Barack Obama's Struggle For Equality

Within this quote there are multiple metaphors that help bolden King’s thoughts: “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination,” “island of poverty,” and “vast ocean of material prosperity.” These metaphors explain how it still felt nearly impossible to end discrimination, and how Negroes are on their own with no support. The use of the metaphors display a deeper and stronger meaning to the topics that King was passionate about. These rhetorical devices brought to the non-colored portion of the audience’s attention of how difficult the life of a Negro was and that freeing the slaves one hundred years ago was not enough.

King states the number of years that African Americans have waited to be treated fairly, to emphasize how long they have been facing racial injustice. Dr. King is trying to shed light on the long struggle for equality in order to persuade the reader that action needs to be taken as soon as possible. Dr. King notes, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King

Although we do not live in a perfect world, the society we live in today is a result of everything our ancestors fought for. However, as the activist Jesse Williams stated in his acceptance speech at the BET awards, we are still fighting for equality. According to Williams we live in “a system built to divide and impoverish and destroy us.” African Americans are still not free, they live in fear everyday because public servants do not treat them equally. Bacon’s rebellion, Nat Turners rebellion and The Civil War helped shape race relations as we know them today.

It is widely acknowledged that the African-American freedom struggle and their relentless works to end segregation, discrimination, and isolation have accomplished further than the eradication of racial and national barriers. The mass militancy not only knocked over the system introduced by Jim Crow but completely transformed the nature of traditional social relationships and civilizing medians. Moreover, the freedom struggle not only changed the legal status of black Americans but also helped in achieving the significant changes in ethnic awareness (Carson, 1993, p. 3). In simple words, the civil rights movement was not simply an attempt for the achievement of national civil rights reform. It carried within it much more than that. It facilitated the generation of embryonic norms and ethics just like any other civil movement. These reforms helped in the removal of barriers to the liberty of

This assertion sets this moment into the greater scheme of African American history. At this moment, the American Negro is ready to fight for the rights with which God has endowed him, King says. In this moment, American Negroes hopes are high that he may be considered an equal to his white neighbor and rid himself of the burden of not being enough, a condition detrimental to the psyche. This contributes to King’s argument that it is time for everybody who believes that these natural rights should be granted to black Americans, to unite and start the fight to win them.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress” (“Frederick Douglass ‘Struggle’”). Spoken in 1857 by Frederick Douglass, these words became another motivation for all enslaved African Americans seeking freedom, for all the oppressed yearning to overcome. One hundred years later, even after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the ratification of the 14th Amendment, these words continued to motivate many African Americans, as the fight for equality was far from over. African Americans throughout the nation recognized a time of desperate need for change, and began to demonstrate and protest in The Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a long-lasting campaign for racial equality that occurred in the 1950’s and 1960’s (History.com

However, even though both George W. Bush and Martin Luther King Jr. make valid arguments for their cases, King’s approach to racial equality was unprecedented, making him a true pioneer of this cause. His claims and counterclaims, use of language, and his credible experience and opinion, results in the arguments in his speech, "the Letter from Birmingham Jail," defending racial equality in a manner superior to those in George W. Bush's "Ending Racial Inequality.”

In the discussion of Civil rights movement, freedom and equity has been a controversial issue. On one hand, some people argue that the black people does not deserve the rights of voting, purchasing house, and finding a job. On the other hand, many people contend that regardless of their race, the US citizen, include the Africa Americans, should treat each other fairly and equally. My own view is that the white people should abandon the thoughts of Racial superiority. Though the author of TKAM argues that white people shouldn’t abused their power and bully the blacks, and the civil rights act leader, Martin Luther King, argues that all men are equal, but both show that racial discrimination lead to unfair justice and treatment.

The election of President Obama marks the most noteworthy political accomplishment for African Americans in the United States during the post-civil rights revolution, thus bringing about a change in the country’s social and political landscape that was steeped in racial discrimination since the founding of this great nation. Because social and political conditions are subject to constant change, President Obama’s

As an African-American, I've seen the world through a different lens than most of my contemporaries. Different attitudes and different perceptions have created this continual Gap and where my people and others stand in our country. Since the late 1800s after President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, African Americans have been fighting for basic rights that were promised to everybody else in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. As we remember the Reverend dr. King On this day in January, we remember the values he fought for and what it means to have can Americans across the country in this present age. What this man, Louis Stokes of the Congressional Black Caucus understood was that if we hold together we will overcome. Heard

A man once stood in front of a crowd of thousands of people both black and white. He delivered a speech that fought for the possibility of an America where both black and white citizens were truly equal; this man was“Martin Luther King Jr”(Martin Luther King Jr.). One might fight back and argue that the laws during this time did make the African Americans equal but this was not true, as one of the laws stated the two as being Equal but separate. This law was one of the Jim crow laws, in which African americans were in theory separate and equal, but in reality were given second hand treatment after the prioritized white citizens (Richard). The Jim Crow laws were unconstitutional and took away many African Americans chances at being considered

August 28, 1963 (Eidenmuller) marked a very important day in history that had an impact not only on America, but the whole world. On this day, Martin Luther King Jr. presented his well known I Have a Dream speech that aimed to eliminate racism, inequality and discrimination. He strongly believed that one day people would put their differences aside and come together. So, what happened to that dream? Along with other equality initiative ideas, they rarely make it past the idea stages or end in the actual eradication result. It is clear to us that even after 51 years, our societies still struggle with accepting full equality. Within those 51 years we have made a mass amount of progress but, a common thought would be that after this long the issue should have been eradicated. Two essays that can be used as an example of proof that racial inequality still exists in our society are, Black Men in Public Spaces by Brent Staples and Who Shot Johnny? by Debra Dickerson. In these essays, both provide solid evidence to support their main goal with the use of different writing styles, tone, and rhetorical devices to display how African Americans are perceived and treated by society.

In the first chapter Michelle Alexander notes, “The valiant efforts to abolish slavery and Jim Crow and to achieve greater racial equality have brought about

It can be said that there is more freedom and racial equality than there was before. In the speech President Barack Obama delivered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication, Obama describes the way America has progressed in freedom and racial equality. I strongly agree with Obama’s opinion that America has become more equal throughout the years. I believe that America is progressing toward freedom and racial equality because most of what Martin Luther KIng Jr. hoped to accomplish has become true.

Thesis: What Barack Obama meant by "we remind ourselves that although the principle of equality has always been self-evident, it has never been self-executing," was the fact that America was against segregation in the 20th century except but they never took action themselves. America also hated segregation but never really did anything to help aid the need for equality. For example, it was really peaceful, as in no protests, or marches, etc. However, when Rosa came along, things got a little more energetic. He also meant that Rosa Parks made the principle of equality more self-executing and more clear and what they stand for until Rosa Parks came along and set off a social revolution.