Category: Martin Luther King

A number of countries including the United States have adopted the term justice in their constitutions, as well as other legal documents such as the pledge of allegiance (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 162). It must be recognized that although this word has been adopted by many countries, its definition and understanding is a subject of discussion for not just theologians and philosophers, but also law makers (Jackson 26). In an attempt to explicate this issue, the paper will use the arguments of Luther Martin Kings view and Hobbes to bring the issue into light. Their divergent views show that the idea of justice is still not clearly explained (Jackson 28). This paper discusses the subject of justice and specifically holds the view that justice is to follow ones consciousness, and not to obey the unjust law.

Justice and the word fairness are used interchangeably cases in most. In any place or situation, people want to be treated in a just or fair way. They feel they deserve to be treated not just equally, but also impartially (Jackson 26). Given that they have a strong desire for fairness and equality, the guarantee of justice, in most cases, is a factor that defines a society that is good. Accordingly, for any leader, whether appointed or elected, to have support and legitimacy amongst his constituents, he must make sure that the laws or policies designed are not only just, but are also enforced in a just way.

Criminal activities as well as other kinds of social ills require a morally just punishment. Even though the specifics of each offense vary, ultimately real justice isequal to the wrongdoing committed (Jackson 27). Contrary to this, it will not be justice in any measure. In order to achieve equality or equal justice, universal laws are required. Certainly, universal laws do not just occur or emerge just like that. Universal laws, and as such equal or fair justice, come from God. These laws are just as everyone including the wrongdoer is also subjected to fair judgment.

Supporting this argument, Martin Luther King held the view that there exist two types of laws: laws that are just and those that are unjust (Jackson 25). In the view of Martin Luther King, people should only obey laws that are just. Accordingly, he argued that people have both a legal and a moral duty to comply with laws that are just. He also asserted that people have a moral duty to disobey laws that are unjust. He detested unjust laws terming them as no laws in all respects (Jackson 27).

According to him, unjust laws were the laws set to be violated or broken. He adopted this definition of just and unjust law when discrimination between blacks and whites was the order of the day (Jackson 24). Having come face to face with discrimination, Martin Luther King saw that discrimination was not just derived or rooted in laws that were unjust, but from law makers and people who imposed such discriminative laws on minorities for compliance (Jackson 26). However, the groups that set laws never followed them thereby making them null and void or simply unjust. With this, King felt beyond reasonable doubt or recourse that people should never in any way conform or abide by laws that are unjust or laws that are segregating in nature.

However, respecting or disobeying unjust laws was to be done in a discipline way and not in violent ways (Jackson 26). According to him, for people to gain civil rights, they were to respect unjust laws in ways that do not cause harm to others. He also argued that the supreme courts as they were constituted were not the best ways or approaches to solving discrimination in society. King dealt with this issue when visiting Birmingham. He believed that for justice to be served there was need for direct action or negotiation. Particularly, he understood that direct actions that are peaceful seek to foster or appeal to parties that have previously failed to prosecute an issue to a conclusive end (Jackson 30).

In cases where segregation or unjust laws are upheld by courts like in the Birmingham case, King claimed that the only solution is direct actions that are not violent in nature (Jackson 27). In general, according to King, just laws elevate human personality and enhance his position in the society whilst unjust laws degrade human personality reducing people into mere subjects that serve the dominant or law enforcers.

The concept of justice espoused by Hobbes is set in his laws of nature. According to Hobbes, peace should be sought, and in case it cannot be achieved, they should use force to get it (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 154). Accordingly, he argues that people should only be willing to compromise their rights of nature to form social contracts, only if others are willing to do so. In other words, the basis for moral responsibility is in the willingness of people to compromise or transfer rights of nature between themselves (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 160).

In order to fully form the concept of justice, Hobbes indicates that a law is required to help or prevent people from turning against each other. The law states that people must always perform or execute their valid covenants (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 156). This in fact forms the definition justice according to Hobbes. Based on this, injustice according to Hobbes is the failure to perform covenants that are valid. In other words, according to Hobbes, justice or injustice are social constructs that are nonexistent in a state of nature.

From Hobbes perspective, there is no justice without agreement or covenant. For a valid covenant to exist there should be a reasonable cause for all parties privy to the covenant to trust each other (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 160). Without it, justice would have been frustrated automatically and therefore would become null and void. Another key prerequisite based on Hobbes view is that some sovereigns should not only enforce the covenants, but also determine and hand out punishments to those that fail to meet or fulfill their part of the bargain (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 158). In other words, the sovereign has the absolute right to making laws, passing judgments, declaring war, choosing counselors as well as determining punishments and rewards.

Upon putting the Hobbes idea of justice into perspective, I support his position. Hobbes seems to hold the view that place of humans in society or nature is characterized by disorder and that every person has absolute right to everything. Hobbes point of view is misleading in that the society does not in anyway require agreements or covenants as well as sovereigns to produce justice (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 159). Because, since they came into being, people have naturally worked together. In fact, justice is a relationship that exists amongst humans and is associated with an invariable cooperative seeking for mutual or shared interest. Depending on the political aspects of life, justice is an ideal to be sought for and can be sought with varying degrees of success. This therefore brings into perspective the idea of politics and equality.

Based on the fact that equality is a vital element of justice, a political system that best achieves justice is one that practices distributive justice. In other words, it allocates goods and wealth among its citizens equally (Plamenatz, Philp and Pelczynski 155). It should invest in local community spaces for various arts, libraries, sports associations, and political meeting halls without discrimination. However, this idea has not attracted the attention of people who hold the view that a good government or political system is one that has a controlled or limited responsibility in the economy.

In other words, nations that have welfare systems, though, are enforcing a form of distributive justice should be committed to providing or ensuring equality in terms of fundamental rights and well-being. As such, for them to be fully committed to provision of universal justice, such countries need to dismantle the nation-state system and create a worldwide institution that will be a parliament of the global commons to solve disputes, international environmental issues, and violations of basic human rights.

In conclusion, justice is all about fairness and equality. It is ones consciousness not to obey unjust laws. Justice is simply the awareness of what is ethical and drives to choose right over wrong. Justice creates a world that is humane, with spaces for common care and a world for people to coexist. Laws are just when they are meant to serve people without discrimination or without unfairness of any nature. However, whenever the laws are unjust, people should use nonviolent ways to reach an agreement with the law enforcers.

Works Cited

Jackson, Thomas. From civil rights to human rights: Martin Luther King and the struggle for economic justice. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007. Print.

Plamenatz, John, Mark Philp and Zbigniew Pelczynski. Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Rousseau. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.

Introduction

The present day America is definitely not the America which Dr. King had dreamt about with no divide between the blacks and whites or the poor and the rich. The class divide still continues to exist in America even today and some people in America were to have privileges and rights which were not accorded to others (Sullivan, 2005; pg. 390). There has never been a level playing field for the blacks and reality in America differs from the lofty ideals and speeches held by the top policymakers of the nation.

Discussion

To begin with, the Sullivan (2005) asserts that America was not established as a democracy (pg. 390). The constitution was drafted by the framers in such a manner that only White men who owned acres of land and property would be given the right to voice their opinion and decide the functioning of the government including the right to vote (pg. 390), while the working classes, the poor, the blacks were not allowed to take part in these all important decision making processes of the country.

The author makes a crucial point here that if the dream to provide all Americans the same legal rights, irrespective of their race, color, or financial status, why would the makers of the constitution with great dreams have begun in the most divisive manner? If the dreams were true then why were equal rights not granted to the people in the original draft of the constitution? Sullivan points that even today the class divide continues to exist in America by the many laws which are framed to benefit only the whites.

The author mentions one of the many such laws like the bankruptcy law for private citizens, which makes it difficult for them to declare bankruptcy. While on the other hand, it is no big deal for corporations to declare bankruptcy, wipe clean the financial slate and get a fresh start (pg. 390). Sullivan also reflects concern and anger over the fact that due to the rising inflation, American wages have been on a serious decline so that workers who are entirely responsible for the production continue to earn less whereas corporate profits and CEO salaries continue to soar (pg. 390).

Additionally, the facts revealed by Sullivan (2005) affirm that companies like Wal-Mart pay extremely low salaries to their workers, around seven dollars per hour and do not provide them any additional benefits. Workers have no rights and are brutally overworked and underpaid and have the constant fear of being terminated any time for any reason looming over their heads (pg. 390).

All these facts anger me and I certainly think that this is obviously not the America which people would want to live in and would want their children to grow up in.

Voicing similar concerns Meyers states that politics actually refers to the instant when people get together to influence government, change their own lives, and change society (Moyers, 2007; pg. 411). Moyers points to the growing divide in the American society between the rich and the poor and how this divide is widening day by day. Citing examples from real life Moyers talks about the two families, one black and the other white, and relates their sorry tale which turned their personal tragedy into a political travesty because they had lost their belief in the political system and felt that they no longer matter to the people who run the country (Moyers, 2007; pg. 413).

Moyers (2007) states that the notion of any American child reaching the top is changing with the increasing economic divide between the rich and the poor. This divide due to inequality of income between the American is so severe that Moyers fears that the united states risks calcifying into a European-style class-based society. The stratification of the education system in accordance with the social class is resulting in lesser resources at schools for poor children as compared to the schools to which the richer children go. Moyers state that the situation has been deeply aggravated by Americas great companies in which it is extremely difficult for people to rise up the hierarchal ladder from the bottom to the top, on the basis of their hard work and determination.

Conclusion

Thus, there is enough evidence which proves that the dreams of Dr. King are clearly far away from accomplishment. It angers me that the political system of America is more in favor of the rich than the poor. It also saddens me that my children do not have the facility of going to a good school with better resources simply because as parents we cannot afford such schools. I feel deeply hurt that basic amenities like school and education are divided on the basis of income and if this is how our children begin their education, I wonder how they will grow up to realize that as Americans, we are all equals!

References

Moyers Bill (2005). A Time for Anger, A Call to Action.

Sullivan Charles, (2005). Rich vs. Poor. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Letter from Birmingham jail is a document which was written by Martin Luther King in response to a letter that was written by clergymen from the Southern town meant to persuade the blacks to end demonstrations. It was very significant in the struggle of the blacks towards equality as it inspired them to continue fighting until they acquired racial equality.

There were many themes that were covered in the letter which are inclusive of the necessity for a non violent action, difference between just and unjust law as well as Martins opinion regarding the failure of the Gods people to take their full responsibility.

Therefore, the main aim of the letter was to push for the changing of the unjust laws as well as upholding the Supreme Court ruling of the year 1954. With that background in mind, the essay shall focus on Martin Luther definition of some issues like Revolution and compare the same with the description of other people like Henry David Thoreau.

Revolution has been defined differently by different people. The letter illustrates clearly that the only way to achieve revolution is through an action characterized by strength, determination and persistence. Martins letter explains that a non violent action which is usually taken after observing the need for freedom can be termed as revolution. He continues to clarify that those people who have grasped the meaning of social revolution are people like Lillian Smith and McGill who have written about the struggle of the blacks.

Therefore, according to Martin Luther, revolution is all about realizing the need for a powerful action that can solve the problem of segregation. Similarly, Jefferson believes that revolution does not involve violent actions. He explains that there is a difference between war and revolution. War occurs when the government helps to identify the bad people while revolution takes place due to peoples initiatives (Jefferson and Woods).

According to Marin Luther King, an extremist is any person who strongly persuades people to act and believe into what he believes is the right way (King). For instance, he says that the reason why he had been termed as an extremist is due to the approach he uses to tell people of how they can solve their discontent through a non violence direct action.

He applies the term extremist to illustrate people who made a difference in the society by being extremists in a positive manner. For instance, Jesus was an extremist for love and ended up even advising people to love even their enemies.

He emphasizes that the problem is not being an extremist but the type of an extremist one is. Martin Luther uses relevant examples is his explanation of he term extremist which is very significant as it helps people to grasp and understand what he is talking about more easily (King).

Martin Luther King was greatly influenced by Henry David Thoreau although they existed in different eras. Both wrote about the contemporary issues and are aimed at achieving justice and equality in the society.

David Thoreau may have laid the foundation for Martin Luther in many ways but the fact that Luther used to read Thoreaus essay on civil disobedience must have been very influential. This is due to the fact that Luther came to adapt the same method of using nonviolent ways to stop evil in the society (Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau on Boundaries).

It is not only the content that makes Martins letter interesting but also the style and rhythm. The paragraphs and sentences are well developed and his use of repletion helps reinforce his points. Since he was raised in a well up background, he was able to obtain some education which helped him greatly in developing and presenting his ideas.

Moreover, he wanted to make sure all the blacks would get a chance to enjoy the social amenities he was able to enjoy as a child. His father was also actively involved in the fight for the rights of the black people. Therefore, the character of Martin Luther which is illustrated in his major works is a result of not only hard work, but also his background.

Works Cited

Jefferson, Thomas & Brett F. Woods. Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution. New York : Algora Publishing, 2009. Print.

King, Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail. 1963. Web.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau on Boundaries. 2009. Web.

Introduction

Martin Luther King, Jnr. wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail in April 1963 while in Birmingham jail addressing it to his fellow clergy. The letter was in response to the then recent statements referring to his actions as unwise and untimely. The Kings presence in the city of Birmingham was questionable because he was an outsider.

In his letter, the King carefully considered his defense for his presence and actions in the city while referencing critical events and facts that necessitated the happenings (King, Jr. par 1). This letter came at a time when the civil rights movement had experienced major challenges of opposition and retaliation from the city leaders.

In this paper, I examine the fundamental excerpts that would serve to justify MLKs actions as a civil rights leader waging actions in protest of the systematic injustices leveled against the Negro brothers and sisters. A critical exploration of these sentiments and Kings submissions shall serve to depict the critical role that he, and his staff from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference had to play while in Birmingham.

In furtherance of representing the theme of the need for decisive action, the paper outlines some of the circumstances that would guarantee my actions in pursuit for justice on behalf of humanity (Mieder 141).

Justifications of the Kings Actions and presence in Birmingham City

There many excerpts in the letter from Birmingham jail that depicts the relevance of Kings action while in Birmingham. Firstly, the King began by stressing why he was in Birmingham, and he said that  I am in Birmingham because injustice is here his presence to unite with his fellow blacks in the fight for what they considered their rights is exhibited in the need to traverse the limits of physical boundaries (King, Jr. par 3).

In his defense, he invoked the biblical lesson of the Apostle Paul, who in the process of spreading the gospel to the Greco-Roman empire, left his village (Mieder 141).

From the biblical stand, the king was justified to move in the hope that his contributions would bring change in the destined world. His philosophical representations that drew from factual premises enabled him to succeed in bringing to the attention of the clergy, the need for direct action immediately. To demonstrate his connection with the city of Birmingham where he set the actions of non-violent actions, he acknowledged the mutual relationship that existed between states and communities (Mieder 141).

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere enumerates why sitting idly by could be a means of consenting to the injustices and a mode of conspiracy with the perpetrators of injustice. While detesting the application of the concept of an outsider, the King categorically espoused that not anyone who lives inside the US could be considered an outsider.

In this scenario, the Kings argument has far-reaching implications to justify the inclusivity of the US citizens. This statement succeeded in demonstrating that all people and communities drew mutuality from each other, and actions to create the outsider ideology was self-serving and discriminatory in nature (King, Jnr., King, and Harding 5).

According to MLK, Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. To qualify his argument, the King substantiated by gaining support from the ugly literature of brutality known to Birmingham. The historical bombings and unresolved problems facing the Negro family acted in the best interest to support the Kings arguments.

These cases appear clearly as the smokescreens of the American State as witnessed by the largely displayed racist signs, which were long overdue. In general, the Kings positioning on the evidential support of the conditions leading to his engagements in the mass actions, sit-inns, and protests gave him a unique platform that perhaps justifies his presence and actions (King, Jr. par 8).

Personal reactions

In my view, I would find my actions necessary in engaging in actions to denounce the corrupt organizations, government departments and individuals. This engagement would be to demonstrate that corruption is a social evil that immensely hampers growth of both the country and its citizens.

To align my argument, I would explore the contribution of corruption in the creation of two worlds that results in social stratification based on halves and the halve not. In detesting this vice on behalf of the masses, I suppose that my endeavors would meet sufficient support from the masses due to the foregoing need to bring about equality of resources through distributive justice (King, Jnr., King, and Harding 5).

Since the era in which we live has transformed in all spheres including systems of justice, and worldview, support would be formidable. However, it is important not to understate the possible protest that by antecedents of corruption, their close confidants and structured machineries aimed at scuttling the process.

In the light of the aforementioned discussions, it would be imperative not to engage in actions that would sabotage the processed of judicial, social or political transition aimed at redeeming the public and the state offices. Additionally, it would be unjust to martial support from the masses with a view to distort a meaningful process by serving self-interests or interest of a minority few unjustified for their actions or thoughts.

Works Cited

King Jnr., M. L., King, C. S., and Harding, V. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos Or Community? New York: Beacon Press, 2010. Print.

King, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Web The Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute, 23 April. 1963. Web. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/letter-birmingham-jail

Mieder, W. Making a Way Out of No Way: Martin Luther Kings Sermonic Proverbial Rhetoric. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. Print.

Introduction

In the twentieth century the Black society of the United States faced with the hope for rights movement for Black population of America. The figure of Martin Luther King Jr. in the early sixties displayed that the racial segregation should be stopped immediately. The argument of Dr. King provides a clear background of the real reasons of his arrestment and his desire to grab attention of the Christian society of Birminghams clergymen in Alabama. Dr. King was active in making all possible rational actions effective by means of personal verbal implementation. Such work is related to his Letter from a Birmingham Jail which was written by the King in spring 1963 for clergymen of main religious communities at the place, so that to pay their attention toward what exactly was happening in the field of civil rights for Black people in the US at the time. I totally agree with the points being stated in Kings argument. The evaluation of why Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned and to what effects it might lead is underlined due to five personal objections raised in the work by King, namely: his outside actions, intentions to break the law, precipitate violence, unwise and untimely activities (King para 1), and his extremist actions. All these points were incriminated to King by the White society of the time, so there should be a rational explanation of why the Dr. King objected to such statements, and how he constructed his arguments as of each within the objections.

Discussion

Dr. King was a great agitator and could make people listen to what he said. This prospect is outlined with the reason of why he had been arrested. In fact, people who supported the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. organized a boycott of stores in Birmingham, Alabama, where white population is predominant. King tried to make clergymen realize the significance of the problem. Peaceful meeting of people is not a breaking of the law. Thus, King notes: It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the citys white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative (King para 5)& The atmosphere over the situation drew to a head also with a fact that white churches were out of the process. It is when one of the Christian affiliates was placed in Alabama and was known as the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (King para 2). A rhetorical style of King presupposes a mere outline of misunderstanding or a lack of White peoples desire to make out the reasons for adversarial position.

A constant use of different statements by great Americans, such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson rhetorically supports King in his compellation. Also the structure of the work is outlined with the historical experience about how the rights of a man should be protected. Thereupon, Martin Luther King Jr. urges to admit a quite logic fact: &freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed (King para 11). It is seen here that the slogan is not for violence, but for a provision of equality in rights. Here the words of A. Lincoln are true, namely that the American nation cannot survive half slave and half free (King para 24). Moreover, to make emphasis King uses the previous experience of mankind and the development of political as well as social relations in the United States, which contradict the grounds of American nations formation.

The arguments of Dr. King are strong in making parallels as of the statements of White people about the actions of African Americans, as an act of precipitate violence. In this case King compares such unfair denunciation with a robbed man being condemned for his possession of money from the very beginning: Isnt this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery (King para 21)? It is true, from the side of Dr. King, to prop up against the sound estimation of peaceful intentions of Black people underlined with strict analogies according to the arguments promoted.

A rather true objective of Dr. King touches upon believers inactivity and their untimely actions, in fact. Such criticism of churches and their representatives is outlined in the Letter in a following way: Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave the clarion call for defiance and hatred (King para 30)? The answers for such questions are considered by Martin Luther King Jr. with church communities fear for the activities of such kind.

The allegedly extremist inclinations of Martin Luther King are analyzed in the Letter due to his widespread influence on the Black communities all over the country. In fact, King wanted to unite American society. Thus, he writes regarding to the activity of demonstrators: I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation (King para 36).

Conclusion

To conclude, the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr. was not so long. Due to his ability to speak to people and make them concerned about the dramatic development of social relations in the US his legendary speech I Have a Dream was announced in Washington in August 1963.

Works cited

King, Martin Luther Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.].

The literature review includes a life history of the man Martin Luther King Jr. and his ideologies for making a nation without racial discrimination. The paper analyses the importance of Kings vision and leadership of the principles of civil rights and equality.

Even today the United States and several African countries are living under the shadow of racial discrimination. The aim of the proposed study is to explore the factors between the occurrence of Kings principles in a world of racial discrimination and the impact of non-violence and civil disobedience in the world of increasing terrorism and capitalism. It will therefore seek to address the following questions to help explain the impact of Martin Luther King Jrs contributions and ideologies in the contemporary society.

1. What are the current public perceptions of racial discrimination and the protection of civil rights?
2. Has there been a change in the levels of Blacks in recent years? How is the modern world concerned about Kings ideologies?
3. oes Martin Luther Kings speech act as a motivating factor for Blacks?

The proposed research discusses the effect of Marti Luther King Jrs ideologies about racial discrimination and civil rights. Claim: The impact of Martin Luther Kings Jr.s principles in modern century. There is an important personal experience providing the source for my project. The theory of equal rights and duties greatly influenced me to take up a serious topic in my research paper. My paper begins with specific preconceptions.

The bitter experiences of my Black friend at the hospital last month was an eye opener throwing light on the existence of racial discrimination in American society. The following comments from an article in a journal give further proof of my findings. It says About 21 percent of the white patients were receiving treatment for depression, compared with 11.7 percent of the black patients. (Health day, 2009). The article goes to show the critical condition of Black people in American hospitals. African Americans in America deserve equality in social, economic, and educational fields like White people

References

Health day: Black heart patients treated less for depression: Only half as likely as white patients to receive therapy, study finds. (2009). U.S. News & World Report. Web.

The Event, Key Dates, and Description Key Individuals Involved

Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the civil rights movement in the United States. He led the fight for civil rights by example, speaking to the public and organizing massive peaceful protests. Despite the arrest and imprisonment of King Jr.s direct killer, James Earl Ray, the potential sponsors of the murder have never been identified. It is logical to assume that these were people who had power and who were against the changes that the victory of the civil rights movement promised.

Public Opinion of the Event

Of the 10% of Minnesota survey participants who felt guilty or responsible, 68% said that whites or they themselves did not do enough to address racial issues and improve conditions for the Negroes (Assassination Nation, 2018). Another 27% believed that all whites were responsible for the situation because of the prejudice and acts of racial discrimination prevailing in society. Survey participants who did not consider themselves involved, guilty or responsible for Kings death stated that no involvement with assassination or with Negro problem is general (28%), I am not prejudiced against Negroes, have supported civil rights (23 %), and Kings (Negroes) own fault was just stirring up trouble (11%) (Assassination Nation, 2018, par. 5).

Effects of the Event

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. dealt a blow to the ideology of nonviolence and love that underpinned Kings philosophy and which he sought to make basic ideas for the civil rights movement. Congress for Mass Equality Director Floyd McKissick made the famous speech on the night after Kings assassination that racial equality is a dead philosophy because it was killed by white racists (Love, 2021, par. 7). Some civil rights advocates such as Stokely Carmichael suggested that the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., who encouraged the movement for nonviolent marches and tried to teach the people to show love and compassion, made a big mistake. According to Carmichael, in this way, the killers declared war on the members of the movement, among whom there were no others like Martin Luther King Jr.

References

Assassination Nation: Public Responses to King and Kennedy in 1968. (2018). Web.

Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (2021). Web.

Love, D. (2021). What impact did Kings assassination have on the Black community? Web.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation is one of the highly esteemed public museums in the United States; it is located in the Washington D.C., at West Potomac Park. The Memorial is located in the South West region of the National Mall. Research indicates that the National Mall takes the larger portion of the museum (Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial par. 6).

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial secured position is three hundred and ninety five among the National Parks in the United States of America. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial monument is strategically placed at the Northwest corner. It has been noted that the monument is near the Tidal basin (Wilson 6).

There are a number of other memorials in the museum such as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial among other distinctive memorials. The monument official address corresponds with the time when the Civil Rights Act (1964) was enacted into a law in the United States.

The memorial covers four acres of land. It is among the most recent museums in the United States. Research indicates that the Memorial was opened to the general public on August 22 ,2011, (Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial par. 19). It took two decades for the architects to construct, plan and raise funds to make the project magnificent.

History indicates that a ceremony was performed to honor the fallen heroes on Sunday, August 28^th , 2011. It was the same day as the forty eighth anniversary of the speech I have a dream. It is believed that the delivery of the speech was made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial.

Research indicates that the speech was reconsidered at the sixteenth anniversary at the Million Man March in 1995, done at the National Mall. It has been noted that the Million Man March was cultivated by the Hurricane Irene. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is highly valued by the African-American communities in the United States and beyond.

Research indicates that there are a number of other African-American memorials in Washington D.C. A good example is the memorial of Dr. King, who was the first African-American to be given the honor to be immortalized in memorial. His memorial stands next to the National Mall, it has been noted that Dr. King took position four among the memorialized non-president persons (Wilson 32).

The National Park Service (NPS) controls and administers the King Memorial Services. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 and passed away on April 4, 1968 at the age of thirty nine. He was an American activist, clergyman and a leader considered prominent, among the African American-communities.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an iconic figure representing the Civil Rights Movement (Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial par. 11). He employed tactics that shunned away violence, as per the guidance approved by Mahatma Gandhi. Reflecting on the modern American liberalism, the contributions made by Martin Luther King, Jr. are highly valued.

The career of Martin Luther King, Jr. began early in his life. Research indicates that he coordinated the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955; in 1957 he was among the key founders and propellers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. March on Washington took place in 1963, which led to the delivery of the iconic speech identifying as I have a Dream (Luther par. 7).

History indicates that Martin Luther King, Jr. contributed significantly to the expansion of the American values to incorporate all the people. The speech is believed to heavily borrow a number of aspects from the Statue of Liberty that signifies freedom.

Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 went to Martin Luther King, Jr., making him the youngest person to receive it at that time. The prize singled the King out due to exemplary contributions, particularly in ending the racial discrimination and segregation (Wilson 22). He applied tactics resonating with civil disobedience in peaceful platforms. He was prepared to extend the war on poverty and stop the war in Vietnam.

Martin Luther King, Jr.s death occurred as a result of assassination on April 1968 in Memphis-Tennessee. News of his murder went round the United States like a bush fire, sparking race riots around the cities in America. It was unfortunate that Presidential Medal of Freedom was presented to him in the posthumous state in 1977.

The Congressional Gold Medal was presented to him in 2004. His influence has a significant impact on the current modern society (Luther par. 11). The United States federal holiday was established in 1986 to commemorate the Martin Luther Kings, Jr. day, which took effect in 2000.

Towards the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the words from the Kings speech I have a Dream are clearly etched on the granite (Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial par. 9). This is believed to be the position in which the King stood at the time of delivering the notable speech. The etching was professionally done in 2003 at the March to Washington anniversary. Andy Del Gallo, a stone carver took the noble task.

The mission of the memorial illustrates a long journey for the attainment of freedom, justice and opportunities among the American citizens. The vision distributed by Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly geared at the possibilities and hope for the future of the citizens in the United States. The phrases pose a challenge to human race in the twenty first century. He emphasized on mutual respect, human dignity and sensitivity (Wilson 31).

America is a nation with diverse talents and abilities, based on the fact that the community consists of multicultural setups. The mission of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the mission of the Memorial coincide with strong emphasis on the American dream of opportunities, freedom and democracy for all the American people. People have been encouraged to cultivate a sense of duty. The King valued human dignity across the globe through relationships.

It has been noted that Harry Johnson is the current Chief Executive Officer and President of the Memorial Foundation. It is believed that Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced and continues to influence every visitor in the museum.

People from all walks of life visit the museum to honor the noble contributions made by Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit is not geared towards particular audience; it commands attention to people of all races, gender, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity, who enjoy the excellent work done by Martin Luther King, Jr.

The exhibit is accessible to all people of the world (Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial par. 16). Persons with special needs have access to the facility through a number of special platforms put in place. The staffs are willing to make any assistance and clarifications. Improvements that could be done on the exhibits gears at decentralizing or duplicating the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in other major cities in the United States.

This is critical to make sure that all the people are able to acquire information and inspirations at first hand. Personally, the inscriptions of the I have a dream comes out very powerful, particularly on the line of racial equality in making sure that discrimination comes to a halt. It was noted that Martin Luther King, Jr. had the capability and powers to influence and inspire the unborn generations and the existing generations (Luther par. 15).

Works Cited

Luther, Martin. Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes. 2012. Web.

Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. 2011. Web.

Wilson, Kathleen A. I Have A Dream; Martin Luther King Jr. , New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. Print.

This essay will explore the effect of Martin Luther King’s speeches in ‘Selma’. His emphasis on community power shows the success of peacebuilding from the bottom-up. Indeed, the technique of non-violent protests and the media’s portrayal of the aggression protestors faced forced political action at the highest levels to occur.

In ‘Selma’, King delivers his speeches in the distinct Southern gospel style of speaking. David Oyelowo, who played King, mastered the southern inflections and the musicality that made Martin Luther King‘s speeches so powerful. Due to copyright laws, the movie was unable to quote King’s speeches. However, the writer, Paul Webb, reimagines the speeches whilst keeping the preacherly cadences and rhythms that deeply engaged King’s audience, riling them up with passion for the cause. Webb even uses King’s technique of call and response in his script. Call and response ‘are a tradition that West African slaves brought with them to the Americas’. Therefore, it reminds King’s black audience of their origins and how far they have come, and a present-day audience recalls the oppression of African Americans, which should be in the past but continues in modern society. Although Webb’s scriptwriting is eloquent, the rewritten speeches lose many of the religious meanings that were central to King’s message. This shifts the focus onto the vital subject of black rights, making the movie more universal to a 2015 audience who might not appreciate all of the religious implications. However, this modification undermines the importance of religious peacebuilding. Indeed, Maria Pilar Aquino emphasizes the significance of a faith-based bottom-up peacebuilding approach, which King utilized by attaching moral and religious values to his arguments for black rights. By keeping the moral high ground through non-violent protests and imbuing his speeches with religious meaning, so that his acts and words were religiously justified, King generated power and attention that led to political change. Therefore, by rewriting King’s speeches devoid of much religious language, the movie undermines the importance of religious peacebuilding in the civil rights movement.

The movie juxtaposes King’s grassroots protest work against the political lobbying of the White House. However, the director, Ava DuVernay, chooses to villainize the political men. This undermines the liberal peacebuilding approach, which suggests that peace is created by the political elite ratifying laws. Not only does the movie diminish the importance of political leaders, but it negatively skews the perception of President Johnson. Indeed, ‘Selma’ suggests that Johnson’s priority for the ‘eradication of poverty’ ignored black issues when in fact, it helped benefit both impoverished blacks and whites. Johnson helped massively with the civil rights movement, having signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. However, after signing the act, Johnson had to appease the rest of the population and not just the black demographic. The movie does not portray the political intricacies that Johnson was under. DuVernay places too much emphasis on King and Johnson’s relationship, allowing only one of these men to be the moral hero. By removing the need for a white savior in the civil rights narrative, DuVernay has given her audience a black savior. This is unsurprising as DuVernay claimed that her movie was supposed to be about the African American people. By making the movie King-centered, DuVernay unfairly tarnishes Johnson’s reputation to succeed in showing how the pressure from the grassroots level forced politicians to act.

‘Selma’ explores how the media portrayed non-violent protests. It is evident in the movie that King specifically chooses the location of Selma because of the brutal law enforcement at the hands of the racist governor, George Wallace. King understands the power of visual media to sway public opinion, and realizes that the clash between the violent police and peaceful protest will create a newsworthy story, and communicate the black struggle to the American people. Indeed, John Kirk argues that “the [televised] Selma campaign brought a support from northern whites and action from the federal government”. This is certainly accurate, as, in the 1960s, most Americans had access to the television and could no longer ignore the issue of police brutality towards African Americans, when it was being broadcasted to them from their sofas. The staging of Bloody Sunday in Selma stirs similar emotions to how people at the time must have felt watching the event. The scene depicts the intensity and chaos of the violence that the peaceful protestors endured. During the scene, the movie cuts to the reactions of horrified viewers watching the news. This shows how movie can witness violence and create empathy by opening up our ability to imagine others’ experiences. However, Selma not only bears witness to the past but shows us the reality of the present. The movie finishes with the song ‘Glory’, which includes the lyrics “that’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up”. This references a shooting in 2014, so the song shows how far the civil rights movement has come and how far it has to go. Selma becomes a witness to past violence and a reminder to a present-day audience of the continuous fight for black rights.

In conclusion, although ‘Selma’ may not capture the true religious nature of King’s speeches and may have some historical inaccuracies, it is most successful in having an impact on the modern-day viewer. It is a reminder of past violence and forces one to reflect upon the difficulties that all races face in the fight for equality in modern society.

Once upon a time, three hundred years ago in Germany, a boy named Martin Luther who was destined for great things was born. The era of his life was a time of much religious confusion, where the general public were uneducated and only had the Roman Catholic Church to look to for guidance and acceptance.

Luther lived his childhood with little money and few possessions; however, was constantly surrounded by love and compassion, which built him into the person he was yet to become. With little money his family had, they were determined to give Martin a better education and future, despite the difficulties it would create. He was educated thoroughly and taught Latin, leading him to a path of studying law at University.

One day he decided to take a trip home from university to visit his family. On his way home, Martin was caught in a violent thunderstorm which he thought was going to kill him. He begged and prayed to spare his life in return for him devoting his life to god. He survived the storm, and as promised, he devoted his life entirely to serving God, by becoming a monk. To truly fulfil this promise of becoming a monk, he decided to give up law.

Martin was a monk, who is man that promises to be completely loyal to God.

Luther became closer to God by preaching to the public at Church. In doing so, many people did not understand what Luther would talk about. Instead, they’d look to the Catholic church where they’d pay to have their sins forgiven, which they thought would secure their place in heaven once they died. This Catholic practise was called the Indulgences. These people lived in poverty and had little money to live by, and Martin was angered by the Catholics were taking these people’s earnings. So, Martin wrote what’s known as the 95 Theses where he stated the reasons why the Indulgences is bad and how people should truly be treated. He stapled the 95 Theses to a Church door to be seen by the public.

Luther was became officially shut out of the Catholic Church by the Pope. Three months later, Luther was called to defend himself and his beliefs at court. It was then ordered that Martin should be banned from his state, and if he was found, he should be captured punished for believing in a religion that wasn’t Catholicism and due to his refusal to take back what he said in the 95 Theses about the Catholic church. Martin spent the following months in hiding.

While in hiding, Luther spent 11 weeks translating the bible into German, so the German people could read the bible for themselves and form their own opinions instead of relying on the Catholic Church. Now all people could read the Bible and not just the smartest people at the time. Martin’s work to translate this bible transformed the world for the better, especially since this version of the Bible sold over 100,00 copies.

It was at this time, where Martin Luther’s new ‘Lutheran Church’ gained in popularity and support and started to grow into one of the largest religions in modern times. And He Lived Happily Ever After…

References

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2. Study.com. (2019). The Diet of Worms in 1521: Definition & Summary Video with Lesson Transcript | Study.com. [online] Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-diet-of-worms-in-1521-definition-summary-quiz.html [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].
3. HISTORY. (2019). Martin Luther excommunicated. [online] Available at: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/martin-luther-excommunicated [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].
4. Emberson, I. (2019). Timeline of Reformation History (1517-1685). [online] Protestantism.co.uk. Available at: http://protestantism.co.uk/timeline.html [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].
5. Rmc.library.cornell.edu. (2019). [online] Available at: https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Paper-exhibit/images/E3856_0032.jpg [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].
6. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). Reformation | History, Summary, & Reformers. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Reformation [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].
7. User, S. (2019). The Trial of Martin Luther: An Account. [online] Famous-trials.com. Available at: https://www.famous-trials.com/luther/286-home [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019].