Social change refers to the shift in the characteristics of culture and society (Henslin 2010). One way in which society was changed was through the words of Martin Luther King “Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: / we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”(MlK1963). While it has been said that Martin Luther King Jr. did not make the Civil Rights Movement but rather that the Civil Rights Movement made him, it is believed to be true that without Martin Luther King Jr.
King believed in unity amongst all races. “With this faith we will be able to work together… to climb up for freedom together” (Doc 2), this statement shows that King felt success is only achieved through teamwork. He wanted an integrated school system that would provide equal education for both black and white children (Doc 4). Kings views on unity are evident through his association with fellow black activist Malcolm X (Doc 1). I would need an additional document from a white family to see how they felt about unifying with the blacks.
Martin believed that all types of people are to be given equal rights and that action must be taken in order for a peaceful society, he fought to urge change within his society for the inequality and injustice of African Americans. To achieve this, Martin uses a variety of techniques to create an emotional community which would urge change. One of the techniques used to express his beliefs was his physical voice that was full of rhythm, tone and dramatic pauses which connects with the audience. Inclusive language like "our" and "we" is used throughout the speech to unite the audience to fight for the same cause and to make discrimination a problem the audience had in common. Repetition of "I have a dream" in conjunction with a statement gives the audience an idea of Martin’s ideal world, " I have a dream that one day this nation will and live
I know as a voting American citizen I can voice my opinion through support of these movements either through legislation or actively protesting any sort of oppression. I also know that hate can come from home. I choose to raise my children with the understanding that all men and women are created equally no matter race, gender or sexual orientation. By reading “The Struggle for Black Equality” I have developed a new appreciation for the people both black and white that stood up for what they believed in. The strength and courage they showed in never giving up even in the face of death is a testament to how strong their convictions were to just be granted the right to live the life they are entitled to.
The people had a goal to reach equality for all, in article three Noah Webster stated "Equality is the very soul of the republic." Chapter 6 is full of evidence of Americans struggling for equality, especially through religion and voting rights. The honorable way the people rebelled to gain their freedom is what made this revolution a revolutionary movement. The primary consequence of the American Revolution was expanding religious freedom. Before the revolution, people were living
THE CONTROVERSY OF MALCOLM X Ever since he first appeared as a spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X has raised many controversies. His revolutionary speeches influenced many disadvantaged black people. However, he was also severely criticized for his demands for total separation between blacks and whites in America. In his speeches, he often referred to the whites as the "devils". In his view, the white race in general was guilty for the suppression and sufferings of the black race.
Racism is a means to an end, as oppressors employ racist measures in order to achieve power over another group. Wright shows numerous times throughout the novel that racism breeds irrational actions, and points out many times when Southern whites abuse blacks for no reason other than to vent their own frustration. This abuse and subordination of blacks also serves an economic function for the whites, as the blacks are the basic laborers who almost single-handedly support the white economy, for meager pay. Whites abuse blacks in order to keep them in a position where their service would empower
“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the, American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” (Martin Luther King) "My message to the world is that we must come together and live as one." As stated by the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement", Rosa Parks , after standing her ground in trying to end segregation. She earned this nickname after standing up to the racial and social injustices that were still taking place due to Jim Crow legislation in the south during the 1950s.
Civil Disobedience “My country tis of thee sweet land of liberty”, or so we thought. The Staple Singers, a blues/mo town band, wrote a song that showed the aggravation and persecution that pro civil rights person where feeling called “when will we be paid”. The civil rights was a movement broadcasted a major theme equality for all whether black or white, which touches on the under lying there behind “when will be paid”. In the song “when will we be paid” by the staple singers, it demonstrates how the African American population demanded composition for the work that they have done, which was a right that many protested for during the Civil Rights movement. The Staple Singers, started out as just a family then ended up as a musical sensation.
Stacy Keith September 1, 2013 American Dream In the readings of Malcolm X and August Wilson their understanding of the American Dream was very much the same. Malcolm X’s vision was of a world of universal brotherhood in which each person would be respected and loved as a child of God. He was opposed to racism, male supremacy, religious intolerance, capitalism, and all its manifestations. Malcom X had a vision and that was an American Revolution for all of us. August Wilson wanted to show and hopefully help people to understand and realize the sacrifices and the struggles African American’s went through decade by decade.