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Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impasse in Race Relations is a speech that confronts the audience of the past, present, and future aspects of race relations. The speech addressed by King refers to an impasse as a situation in which there is no escapes or progresses. In the speech, King reveals the different feelings and reasoning’s as to what Negroes have experienced and dealt with. He also shares and interprets various violent and non-violent approaches to racial problems. In this essay, I will present my thoughts and opinions based on King’s ideas introduced in his speech. King introduces two phases of the Negroes struggle: “the first began in the 1950’s when Negroes slammed the door shut on submission and subservice,” and “when Negroes assertively …show more content…
moved on to ascend the second rung of the ladder, a firm resistance from the white community developed, this resistance characterized the second phase.”(King, 5). I believe King’s reasoning’s to address these phases were to explain to people the difficulties Negroes had to face during their fight for equality. The evidence provided by King, which includes Negro opposition to violence and the Southern ruler’s confusion about Negro non-violence, helped me to understand the concept as to why there was a problem for Negroes to openly promote their want for freedom in a non-violent way. To me, the Southerners were not omniscient as to what they were interpreting from the African Americans. They were incapable of understanding the Negroes desire of a peaceful and calm time to let their voices be heard and as a result the whites were accustomed to thoughts of violence and oppression. Throughout this time, violence became more rapidly present while Negroes remained at a loss. King explains how nonviolence in the form of protest became a form of “tactical theory,” which forced Negroes of the North to aim to riots (King, 6). I recognize the Negro want and desire for freedom here, a race so pushed to the limit of years of oppression and injustice. To me it seems they were seeking freedom in the most difficult way possible, they sought it through peace and non-violence. Their abilities to shadow their feelings of inequality and bias were exceptionally powerful. They were strong and smart in ways whites were not, the Negroes thoroughly thought out there plans to achieve their goals of equableness. The change of the Negro mind set is also evident to me here as I continue to read Kings’ work. Negroes seemed tired of keeping their irritations and violence’s to themselves and decided to act, while white prejudices increased. These are the thoughts that come to mind as I read Kings’ piece. King argues that white policy-makers have caused discrimination, unemployment, and poverty (King, 8).
To me, this argument is logical and valid. King acknowledges this by describing policy makers crafting the living conditions of the Negroes. King states, “The slums are the handiwork of a vicious system of the white society; Negroes live in them, but they do not make them, any more than a prisoner makes a prison,” (King, 8). King refers to the slums as the housing projects of the Negroes and states the policy makers flagrantly violate building codes and regulations. This would show the white man not enforcing the laws and breaking laws intentionally when dealing with Negroes. As Negroes stood up for what they believed to be true, the white man became increasingly defiant. To me, it seems as if the white men were afraid to allow Negroes rights that they themselves possessed and perhaps even took for granted. My inference here is that white men were not prepared and were frightened to allow a class of people that they found less than human be present and existent in their everyday society. I believe fear was one of the major adversaries on both sides. The white man was afraid of change and this fear birthed hate and discrimination to a race that they were unsure of. They were more involved in their own self-interests than in a whole race of people. The only thing that they thought was right was to keep Negroes and whites separated through segregation, which fumed the emotions of the Negroes and ultimately established their conclusions to violence and riots. The white man perpetuated policy making that effected the Negroes in a negative way which I believe caused harm to race
relations. King explains in his work that when he uses the term white man, he is referring to those who oppose Negroes (King, 8.) Here, King does not refer to whites as a whole, rather those who are in disagreement with Negroes. The stand King made was not only for Negroes but for all of humanity. Through this impasse King goes on to say, “Their support not only serves to enhance our power, but in breaking from the attitudes of the larger society it splits and weakens our opposition,” (King, 9). To me, it seems King’s war was not against the white man, but against the oppression the white man shown Negroes. King understood that violence showed no sense of accomplishment or future for Negroes, only defeat. King shows maturity, professionalism, and great humbleness by acknowledging that all white men are not against race relations but embrace the struggle as well by showing support. The programs that King introduced, which include a program granting a job to anyone in need of one and a program that aids in rebuilding slums, both are of great importance. These programs serve to force justness upon those certain whites who were so strongly in disagreement with what King was standing up for. I believe the fact that King understood why whites believed what they did made his programs even more insightful. Kings solutions were convincing and well presented in this selection and I agree with his claims that nonviolent protests must be modified in reference to Negro and white beliefs. All in all, King’s piece ultimately made me realize the amount of longing for equality and freedom Negroes felt. They were misunderstood and mistreated for so long and the people with rights were confused as to why they were feeling that way simply because segregation was what everyone knew. This article has inspired me to stand up for fairness and equality wherever I may encounter it.
Martin Luther King Jr’s Dream has said to have been fulfilled. However, others claim that the dream has only been taken at face value, thus, misunderstood. In John McWhorter’s article, “Black People Should Stop Expecting White America to ‘Wake Up’ to Racism,” he refers to past and recent events to establish the difference between society’s fantasy and the misinterpreted Dream of Dr. King.
King explained that, even though the laws had granted equal rights to all black people, the white supremacy wasn’t changed just by these acts. To most white people, civil rights movements, only made them realized that how cruel they did to those black people and they should treat them with some decent, but never really led them to think that Black American was as equal as themselves. He also addressed that this dominant ideology led to many structural obstacles, which impeded the implementation of those legislations in almost every structure of life, including the economic market, educational institution and public services. In Education, even many years after the Supreme Court decision on abolishing school segregation, there only a few integration schools existed. The segregated elementary schools received fewer fund and were in the harsher condition and “one-twentieth as many African American as whites attend college, and half of these are in ill-equipped Southern institution”(Reader, p.p.186). In labor market, most of employed Black American were worked in menial jobs and received lower wages even though they did the same works. This racism had already rooted in whole social structures that cannot just be solved by
In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” while most appropriately described as a response to criticism, is not written from a defensive position. While his letter more than aptly provides a functional defense of his actions at Birmingham, it serves more so as a counter-critical rebuttal that both repudiates criticisms of his deeds, and criticizes the reasoning behind said criticisms. Dr. King uses the very denunciative tools used against him, such as assertions of premature action and aggressiveness, as both defense and offense, effectively dismissing any wrong on his part, and elucidating the myopic nature of the white moderates’ reticence. What makes his criticism particularly powerful, besides its solid reasoning, and open publication, is the medium between his logic and the receptivity of his audience: his rhetoric. In his letter, King addresses the accusations of civil disobedience and extremism, and his being encouraged to submit to quietism, but the manner in which these facets are presented by the opposition, distort King’s actual position, proving to be the greatest threat to King’s efforts. King’s ability to overcome these obstacles was not through the use of logic alone, but through the use of rhetorical delivery.
As King stood before the massive crowd of Americans, he urged the citizens of the United States to turn their hatred of colored people into a hatred of the true evil: racism. King continually states that the black people are being held back by the “chains of discrimination.” King uses this to make the audience feel that the black people are in great misfortune. King describes the white people as swimming in an “ocean of material prosperity” while the black people are stranded on a “lonely island of poverty.” Here, King magnificently uses the Declaration of Independence and implores the audiences’ emotions on all levels, wielding pathos as his Rhetorical weapon. Prejudices surrounded the nation and caused fear, anger, panic, rage, and many more intense emotions. All people who lived in this time period experienced these prejudices in one form or another. King takes the idea of these prejudices and describes a world without all of the hate and fear. He imagines an ideal world that all races, not just black people, would find more pleasant and peaceful. Moreover, King references how the United States has broken their promise to the men of color by refusing them the basic human rights granted in the foundational documents of the country: the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Martin Luther King Jr’s most compelling point was that every person has the same rights
Eight Alabama clergymen made a public statement directed towards Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. containing many criticisms against the civil rights movement. The criticisms were as follows: (1) The issue of race relations should be handled by local leaders instead of “outsiders” like himself. (2) Pressing the court and negotiation among local leaders is a better path. (3) The Negro community should be more patient, for the workings of the legal system take time. (4) The demonstrations are “unwise and untimely.” (5) The methods used by demonstrators are extreme and (6) If it weren’t for the police, your demonstrations would have turned violent. As a result, King, while imprisoned in the Birmingham City Jail, wrote them a lengthy letter that refuted all of the aforementioned criticisms and then proceeded to express his disappointment in them for saying such things. Through his skillful use of diction, anaphoras, rhetorical appeals, and syntax, King successfully achieves his purposes: to refute claims made by the eight clergymen while justifying his reasons for the demonstrations he lead and to encourage the clergymen to join his cause.
The injustice of segregation laws is leading to a violent impact throughout the African American community, as they strive to have equal rights. In the essay, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. describes the many struggles the African American community is going through. Dr. King effectively uses rhetorical appeals to persuade the clergymen that segregation laws are unjust and must end. Dr. King exemplifies his credibility as an advocate for the ending of segregation laws. He gives an example of how society should realize that there is no need for violence by comparing both Socrates’ and his techniques.
Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr, in his powerful speech, “I have a dream” indicated that even though we own the Emancipation Proclamation, we also had been suffering the discrimination. King’s purpose is to invert the current unfair situation and make the Negros have the same rights as white people. He adopts a poignant tone in order to claim that Negros should have their own rightful place and appeal the Negro people who have the same inequity experiences.
King peacefully pleads for racial tolerance and the end of segregation by appealing to the better side of white Americans. His attempt to persuade America about the justice of his cause, and to gain support for the civil rights movement was emotionally moving. He spoke to all races, but his rhetoric was patriotic, and culturally similar to, and focused on African-Americans. He was able to make practical use of a history many Americans are proud of. The use of repetition reinforced his words making it simpler and more straightforward to follow. His speech remains powerful because it is still relevant today, like economic injustices and stereotyping. This reading can be applied to remedying current issues of stereotyping, racism, and discrimination by changing white racial resentment and eliminating racial
People are often judged according to the color of their skin. This judging of another person is often negative and is known as racism. America is known as the melting pot with all kinds of race living there. It is clear that no matter how big a melting pot, it can not contain all race mixed together. As a black man, King witnessed and experienced racism during the segregation period. People were "haunted by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro" shows that black people were being discriminated.(218) This judging and disrespe...
...s. In one way, King’s opponents were correct. It may not have been the right time for everyone in America to confront discrimination. It was, however, time for an Innovator to stand strong against the injustices perpetrated against blacks in our country and to use his skills as a persuasive writer and orator to bring the awareness of the cause of civil rights to the attention of the American people. King once said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” The time was right for King, motivated by his desire for change, to step forward as an Innovator in the cause of civil rights. It was his willingness to fight and risk at the forefront of the civil rights movement that allowed for the changes in the laws and hearts of the people that were to come.
The idea of Freedom can be seen in Collection 2 in the textbook. Freedom can be seen in the speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. in the ideas/rights he introduces to his country. Freedom, or the lack of it, is in of the graphic novel “of from Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi when citizens rights to dress are limited. Lastly, in the short story “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela lacks freedom when the government’s safety rule is to proofread all letter that go through the system to avoid their secrets being revealed or gossip about them.
THE WAYS OF MEETING OPPRESSION IS AN ESSAY WRITTEN BY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., ADDRESSING SEGREGATION THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TOWARD THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE. King’s primary audience is the African Americans, but also he has secondary audiences that he addresses, which are a combination of Christians or those who know of, or believe in the Christian views, as well as people in the legal system. He gives examples through his text that will demonstrate how he addresses mostly the African Americans, but also the various other audiences he is trying to reach to through his memorable speech. In his writing, he tells of three ways that they deal with oppression, and based on these he sends out a message to all who have read or heard his words. This message states what has been done in the past, as well as what should be done based on these past experiences. King chooses to speak to certain people through certain contexts and key phrases. In choosing certain phrases and also on how he states his words, he is successful in influencing all his audiences that he intended to persuade. The words that he carefully chose will tell how and why he wanted to focus on the primary and secondary audiences of his choice.
American made life and liberty especially difficult for one certain race. That seems asinine to say in American culture today as we, as Americans have learned from our past errors and seen the negative in our ways. We, as people corrected a major defect, a flaw so to say in the life of a American but, back in that time, not even seventy years ago, We, as people were taught a different view of image for African Americans. The pursuit of happiness was non-existent for some African Americans. Racism ate the fabric of the goal for them. Crippling the right to enjoy freedoms that other races seemed to enjoy. The American culture need to hear the thoughts and expressions of the Kings Speech to take a look in the eyes of the African American people. King quoted “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment”. The urgency was the fact Americans still looked down upon a race that had every god given right to be in the country than any other citizen born. It was time for a