color not to protests with bitter and physical violence but to engage hands and peacefully demand to be treated equally. He encouraged his colored brothers and sisters to go back to where they are from with not despair in their hearts, but hope that one day there will be freedom within reach.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote a letter to fellow clergymen after being arrested for civil disobedience in Birmingham, Alabama. I agree with his statements towards the differences between just and unjust laws. A just law is one that abides by the law of God and the moral law. An example of this is when the majority party puts a law into place and are willing to follow that law along with the minority. On contrary, an unjust law is not put into place for the sake of the majority and the minority. An unjust law seems unfair to the group that is least likely to be represented. These laws are not made for everyone that's why Dr. Martin Luther King didn't have a problem with breaking unjust laws because they were just that, unjust. Unjust means not behaving according to what is morally right and fair. He says that there is a difference between law, just and unjust and with morality (good and bad). Dr. King also says that it's
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of his time. He saw that segregation was wrong and decided to do something about it. He endured through hard times, all the while working to better the lives of others. With his help many people began to take a stand against the racial inequality and injustice against African Americans. He left a lasting impact and improved the lives of thousands living in America and changed the future for those yet to come.
Martin Luther King Jr. have dreams of the nation they are trying to form. These instances of envisioning are prevalent in March and are often touching. Dr. King in the text makes an bold statement that demonstrates to the reader why great leaders in this time period in history made a great change in our nation. While talking to Robert Kennedy regarding the unlawful arrest of African Americans in Jackson Mississippi, King speaks to him about why they must continue protesting. King implores, “I’m deeply appreciative of what the administration is doing. I see a ray of hope, but I am different from my father. I feel the need of being free now.” (Lewis and Aydin 96). Martin Luther King not only speaks in terms of a dream when he uses the words ‘ray of hope’, but when he says that he ‘feels the need of being free now’, he envisions a world that could be different. A world contradicting the racism and hate that those of African descent have experienced since the beginning of American history. Though this isn’t Martin’s famous ‘I have a dream speech’, it is evident that he has had a dream and a plan to fulfill it long before the speech that America will remember for the rest of its history. John Lewis had the pleasure of working with Dr. King and sharing his values in the text. John Lewis also has dreams of what America could become—John sees excellent value in the potential of individuals to change America. After Robert Kennedy pulls him aside to reverence the change that has occurred in him being ‘woke’, John explains why People like Kennedy make his dream for America come true. John speaks, “It showed me something about Robert Kennedy that I came to respect: even though he could be a little rough—ruthless, some would say—he was willing to learn, to grow, and to change.” (Lewis and Aydin 152). John has dedicated his life to this movement—giving up an education and other possible opportunities to address injustices among his brothers. In the text, the
This letter addressed the criticism he received while peacefully protesting. It was also a response to the injustices he witnessed and experienced while visiting the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Birmingham branch. He explains how he and the SCLC organized their plans of nonviolent action for change in not only the segregated schools in Alabama, but for the discriminated people of America. Dr. King declares, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied” (344). He states that African American people have waited more than 340 years for constitutional and God-given rights (King 344). His pleas for recognition of the mass injustices and his assemblies of nonviolent actions caused a wave of changes to occur across the country. His teachings and actions paved the way for African Americans and other minorities to be given the opportunity to exceed expectations and not to be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. One such person became our 44th President.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When most Americans hear that name the first thing that comes to mind is his “Dream”. But that is not all he was. His life was more than a fight against segregation, it was segregation. He lived it and overcame it to not only better himself but to prove it could be done and to better his fellow man.
Dr. King had been one of the greatest leading person during the 21st century. Fifty years later till this day, the message he has portrayed, is still being reviewed today. The ideas that King had brought along in his speeches would still be relevant to civil problems that are occurring in the United States currently. One of the most incredible moments in his life at the time was when he conveyed his tendency from human rights onto the stage of the world; educating the listeners, while obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize Award.
Whenever people discuss race relations today and the effect of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, they remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was and continues to be one of the most i...
There once was a speech made, from a man who was admired and looked up too by many people. His name was Martin Luther King and he had stood up for his own race. Back then “King was arrested, [had] his home bombed, subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a leader for the first rank of blacks” (Life Books). With this in mind, it has showed us that Martin Luther King was a leader for most people. He had wanted everyone to have equal rights and ...