Heeding The Call By Diana Childress: An Analysis

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-known Civil Rights leader of the 1960s. King was born in 1929, and he changed and touched many lives during the span of his lifetime (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007). King was a Baptist preacher, and he won several awards for being a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (McGuire & Hutchings, 2007). King was also affiliated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People better known as the NAACP. King’s mission was to make America believe in equal rights for all no matter the color of skin or gender. King led marches to stand up for minorities whose skin were not white. King wanted equality, and that is what he fought hard to get. King is

Martin Luther King Jr. has been influential in multiple ways that have caused positive impacts in American society, and has gotten the attention of foreign countries to change their policies. When Martin was a child, he tried to kill himself by jumping out of his bedroom window when he had received the news of his grandmother's death. MLK’s speeches and writings guided the journey to breaking racial boundaries, desegregation and the decline of racism, enjoyed by modern generations.

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of modern humanity. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of his leadership was his ability to adapt to whatever leadership style was necessary for any specific scenario. He could be a transformational leader if people needed to be mobilized, a servant leader when followers needed to be led by example, or a charismatic leader when he gave any one of his plethora of monumental speeches. Not only could MLK perform in each of these leadership roles, but he excelled at them. Dr. King was one of the greatest, most versatile leaders ever. We will discuss why in the following paragraphs.

Martin Luther King, Jr. paved the way for the civil rights movement as he was unrelenting in his strive to eliminate segregation and the social system that upheld it. He fought for justice, freedom, and the equality of opportunity. He is famous for his use of civil disobedience to fight without fighting back, to accept the consequences of his defiances, and to use the initiatives of fellow citizens to act in opposition against the laws discriminating against people of color. King was an activist, but first, he was a pastor. He received a letter through the newspaper from other clergymen trying to discourage his efforts. Responding from a jail cell, King wrote a fifty paragraph letter on scraps of paper, justifying his cause and refuting their claims. In paragraphs fifteen to twenty-two, he specifically explains the effectiveness and necessity of his efforts. Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully justifies civil disobedience by utilizing logos developed through skillful syntax, and ethos built by thoughtful selection of detail.

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr extensively establishes his ethos and proves his authority on the matter of racial injustice. “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (King 1). King was the focal point of the Civil Rights movement and continues to symbolize the equality of all races to this very day. His authority to advocate on the

Born in Atlanta Georgia in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., conceivably lived as one of the greatest social and religious leaders in a country where a group of its citizens had to endure excruciating conditions of disenfranchisement, inferiority and degradation of a second class citizenship by reasons of race, color or origin. In effort to condemn all acts of racial discrimination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote several letters and gave inspirational speeches during his lifetime and strived to persuade governmental leaders to remove social barriers of segregation, acts of voter suppression

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” These famous words by the honorable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. best capture his frame of mind and the hopes he once held for the African American people during his fight for civil rights. King was an activist, pastor, and strong leader whose actions played an integral role in the advancement of the African American people as a whole. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929, King spent the overwhelming majority of his life leading the African American Civil Rights Movement by using his very effective non-violent approach. Based off of his strong Christian beliefs, King led a multitude of boycotts, protests, marches, and speeches over the course of his life. These include the Montgomery Movement as well as one of his most famous speeches, the “I Have A Dream” speech.

During his lifetime, Martin Luther king dared to not only dream about a better future but also fight for it. He was not afraid from having confrontations in order to promise a change. We can see his decisiveness when his arguments for stopping discrimination against black were not enough to change the situation. He decided to make a direct action in order to make society confront the issue.

Dr. King had the courage to face the risk and pursed non-violent call to arms. He led a social movement of equality during a time when he wasn’t supported by most. He was threatened and despised by many but he did not show reluctance or even shaken. In fact, he encouraged others by telling them cold facts

As he grew up, Martin worked hard to make his dream come true. In speeches and sermons, when he was an adult, Dr. King spoke of equality and justice and an end to segregation. He led marches of thousands of people – blacks and whites together – who shared his dream. He encouraged blacks to protest inequality by sitting in the front seats of buses and at “White Only” lunch counters. Always, he called for a non-violent protest.

Martin Luther King is a man who fought for the rights for African Americans. He believed all men were created equal. He brought attention to racial injustice.In 1963, King gave a speech that is known as “I Have a Dream” which caught the ears of many. It brought attention to how equality was a necessity for people to peacefully co-exist. He wanted to eradicate racism and discrimination to promote a better society. A society where everyone has equal freedom, where African Americans weren’t seen as inferior to those who were not of color. In his speech, he stated “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This puts emphasis on how one’s color should not destine millions of people's’ lives. It should not dictate how you are treated, how you are seen, and it should not confine your limitations of living a life free of poverty. He influenced many people to want to petition to abolish segregation and it is because of his disobedience that we have learned to love each other for who we are . His disobedience is what shaped the world to learn to appreciate our differences, for that is what makes our nation diverse and

America in the 1960s was not the finest time for African Americans, especially in the South. There was racism, injustice and inequality. However, the ‘devotees’ of the civil rights movement were dedicated and passionate about making a difference. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of those pioneers that remained true in what he believed in no matter what the circumstance.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great speaker, a role-model, and a man who wasn't afraid to "dream". Black Americans needed a Martin Luther King, but above all the world needed him. The significant qualities of this special man cannot be underestimated nor taken for granted. Within a span of thirteen years from 1955 to his death in 1968 he was able to expound, expose, and extricate America from many wrongs (Cone, 1969). Martin Luther King was such an inspirational leader because he appealed to not only the black population, but he appealed to all people who believed in equality and freedom. King, not only spoke with

Today's society would be completely different if it was not for this man. This individual is remembered as a heroic symbol of love, and as one of the greatest leaders in modern history. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American who is widely renowned as the leader in the Civil Rights Movement. People of color were segregated for years until he fought for their rights. He inspired thousands of Americans to stand up and fight for justice. Furthermore, he was an excellent writer and impeccable speaker whose public speakings and texts will be cherished forever. He was a man who believed in peace and equality and who transformed the future. To continue, an admirable feature about MLK was the methods he employed to fight for African American rights. Martin Luther King Jr.’s methods were wildly effective and admirable due to his utilization of non-violent protests, willingness to compromise, and the methods of persuasion highlighted in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, those of which were perfectly utilized to convince the intended audience.

Many people think that Martin Luther King, Jr. is great warrior because no one stood up against the government, but he stood up against oppression against his race. Even when threatened he kept fighting : “On September 30, 1956, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s house was bombed by segregationists in retaliation for the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott”. He didn’t run when he got attacked; He tried to safe everyone. For example when he experienced terrorism by a bad squad he didn’t run away. I might be very scared but Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t run away and he tried protect people from terror. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew many people thought oppression against race has to be change : “ When he was a young man, Martin Luther King wanted a career helping people. He felt that as a minister he could speak out “against racial injustice”. Following the example of the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King chose nonviolence as the keystone of his fight for civil rights”. “Biography” (“Martin”).