Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s skillful and knowledgeable use of rhetorical modes made his “I Have a Dream” speech one of the most influential and meaningful speeches of all time. This speech was a huge turning point for African Americans in American history and recognized the problem of segregation. He not only inspired, motivated, and informed America of the problem, he evoked a change in the American people and soon after changed history. This speech used authority, factual data, and most importantly metaphorical language to influence and inform
50 years ago a very prestigious civil rights activist stood before a segregated separate but equal group of thousands of American citizens. On August 28, 1963 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a motivational speaker, and experienced preacher delivered what he stated would “go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” During this century segregation, discrimination and separation of color had become one of the main factors of this time period. Dr. King had become one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement. His prominent speech “I Have A Dream” was given to motivate the citizens of this nation to take action and rise above the turmoil, and the unequal treatment of African Americans.
Why did the visions of Martin Luther King Jr feature in Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign and inauguration speech in 2009? The Role and significance Martin Luther King Jr in America’s History: Martin Luther King Jr was a leader; he gave a voice to the African American citizens who could not express their own needs and opinions. His role was to lead the civil rights movement, and speak for justice, peace and equality in the lives of every American man, woman and child. King struggled with the laws and politics of his time and worked to eradicate segregation and discrimination from the American way of life. Martin Luther King Jr’s writings, teachings and speech’s are timeless; they left people rethinking their attitudes towards African Americans and racism.
During the 1963 March on Washington, King delivered perhaps his most famous speech called “I Have a Dream.” This speech called for an end to racism and desegregation in America that was still very prevalent at the time. King discusses his dreams of freedom and equality for all blacks in a land that still was plagued with hatred and prejudice to the African American race. King closes out his speech by saying, “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.” These words are arguably some of the most famous from his speech because they really resonated with the people listening to him. He is envisioning a healthy future where regardless of skin color all are treated fairly and equally.
King led movements that reached many and was heard around the world. His actions were meant to eliminate hate and segregation, pass voting rights for African Americans, and unite a Nation with equality for everyone. Dr. King’s accomplishments are taught to people of all races worldwide. His fights against the Vietnam War lead to the “Poor Peoples Campaign” that was a multiracial coalition who were working for economic change. Conclusion William “Bill” Gates and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were both young scholars who took risks and faced challenges to improve the way of life for everyone.
Assess how effective Malcolm X’s strategies were in the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1950’s and 1960’s. For a person to be effective they must achieve what they wanted many times and by doing this they gain respect and power. Malcolm X was thought of as an activist, an outspoken public voice of African American civil rights and a prominent leader of Nation of Islam, challenged the mainstream Civil Rights Movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King Jr and promoted Black Nationalism that encompassed the belief in black separatism. Malcolm X urged his followers to defend themselves against white aggression thus not following the non-violent ways of other leaders. Malcolm X was one of America’s
Courtney Jones History 273 Research Paper Asa Philip Randolph “Study the past if you would define the future”, famous quote by Confucius is the rationale for my research on A. Philip Randolph. Asa Philip Randolph was a Negro Labor’s Champion; a man on a mission. He was a born leader whose struggle for equality in the U.S labor force was relentless. A. Phillip Randolph is a hero of the American Civil Rights and Labor Movements. He was a man who demanded respect for African-Americans during the Civil Rights movement, and for all working people throughout his career as a Labor organizer.
With charismatic and intelligent spokesmen such as Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights campaigners had brought the plight of black Americans to the attention of the whole world. The federal government had been forced to respond and the legislation of the nation had been changed to address the inequality and oppression experienced by millions of black citizens. For many black Americans, and also many sympathetic white Americans, the hope was that the USA was entering a new age of equality and meaningful civil rights for all citizens. By the mid 1960s, however, many black Americans were becoming disillusioned. Many Southern states continued to harass and persecute blacks regardless of the new legislation.
This movement was made to outlaw discrimination against black Americans and grant them voting rights. Through-out his life he accomplished many amazing things, and became one of the most iconic figures in American
By citing references of protest such as Jesus Christ, St. Paul, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, he justifies his current actions for the Negro community and states that he is willing to face the consequences when it comes to protesting for equal rights amongst all Americans. This was the first time that I have read Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham jail and I have to admit that it was a very moving and inspirational letter to the people of the Civil Rights Movement at the time. I think that this letter showed how he was always protesting through love and peace and never violence, even though he had been classified as an extremist by the white community. By showing this type of leadership he proved to be such a courageous and intelligent figure in the Negro community and his words of wisdom made such a huge impact on the history of the movement. I believe that without letters such as these to his fellow brothers, most protests would not have been “peaceful” and the entire pursuit of equality could have been in jeopardy.