Each year a fundamental question arises. Young people especially want to know, "Why do we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? The following is a brief analysis which can be duplicated and shared with schools, churches, organizations and the media.
Early in our country's history, almost all black people came here as slaves. Because people in the South felt they needed cheap labor in building the land and because black people in Africa knew how to farm land like that in the South, they were taken from their homes and forced to come to America. Upon arriving in this country, they were sold to whites as slaves without rights or freedoms.
In 1776, the American Colonies declared their freedom from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that "all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That is, Jefferson declared that all citizens have the rights to be free from oppression and have equal opportunities in pursuing their goals. These ideals have been called the American Dream.
To best achieve these ideals, the people of the United States developed their government along democratic principles in which the people choose who will lead them and decide which laws should guide them. The Constitution is a document that tells how leaders are to be chosen and how laws are to be made. The laws can be changed, usually when a majority votes
This leads to the Declaration of Independence which was adopted July 4, 1776. This document was meant as a self-esteem boost for the new Americans; giving them inalienable rights. “The most important statement in the declaration is the human rights, where the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are extolled” (Gaynor). “He [Thomas Jefferson] wrote: "... it was intended to be an expression of the American mind" (Early America). Jefferson meant that the American people wanted freedom from high taxes and the big government in England.
After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped
Not all children are born into the perfect situation, some children are born into a drug oriented and gang related family. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” This a powerful quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. how we can benefit a student’s life. The Giving Children a Mulligan in Life interest group would be a locally funded group in Atlanta which would teach life lessons through the game of golf in a fun and interactive way. “Giving Children a Mulligan in Life” would help with the record high levels of dropouts in this city. Certainly with Atlanta having one of the highest dropout rates in not just Georgia, but in United States at 59.1% with an 8% rise in the last two years reported by the Georgia’s Department of Education (2014) is more than enough of a reason for this group to exist.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (qtd. in Allison 65). Before 1776, Colonial America was a colony of Great Britain. Then, when their mother country became too oppressive, brave revolutionaries planned a Declaration of Independence to rid themselves of their bonds. This document launched the colony into The Revolutionary War with Great Britain. Eventually, The United States of America gained independence at the hands of many brave men and women. Prominent among these heroes and heroines is Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Apart from the
The importance of The Declaration of Independence remains to be as worthy in the present day as the formal statement was in 1776, when composed by Thomas Jefferson. The principle behind Jefferson’s pronouncements was to express, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” (Declaration of Independence; par. 2). To this day, these principles are the guidelines America follows to support our government, the people’s rights and the economy.
Martin Luther King Jr dedicated his life fighting to end discrimination against African-American men, women, and children. Martin did not believe in violence at all and would use kindness and love as opposed to violence and hate, this would help set the tone of his iconic movement to end racism. Martin was able to prove that a world without violence can be successful. He would be able to establish equal voting rights between the black and white people, and establish that all nations must treat all people equal no matter their skin color.
On July 4th, 1776 the Continental congress declared freedom by adopting a document named “the unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” (traditions and encounters). This document included 4 parts including why the thirteen colonies were separating from the British Empire. The most important part of this document was the justification of the rights of American citizens. It declared that “men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain and unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (traditions and encounters). This quote still rings true with Americans to this day.
After reading and analyzing Dr.Kings “Remaining Awake during a Revolution” commencement speech that he presented at Oberlin College during his graduation ceremony; he wanted the people to have a good visual on what he was explaining and talking about. King wanted to inform the people about what was going; so he used allusions, statics, and logos.
As American broke away from the Great Britain powers, the idea of an American Dream began to take shape. Written by our founding fathers in 1776, the Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
Socrates, a Greek philosopher, gave the foundation of the logic and philosophy known today. In Crito, he claims that one should never do wrong and, one should never do wrong in return no matter what the outcome or circumstances are. Similarly, Martin Luther King argues that one should not fight back violently but should fight back in a peaceful manner. In this essay, I argue that Socrates’ argument about never doing wrong and never to do wrong in return to be convincing. Also, I argue that Martin Luther King’s argument is justifiable.
In the eighteenth century, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which states the Colonies' emancipation from its motherland, England. Jefferson's famous quote derived from the Declaration, "... held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" (Jefferson) is considered as the foundation of the American Dream. As mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," (Jefferson). The government was formed to protect the rights of people and that its power comes from the citizens themselves. Jefferson's vision of the American Dream consists of a democratic government that has the ability to adapt to and meet the needs of the people's will and wishes as well as equality amongst all.
I believe in art because it expresses a scenario closer to reality than any other form of movement. Art can make a person cry, or laugh, or scream just by relating with society’s feelings, repeating history, and letting creativity fly. It teaches people about tragedies going on now, or in the past, such as the heart throbbing dance choreography known as Legacy. My grandmother and I watched the production at a studio I’ve taken classes at for about one and a half years. Although my body forced itself to try its hardest during class, I was never completely intrigued in the movement, so combinations just seemed like steps. When we came into the small theater in University City, St. Louis, we gasped at the white, foaming ocean of tissues sweeping
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
A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream…" are the famous words stated by Martin Luther King
"All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among there are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". It is in this sentence from the Declaration of Independence, that the idea of the American dream has its roots. The phrase, “the American dream” can mean many different things, but among the most basic interpretation is that America is a land of opportunity and freedom for all who come to it. The idea of the American dream has influenced people to come to America in search of economic opportunities, political choice, and religious freedom.