Dr. Martin Luther King's Struggle For Freedom

Freedom is a fundamental human right that all Americans enjoy today. Foner defines freedom as the ability of an individual to do as he/she wishes as long as long as the actions are within the law and respect the right of others (2). Accordingly, freedom is among the rights that are anchored in American constitution to protect the civil liberties of all Americans. Today, America is regarded as a democratic country that operates within the rule of law partly because of its respect for human rights (Romano 3). However, history shows that the freedom that African Americans enjoy today did not come easily; rather came after a long and enduring struggle by Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968). It is noted that, unlike white Americans who enjoyed freedom to do as they wished in the early 19th century, African Americans were denied the freedom to operate freely like their white counterparts (Foner 6). Therefore, because curtailing the freedom of African Americans were denying them the opportunity to advance socially, economically and politically, the Civil Rights Movement was formed by Martin Luther King Junior and colleagues to fight against racial segregation and to ensure that African Africans gain equal rights as the whites. This essay seeks to explore the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) struggle for freedom and

In Martin Luther King Jr.s book, Stride Toward Freedom, he has discussed how the people of oppression have dealt with the conditions they are being put in. Within the book King will explain three ways that people have chosen to handle the issue. Using chronological order, King will demonstrate his thesis that acquiescence, violence, and nonviolence are the three behaviors of the oppressed. Throughout the book the use of description, allusions, and word choice can all be found.

William E. Gladstone states” Justice delayed is justice denied.” Meaning when justice is not served in a timely manner, it means you receive any justice at all. In the” I have dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. he talks about the injustice people of color were receiving in the 1940s-60s. “Cairo: My city or Revolution” by Ahdaf Soueif tells of a family who lives under the rule of a dictator. And the story “Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi and talks about a woman in Tehran being discriminated against because of her gender. All of these texts give us instances where people were being denied freedom. I believe that freedom should be demanded rather than being given.

On August 28th, 1963, over 250,000 people joined Dr. King march at the Lincoln Memorial to hear his speech, “I Have a Dream” Powerful words being heard and documented as a historical event for civil rights. He introduces his speech as the greatest demonstration for freedom in all the United States of America. Dr. King opens with, “The negro still is not free, one-hundred years later the life of the negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimation.” Dr. King followed the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Believing that non-violent protesting was the ultimate weapon against racism.

The Civil Rights Movement had several pros however there are cons to every situation. The suffering of people were cured by the medicine of the great personality that still stand as the role model of the world, Martin Luther King Jr. He cured the people with the speeches they delivered and the letters they wrote. The letters and speeches delivered during this movement had been very inspirational in which it made more people want to become a part of this immense movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was very inspirational but had different ways to handle things than other civil rights movement leaders. MLK Jr. was a very big contributor to the Civil Rights Movement but he said everything through “The Letter from Birmingham”. The Civil rights Movement

“We want the world to know that we no longer accept the inferior position of second-class citizenship.” (“Martin Luther King Jr. And The Global Freedom Struggle”). The sit-in movement was vital to the civil rights movement because it showed that African-Americans felt that they were not being treated as true Americans. The most important conclusion that I have drawn from my research is that African-Americans were treated differently because of the color of their skin, and because of that, they weren’t served at lunch counters, restaurants, or cafes (“Martin Luther King Jr. And The Global Freedom Struggle”).

Within the narrow jail-cell Dr. King explains the reasoning of nonviolent protesting. By a nonviolent protest, you still show respect for the law without breaking any laws. You also bring forth an issue worth looking at, Dr. King says “to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation” (King, 437). So that’s what Dr. King and many others did in Birmingham created a situation, a nonviolent protest, it then created a strong movement in America that allowed room for negotiation. Not only did it allow room for negotiation, but exposed more on how unjust a law is that degrades the human personality. It is clear to see that Dr. King sees segregation as an injustice, even if groups such as white Christians

Based on the information in Britannica School Encyclopedia Martin Luther King Jr. was a historical figure in African American history. He held many things to end segregation. Martin Luther King was a hero in the civil rights movement.

For decades, African Americans fought for their rights as equal American citizens. It wasn’t until Martin Luther King Jr. started writing speeches and leading nonviolent protests that the white majority started listening. One of these protests was in Birmingham, Alabama, where King was leading a sit-in at a lunch counter. King and his followers were subjected to violence and arrest for these nonviolence protests for their civil rights. Another way King protested for African American rights were through his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” which acknowledged that, contrary to the government’s belief, not all men are equal. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was his letter to the clergymen who were critical of his activities and his “I Have a Dream

Should Freedom be given or must be demanded? Freedom should be demanded because freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demand by the oppressor, quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that Africans Americans are free but we were “never” free. Also, The March on Washington was an important event that had made a change in our lives and our freedom. The Declaration of Independence was a statement that announced that the thirteen colonies are not under British rules. In my opinion, we should not have to fight for our freedom and we should all be equal.

Some of Martin Luther King’s ways to end segregation were nonviolent and direct action. The way the people handled this was amazing but at the same time is was incredibly dangerous. The definition of nonviolent, direct action is using peaceful means rather than force, especially to bring about political or social change. Furthermore, examples of non-violent direct action (also known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance) include sit-ins, strikes, workplace occupations, blockades, or activism, while violent direct action may include political violence, sabotage, property destruction, or assaults.

Fear and prejudice are two significant factors that people let subdue their emotions and beliefs. Throughout history and all the way to current day, the people and groups who never surrendered to fear and prejudice were the ones who prevailed. With that, one should never surrender to fear or prejudice, regardless of the cost.

Why? What did the Black race do to deserve this? Martin Luther King Jr. knew that was happening in the daily lives of the Black community was not okay. He took a stand and used his preaching and public speaking abilities to try to make a change. Martin went to jail several times while trying to make a difference during his protest for racial equality. With his act of courage, strong willingness, and positivity, he and the people that followed continued to push forward for the justice and equal rights that they deserved. Martin Luther King made an amazing effect on the world’s racial equality towards Blacks that caused the community's atmosphere to reunite as one race.

Martin Luther King is an extraordinary man who has accomplished great thing in his fight against injustice and segregation. like Selma and other cities it was clouded in a storm of racism but Martin Luther King came and reduced it to ash. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” (Martin Luther King) and I think of that wondering if I can live up to those words. Back in the 20’s through 60’s racism was at it’s strongest and it got worse. Martin Luther King had a role model that shaped Dr.King into the man he is and that was his father. Dr. King has achieved many accomplishments and fought many political fights to get Civil Rights.

The resources I gathered for paper 3 are; Stride towards Freedom: The Montgomery Story by M.L. King and C. Carson, From Civil Rights to Human Rights: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Struggle for Economic Justice by Thomas Jackson, and Martin L. King. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to use these resources for paper 3 because I haven’t decided what specific event I’m going to write about. But whatever event I choose I’m going to tie it back to these