DESCRIPTION
A short essay on Martin Luther King [646 words]
AUTHOR
ODonnellJJao
Martin Luther King Jr. ODonnellJJao
�There is something that I must say to my people who stand on this warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by the cup of bitterness and hatred.�
- Martin Luther King Jr.
These words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous �I Have a Dream� speech expresses his beliefs as a man, a minister, and a leader. They guided his actions in the American Civil Rights Movement and impacted the actions of many protestors of the time and today. He was a man of integrity who believed in the ideals set forth by the founding fathers that all men are created equal.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1929. He was a famous leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the oldest son of a Baptist Minister. He graduated from Morehouse College at 15 and was ordained a Minister at 17. He received a PhD from Boston University and was the youngest man ever awarded the Novel Peace Prize in 1964. Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.
Dr. Martin Luther King�s three biggest impacts were his Public speaking abilities, natural leadership abilities, and his belief in ahisma, literally translated as �soul force�, which is the promotion of social reform through non-violent means which he learned from studying the works of Gandhi. A prime example of this The Montgomery Bus Boycott. The African-American community lead by Martin Luther King boycotted the bus system for 381 days to end racial segregation in public transportation.
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King led a March on Washington. Here he gave his most famous speech, �I Have a Dream.� In his speech he demanded equal justice for all citizens of America.
�When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.�- Martin Luther King Jr.
The demands from the March on Washington were to end Segregation, prohibit racial discrimination in employment, Protection of civil rights workers from police brutality, and self-government for the District of Colombia. All these dreams have been realized.
On March 25th 1965, also known as �Bloody Sunday� Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference planned a non-violent march from Selma to Montgomery. The march was attacked by the Alabama National Guard at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Three of the protesters were killed by the Alabama National Guard. The attack shocked many people around the world, and people started to protest Police Brutality. On August 3rd President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 preventing Police brutality on protesters.
In late March, 1968, Dr. King went to Memphis, Tennessee in support of the black sanitary public works employees, represented by the AFSCME, who had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment: for example, African American workers being paid less then White workers. On April 4th, 1968, 6:01 P.M Martin Luther King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. More than 300,000 people attended King�s Funeral. Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended on behalf of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Dr. Martin Luther King�s contribution to the American Civil Rights movement is unprecedented such as Gandhi in India. Through his actions we can see that he not only preached, but lived his ideals. He dreamed that one day segregation would end and integration would become a reality. He believed that all men should be allowed the same rights.
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"Your essay, although well written, sounds like a copy job from any number of sources which contain flattering biographies of MLK. However, you have neglected to include some important truths about the man which can be found in many other factual biographies and accounts of his personal life. In your last paragraph, ......"We can see that he not only preached, but lived his ideals."....This statement is hard to support when you consider the overwhelming evidence that he was in fact, a womanizer and adulterer. Though the theme of his entire movement was non-violence, he himself, was at times violent, especially to women and even to some of his close friends and associates. Despite these facts, our Congress has seen fit to dedicate a national holiday to this man. The power of politics has no limit. " -- Richard.
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