Many of the exceptional leaders in the past have spent some time in detention centers due to their aspiration to transform the society. King is one of these leaders, who wrote an essay talking about the injustices in the society while addressing the church (Armstrong and Fahey 113). In his essay, King states that he received an invitation to Birmingham.
The existing governmental ties and the presence of discrimination resulted in his imprisonment (Schumaker 343). There is an association between communities since King deduced that what affects one community will affect the other. He discussed two types of laws and gave reference to several past figures to support his measures.
King led many passive protests to prove that lack of integration went against societal impartiality and the spiritual practices of Americans (Charters 24). Birmingham was arguably the most isolated regions in the United States. King differentiates fair and unfair laws by explaining that a fair law is in harmony with existing ethical or saintly laws (Mayfield 359). Any convention that is out of synchronization with the expected and ethical law is known as unjust law (Charters 30). Laws which validate segregation and demean human self-esteem are regarded as unreasonable.
An unjust is forced on people with less say and opinions by the empowered personalities in the society; however such laws are not followed by the latter group (Starzl 231). A just law will be followed by both the majority and the marginal (Armstrong and Fahey 113).
Those laws, which are enacted, yet the marginal are denied the right to vote for or against them, are regarded as unfair laws. There are some laws which could be understood as fair and unfair upon relation to their formulation and application. This convinced King to go against some of the laws (Charters 31).
King associated his behavior to those of biblical times when disciples traveled abroad to spread the gospel. He could not watch human privileges being violated in Birmingham (Charters 24). He referred to Socrates when he addressed productive tension which aids development.
Socrates felt that creating anxiety in the brain is necessary to prevent people from being blinded by tradition, and think more creatively and critically analyze issues challenging the society. Creating tension which does not involve hostility enables human beings to embrace brotherhood and fight ethnic isolation (Charters 27).
Segregation creates a feeling of inadequacy on those who are being discriminated against by affecting their personality negatively. Martin Buber stated that segregation degraded an individual to a simple object. King concludes from the Greek philosopher’s reaction that the vice is dishonest communally and politically (Charters 30). Paul Tilch related sin to division stating that segregation expressed the unpleasant drifting apart of humans.
The principles of an individual may lead to a counter-reaction against an unfair law (Lawler & Schaefer 265). The willingness to face responsibility for one’s action, according to King, is in actual sense valuing the law. King refers to the social defiance expressed on Nebuchadnezzar based on the faith of a higher ethical law by Christians (King 72).
Intellectual autonomy is seen as an actuality today because of the civil defiance of Socrates. King confirms that were he alive during Hitler’s reign in Germany, he would have gone against the law by reassuring and aiding the Jews (Charters 31).
This essay indicates the heroism and principles of king which defied ethnic separation in America. It analyses the state of discrimination which was previously experienced while promoting peaceful demonstrations (Gottlieb 177). The essay which was written by King while in jail has influenced the lives of many Americans and is considered a milestone in American writing (Flora, MacKethan & Taylor 430).
Works Cited
Armstrong, Richard. & Fahey, Joseph. A peace reader: essential readings on war, justice, non-violence, and world order. New Jersey: Paulist press, 2002 112-113.
Charters, Ann. The portable sixties reader. New York: Penguin classics, 2003 22-30.
Flora, Joseph. MacKethan, Lucinda. & Taylor, Todd. The companion to southern literature: theme, genres, places, people movements, and motifs. Louisiana: LSU press, 2002 430.
Gottlieb, Roger. Liberating faith: religious voices for justice, peace, and ecological wisdom. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003 177.
King Martin, Luther (Jr). Why we can’t wait. New York: Signet Classic, 2000 72.
Lawler, Augustine. & Schaefer, Robert. American political rhetoric. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005. 265.
Mayfield, Marlys. Thinking for yourself. Ohio: Cengage learning, 2009 358-359.
Schumaker, Paul. The political theory reader. Oxford: John Wiley and sons, 2009 343.
Starzl, Thomas. The puzzle people: memoirs of a transplant surgeon. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh press, 2003 231.
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 Martin’s opinion regarding the failure of the God’s 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. Martin’s 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 people’s 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 Thoreau’s 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 Martin’s 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.
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 King’s 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 MLK’s 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 King’s 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 King’s Actions and presence in Birmingham City
There many excerpts in the letter from Birmingham jail that depicts the relevance of King’s 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 King’s 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.
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 28th , 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 King’s, Jr. day, which took effect in 2000.
Towards the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the words from the King’s 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).
The racial inclusion enjoyed by all today in the United States did not come easy. Until the late 1960s, racial segregation was rife in the country. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr writes in response to a statement issued by a group of eight white clergymen condemning their nonviolent active action. However, this rhetorical analysis targets fellow classmates, who may or may not have read Dr. King’s letter.
His confinement in the cells of a Birmingham prison does not stop him from advancing his philosophy of nonviolent action against segregation. It contrarily acts as an impetus for him to write this very long letter since he is not having any other active engagement. Dr. King takes advantage of the opportunity not only to address the apparent support of racial segregation perpetrated by these religious leaders but also the indifference of moderate whites.
To qualify their involvement in direct action, Dr. King reveals that the Birmingham city authorities were unwilling to negotiate with them. He raises the stakes in his letter by pointing out “… the intent of our peaceful, active action is to generate a crisis-filled situation that will certainly necessitate commencement of negotiations…” This proposition aspires to appeal to his readers’ consciences, who ostensibly are clerics.
He generates an argumentative stance (Goldthwaite 204) from the clergymen’s condemnation that his group broke the law through their active action. Dr. King retorts “… I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court outlawing segregation… because it is morally right, and… disobey segregation ordinances because they are morally wrong.” Wilhoit supports his approach of invoking a reason to create a persuasive discourse (131).
Dr. King points out to his readers that he legitimately ranks high in the leadership structure of the civil rights movement whose actions are in question. He says, “I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited… because I have basic organizational ties here.”
He goes on to reiterate, “I have been disappointed with the church… I do not say that as one of those negative critics… I say it as a minister of the gospel who loves the church.” These instances evidently portray his use of ethos to legitimize his position (MIT 6).
He dedicates an entire paragraph to highlight to his readers the pain the African Americans have had to go through, courtesy of segregation. Dr. King’s application of pathos in paragraph 11 is evident with several emotionally appealing calls. In some cases, he says “… when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers… And see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children.”
These enumerated instances depict him as a passionate leader, driven by love for the people he is vouching for. Since he is writing to church leaders in particular and the church in general, Dr. King comes out as someone intent on invoking in them the Christian tenets of love and justice. “Whether the church defends justice or not, I am hopeful of what the future holds.” His anticipation of a bright future irrespective of the church’s help aims at resounding to the clergy the need for them to join in their quest for justice.
The concluding remarks of Dr. King’s letter reveal a man who was not just intent on responding to the remarks of the clergymen in question. His sarcasm portrays him as one who was avidly determined to convince his readers that the time for racial inclusion had come and they needed to be part of the solution.
Works Cited
Goldthwaite, Melissa, A, ed. The Norton Pocket Book Of Writing By Students. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. Print.
MIT. “Essay # 1—Critical Rhetorical Analysis (CRA) of a Speech.” Spring 2010. MIT OpenCourseWare. Web.
Wilhoit, Stephen. “Rhetorical Analysis of Written Texts.” Wilhoit, Stephen. Brief Guide to Writing from Readings. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2012. 127-147. Print.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a human right activist who advocated for the rights of the Negroes in 1950s and 1960s. From a Birmingham jail, he wrote a letter in response to criticisms from his fellow clergymen. In the letter, he underscored several issues raised by his critics. He observed that the Whites had continually segregated and oppressed the Negroes despite the fact that, the latter had tried to emancipate themselves from the demeaning chains of racial prejudice and segregation that clouded the society.
As a human right activist and a Christian leader, Luther dedicated his life in championing for the rights of the Negroes coupled with creating a just society that upheld human dignity. Although he acted legally and morally in his quest for equality and liberation, Luther became weary of the incessant postponement of negotiations between the Whites and the Negroes.
Ultimately, Luther asserted that, since it was wrong to employ immoral means to achieve moral ends, it was equally wrong to employ moral means to preserve immoral ends of segregation and racial prejudices. Therefore, he decided to protest; an act that sent him to jail. His protests were in line with the first amendment to the United States constitution that gave the right to assembly and protest, because he held the demonstrations without a permit to protest.
In jail, Luther received a considerable deal of criticism from his fellow clergymen who argued that his demonstrations were unwise and untimely, for he did not allow ample time for commencement of negotiations. In response to their criticism, Luther said that he was in jail because of injustice against the Negroes, both in Atlanta and Birmingham. He noted that injustice anywhere threatened delivery of justice everywhere.
Despite the fact that the Negro leaders sought constructive negotiations with the White leaders, the agreements did not last. The Negro’s woes continued unabated, which prompted for direct action to create constructive tensions that favoured negotiation. Realizing that oppressors cannot bestow freedom voluntarily, Luther decided to use demonstrations as means of demanding and earning the long awaited freedom and justice, which the Whites had continually withheld.
In his quest for equality, Luther asserted that there were two laws, just and unjust laws, depending on the person enforcing them. While just laws were consistent with moral laws and upheld human dignity, unjust laws were not consistent with moral laws; they only degraded human dignity.
In this view, Luther termed all segregation statutes as immoral and unjust, for they debauched human dignity. Therefore, he argued that he had the moral responsibility to advocate for the compliance of the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 that outlawed segregation. Moreover, he advocated for the disobedience of segregation statutes because they were immoral.
Ultimately, Luther could not understand why his fellow clergymen turned against his efforts to emancipate the Negroes and uplift humanity. Clergymen termed him an ‘extremist’ who ‘was in a hurry to do things unwisely and untimely’. In response to this criticism, Luther argued that his conscience could not allow him to sit and watch the continued Negroes’ suffering.
Therefore, Luther exhorted his fellow clergymen to dedicate their lives in emancipation of the Negroes and creation of a just society that did not discriminate against people based on skin colour. He also urged the addressees of the letter to use moral means in a bid to achieve moral ends, and condemn preservation of immoral ends.
In the entire history of the United States, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were the greatest advocators of freedom and civil rights. The two human rights activists contributed in liberating the blacks from the house of bondage by organizing strikes, demonstrations, and forums to challenge the white power. In the provided texts, the main theme is justice. However, the activists differ on the way justice and freedom ought to be achieved.
However, the two agreed that America was one country and the rights and freedoms of each person had to respect if society was avoid conflicts. The family backgrounds influenced the two activists in their writings. King grew up in a well to do family and acquired some modern education, which influenced his scholarly thinking.
On the other hand, Malcolm X grew up in slums whereby life was nasty, brutal, and short-lived. He never acquired any form of modern education, which affected his reasoning. Since he was a Christian and a scholar, King never advocated for violence but instead urged the blacks to exercise self-control and demonstrate peacefully.
He was ready to defend the actions of his group because he believed that negotiation was the best technique of conflict resolution. However, he explained that he resorted to direct action because the white race was unwilling to indulge in peaceful negotiations. He believed that direct action would force one of the parties to accept and appreciate negotiations. This would mean that he always advocated for peaceful resolution of conflicts in society, unlike Malcolm X who was malevolent.
On the other hand, Malcolm X was a Muslim who believed in the Jihad principles. He believed that the whites were not to be allowed to misbehave with the lives of the blacks. In this regard, blacks had to fight back whenever attacked by the whites. Malcolm X, unlike King, believed that justice had to be achieved through all possible means. In other words, he believed in the teachings of Nicolo Machiavelli, who posited that the end justified the means.
This meant that justify or greatness had to be achieved using any available techniques, including killing, treachery, negotiation and violence. In fact, the mode of attaining justice was the main difference between the two activists. On the contrary, King was inspired by the teachings of Socrates who died in order to show society that justice was never achieved through democracy. In this regard, democracy is portrayed as one of the worst forms of leadership.
King was optimistic that one day, America would be viewed as a united nation that does not discriminate any group. Conversely, Malcolm X was pessimistic and advised his followers to disregard whites and try as much as possible to associate with blacks only. To Malcolm X, King’s dream was a nightmare that should never happen to the black race. He advised his group to consider the positions of blacks in the US before thinking of anything else. It can as well be interpreted to mean that Malcolm X was after the black supremacy while King was after equality.
While Malcolm X thought that the government could initiate justice, King thought that it was upon societal institutions such as the church, family, and media to bring about change. Malcolm X accused the government for sleeping on the job, especially the black leaders who had the responsibility to ensure that blacks were treated fairly. In fact, he blamed the leaders for giving the blacks false hopes that things could change.
To Malcolm X, there was no difference between a leader from the south and the one from the north. Malcolm X believed that all leaders had an aim of oppressing and infringing on the rights of blacks. He wondered why the congress had many democrats yet it did not pass laws forbidding segregation. In the same tone, the senate had 67 democratic senators yet no law was initiated to bring about equality.
On his part, King argued that society had to interpret the law equally since those breaking it were not sinners as long as they did so for the benefit of the majority. He cited an example of the Supreme Court ruling that illegalized segregation in schools in the US. The white race had defied this order since segregation was still practiced in American schools. Similarly, King questioned the credibility of the American laws since they oppressed one race.
He therefore blamed the society for passing deformed laws but never blamed the government for not brining justice. Therefore, to King, there were two types of laws that is, just and unjust. The white race had broken the just laws while the black race, including him, had broken the unjust laws.
He defined just laws as those that go hand in hand with the moral codes or the laws of God. The unjust law is the one that contravenes the moral codes. Justice, which entails human rights and freedoms, is a moral law that was granted to each person by God. He utilized the works of St. Thomas Aquinas to drive his point home.
It should be known that Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 19th 1929. As a matter of fact, he died on the April 4th 1968 (Clarke 23). Although he was born as Michael he later on changed his name to Martin. The family’s long dominance as pastors was started by his grandfather in Atlanta. Martin Luther King’s father could later on serve as a pastor from 1931 (Reddick 37).
In addition, Martin also served as a co-pastor until his death. It should be known that he attended various segregated schools before graduating from college in 1948. He later on attended a theological school in 1951 (Reddick 29). As a matter of fact, he married his wife in Boston where he had gone for studies.
Coretta Scot- who was his wife- had uncommon attainments as far as intellectual skills are concerned and they together had four children. Martin became a pastor in 1954 while he was just 25 years old. As time went by, he became an important leader and activist as far as the civil rights movement in America is concerned.
Martin Luther King Jr later on established himself as a strong brand name and iconic figure in the US and other parts of the world. Everybody around the world agrees that he was a heroic leader that contributed to the modern America.
He used nonviolent methods in advancing his civil rights ideas. In this case, he can be boldly referred to as one of the best orators that the country has ever had. All in all, King received the Nobel peace price in 1964 becoming the youngest person to get the award (Clarke 45).
This was done to appreciate his work of ending racial discrimination in the country. While doing this, he used nonviolent ways and means thereby being recognized. King was inspired by Gandhi’s success thereby visiting his birthplace in 1959 because he also used nonviolent activism. This is what turned him around thereby enhancing his commitment to the civil rights movement.
His work
The most renowned influence on Martins life was Howard Thurman. This is because he was his fathers’ classmate and thereby had a great impact on the future Martin. Another person who had an impact on Martin was Bayard Rustin who mentored the young man on non-violence activism.
As a matter of fact, Rustin was his main advisor and mentor in his activism life. The 1963 Washington march was a great success because of Rustin’s plans and organization skills (Wintle 29). As far as his career is concerned, he spoke frequently and openly because of his experience as a pastor. In 1955, he organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted for a lot of days (Reddick 41).
The result of this boycott was an end to open racial segregation that had been practiced for years. King is credited for starting the Southern conference that was supposed to promote moral authority.
This conference was also supposed to bring together black churches so that they can conduct nonviolent protests. As a matter of fact, he led the conference and group until his death. He narrowly escaped death in 1958 after being stabbed on the chest by a black woman (Wintle 54).
King was wiretapped by the FBI because they thought that what he was advancing for was likely to cause some civil strife in the country. This was done under the direction of the then attorney general of the country. Throughout his life, King organized various protests that were aimed at increasing the rights of blacks to vote.
In the long run, most of these rights were enacted in the country’s laws. Martin was very strategic when choosing places and methods that could be used to organize protests around the country and that is why he was successful.
The Albany movement is another initiative that later on attracted a lot of national attention through its nonviolent activities. Kings most notable achievement was the march to Washington that was done in 1963 (Clarke 52). As a matter of fact, this march was done to demand for freedom and better jobs in the country.
The organizers wanted to denounce the governments stand on various things and there was no other better place to do this than the country’s capital. As much as there were various tensions prior to this, it was successful. Martins’ speech on that day has become one of the best speeches that the country has ever had. King wanted people to be compensated for the historical wrongs that had been committed on them and this is a stance that he out rightly maintained.
Sunset years and death
In 1968, he went to support black employees who had been on a strike in Tennessee. This is because they were protesting for better treatment and good wages that were being advanced to their white counterparts. As a matter of fact, his flight had to be delayed because of a bomb threat in April 968.
He was assassinated while at the Lorraine Motel and this is where he loved going. It has been documented that he was shot and assassinated while on the balcony of the motel on April 4th at around 6.01pm. Martin Luther King Jr was then later on pronounced dead at 7.05 pm. This was at the St Josephs hospital after undergoing a chest operation (Clarke 66).
His assassination led to a lot of riots that were witnessed throughout the country. As a matter of fact, a national day of morning was declared by the president on April 7th. Later on, James Earl Ray who killed Martin Luther King Jr was sentenced to 99 years in prison. There have been a lot of allegations of conspiracy as far as Martins death is concerned, but this is always expected.
What can be learned from the great communicators of today or yesterday?
The great communicators of yesterday or today have a lot of things that can be leant by the present generation. This is based on various things that they did but still have a lot of relevance to our daily lives. Great communicators like Martin Luther King Jr and Reagan had a lot of qualities and unique characteristics that made them distinct.
In this case, there is something that made them to be unique in what they were doing and how they were communicating all along (Wintle 92). Great communicators had skills of talking evocatively meaning that they could use anecdotes that common people could not understand.
In this case, one had to dig in deep to understand what they were really saying. This is something that can be learned because an individual has to be good at what he is saying. Great communicators should do things that will ultimately make the whole society great as time goes by.
We can all agree that great communicators had and still have a skills and optimism that enabled them to advance their ideas well. In this case, they will always speak of the future in anticipation of good things to come by. This is very good because we should always anticipate for good things so that we can lay a good ground and foundation that will make such things possible.
Great communicators of yesterday talked generally about the future in the outer space and why everybody should be there. This has also been replicated by today’s great communicators like Barrack Obama who have renewed the hope of people by focusing on a great future.
This is a very important lesson that can be helpful in today’s society that has a lot of challenges that need to be dealt with renewed optimism and hope (Wintle 96). In this case, we need to be optimistic and hopeful in all that we do. This can be enhanced by paying more attention to the people that we are talking to who also happen to be our audience.
Great communicators both of today and yesterday have always talked and revolved around a sense of country. This therefore gives us a sense of belonging. For instance, Charles de Gaulle was a great communicator and instead of him being in France, France as a country was in him.
This tells us that the greatest path towards being a great communicator is to have a sense of belonging and identity. This will therefore enable us to connect well with where we are coming from and where we are going to as a society. You can not be a great communicator unless you stand for something and this is as fact.
Martin Luther King Jr was a great communicator because he stood against racial discrimination in the society and this is what he was advancing and advocating for (Clarke 76). On the other hand, Barrack Obama is a great communicator because he stood for change that Americans were really yearning for.
You can not be a great communicator unless you talk about issues. This is the starting point because there is nobody who will listen to you unless you are talking about what they want to hear. Just as an example, Martin Luther King Jr was talking about a real issue of racial discrimination and inequalities in the society and that is why people were able to listen to him because it was a reality (Clarke 66).
This is a good lesson because we first of all need to identify what is bedeviling us as a society. Good communicators both of today and yesterday should be able to fight for what they believe in without any problem. This should be done passionately because if you believe in something, you will go fort it without any lay back.
As much as you might loose your life fighting for what you believe in, it will not go in vain because somebody will always appreciate what you did. Humility is a very important character as far as being a good communicator is concerned. This will enable people to communicate and connect easily with others thereby advancing your ideas without any problem.
Works Cited
Clarke, James. Defining danger: American assassins and the new domestic terrorists. New York: Transaction Publishers, 2005. Print.
Reddick, Lawrence. Crusader without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Harper, 1959. Print.
Wintle, Justin. Makers of Modern Culture: Makers of Culture. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print.
Glen Loury is an American author and a champion of civil rights movement. He is widely recognized for his role on the attempts to re-focus the civil rights movement. Martin Luther king Jr. is an American activist, leader, and a clergyman. He is widely recognized for his African-American Civil Rights Movement (King, 2010).
Douglass (1852) is an American writer, social reformer, and orator. Together with King (2010), Douglass pressed the grievances and demands of blacks to the American Nation. In this paper, Loury’s argument is different from those of Douglas and King when they all pushed for civil America (Douglass, 1852; King, 2010).
Loury addressed the challenge to liberals and conservatives that was in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. He focused on the struggle for freedom and equality among the Central Americans.
Some of the issues that Loury championed for include the unfulfilled hopes, social pathologies, competing visions, ideological barrier, political quagmire, needed commitment, one ingredient for progress, permanent victims, double standards, wrong of the past, self fulfilling prophecy, societal paradox, and profound tragedy (Loury, 2010).
Loury (2010) found it difficult to sell the idea of self help and reliance among the black because of the opposition he received within the black community, his black critics claimed that his arguments were instrumental in serving the interest of those who were plotting for ways of marginalizing the poor blacks.
Lorry was limited and greatly agonized the wastage of human potential in the ghetto (Loury, 2010). He only had ideologies that were not enough to be put into action without the government’s implementation (Lorry, 2010).
Douglass rhetorical strategy was similar to Martin Luther King’s. He focused on ways of pricking the conscience of the White Americans for their tolerance of slavery and the racial cast in America. Among the problems Douglass faced in his quest for liberation was slavery (Douglass, 1852).
He managed to escape from slavery in Maryland to Massachusetts where he became one of the most popular orators of the North Abolitionist Movement. Through oratory, he managed to concur the minds of blacks to the realization of equity and fair treatment (Douglass, 1852).
Martin Luther King Jr. was best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights, being a clergyman he passed his message on abolition of slave trade, racism, and eradication of racial segregation and slavery through preaching and crusades. He also wrote manuscripts (King, 2010).
It is also worth noting that at one time King experienced great difficulty in completing the manuscript of Stride Towards Freedom: The Montgomery Story. In writing this book King had to rely upon assistant from many other people. The people boycotted working on the book because of boycott movement that was currently going on. Martin Luther also experienced opposition from the black press.
He greatly faced opposition from some black leaders who felt threatened by his ascent to power and the constant threat king posed on the white race (King, 2010). These Afro-American who were patriotic in achieving civil rights encountered lots of problems which included slavery, warrants of arrests, and civil war.
In conclusion, Glen Loury, Douglass, and Martin Luther Jr. were spearheading freedom and justice to their people. This has resulted in the equality that the blacks are currently enjoying in the Central America and the whole world.
King, M.L. (2010). Letter from a Birmingham Jail. In K.M. Dolbeare & M. Cummings (Eds.), American Political Thought (pp. 481-487). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Loury, G.C. (2010). Achieving the “Dream”: A Challenge to Liberals and
Conservatives. In K.M. Dolbeare & M. Cummings (Eds.), American Political Thought (pp. 559-668). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech that was titled “I Have a Dream” and that was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on August 23, 1963, was indeed a defining speech at a defining moment of history (Cessqc, 2010). The speech was full of colorful, vivid imagery, as well as symbolism. For example, at the beginning of the speech where he began by lamenting on the precarious justice system in the United States that was tilted against the Negros, he figuratively used the terms “promissory note,” “insufficient funds,” and “bank of justice” (Cessqc, 2010) to refer to the imbalanced justice system in the United States that exposed people of color to persistent injustices.
The delivery of the speech at the Lincoln Memorial was ultimately symbolic because it worked well in coinciding with the declaration of universal human rights. The other key element of style in this speech was repetition. Dr. Luther King repeated the words “I have a dream” throughout the second half of the speech. These repetitions in the sentence structure effectively emphasized the message of hope that despite the present challenges, the prospects of change for the present and future generations were still promising.
As for the voice, the speech was laden by tone, inflections, and pauses that effectively emphasized the message in addition to demonstrating the gravity of the matter at hand. The tone of the speech had variations of courage, defiance, sombreness, and sorrow.
For example, 12 minutes and 37 seconds in his speech recorded in the YouTube.com video, Luther’s voice trailed off as he emotionally charged, “even though we face difficulties of today and tomorrow, I have a dream…” (Cessqc, 2010). The speech was also marked by many pauses and interludes whenever the crowd interjected with cheers of approval. There were also characteristic pauses each time Dr. Luther King uttered the words “I have a dream” before he proceeded to drop the bombshells that preceded the words.
Dr. Luther King further exhibited many non-verbal cues throughout the speech. There were many instances when he symbolically gestured at the crowd in anger and frustration that was remonstrative of the precarious circumstances that people of color were experiencing in the United States. He kept on gesturing with his fist and hands when he wanted to emphasize urgency, concerns, defiance, anger, intimidation, hope, or when he wanted to signify the urge for victory in the fight for freedom and equality.
Content
The content of this speech was very powerful, particularly with respect to the prospects and hopes for the future. Dr. Luther King clearly articulated his vision and aspirations for the future. He particularly echoed his visionary perspective when he commented, as captured in the YouTube.com video, that he had dreams of seeing his four children enjoy rights and freedoms, they are exposed to judgments based on the individual capabilities rather than on their racial background. His utterance about his hopes of seeing little black children mingling freely with little white children was the hallmark of his encapsulating vision.
The content articulated by Dr. Luther King in the hilarious speech definitely captured a promising strategy that adamantly called on granting long-delayed justice to the Negros while giving room for hope and negotiations. His unyielding stance on the rights and freedoms of the color people carried the strategy of sinking the message home to all the audiences that the achievement of justice to all was achievable through non-violent means.
Reference
Cessqc, (2010). I have a dream… the march in Washington. YouTube. Web.