Putting Beliefs About Racism into Action Essay

‘Nothing mattered more to king than being an outstanding preacher. Martin Luther King had an exceptional personal some state. He was a very proud and an outspoken man. He had been ‘conditioned’ from the mere age of nine and ordained in a black church for later life purposes (1). At a young age racism surrounded him and was affected first hand. He was abused by a white mill owner purely on the colour of his skin. He also witnessed other black people suffering from violence when he saw a white mob attack and barbarically murder a black man. King was a very opinionated person and became a lead figure head publicly known on a national scale. This came to be

King told a story about a bus protest he attended in Alabama. He thought that he would have had support from the white church, but sadly he did not. The ministers, priests, and rabbis refused to “understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.” He hope that when he came to Birmingham, the white church would see the justice in King’s actions and serve “as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power

is considered the most influential leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was a very tenacious man with beliefs rooted in equality. Therefore, it is no surprise that he was less than pleased with the Christian church and its reaction to the African-American Civil Rights Movement. For despite his best efforts, it still proved increasingly more difficult for him to reach most white churches. He struggled to get through to the white churches and make it clear that even colored people are loved by God. This caused a great deal of strife between the clergymen of white churches and King. Furthermore, even members of his own church were disappointed with his timing and actions in Birmingham that led to his arrest. However, King persistently noted that he was not confined by what was legal, but by what was right. His worldview was shaped by the idea that, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” as he stated in this letter. It is for this reason that he felt such an immediate need to act on the intense discrimination happening in Birmingham, though it went against many of his fellow clergymen’s best advice. For he saw his role in the situation to be vital as he saw himself as the leader for the correction of these

Martin Luther King Jr. was an African-American Baptist minister who became the most well-known civil rights activist and leader. King Jr. strongly believed in peaceful protest, choosing to use silent rebellion in favor of violence. During a trip to Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, for a Christian Leadership Conference, King was jailed during a peaceful protest for the treatment of blacks. While in jail, King wrote a letter to fellow clergymen. In his “Letter from Birmingham City Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. used several techniques to appeal to and effectively persuade the white clergymen he was writing to regarding segregation. King clearly displays the peacefulness of his protest, the unfairness of unjustified prejudice against blacks, and reveals examples of brutality against blacks.

In my life there has been a small amount of racism. Considering that I’ve grown up in the small town in the middle of Wyoming. Although, I have surely seen the news articles on the subject of racism. Recently, there has been many encounters with this dreaded term in the larger cities. Some are reasonable, others are not so much. When looking over each story available there are a few that really jumps into my path or somewhat upset me.

Born in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. earned his doctorate Ph.D. on systematic theology at Boston University, had previously earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College and a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary, at which he had been class president. Dr. King participated in non-violent demonstrations against segregation. These non-violent protests were the reason that Dr. King was imprisoned in the Birmingham, Alabama city jail. Many people both colored and otherwise would say that, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was undeserving of this punishment. Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a response to a public statement of concern and caution from eight Southern Church ministers, about the peaceful gatherings. Dr. King lived an amazing life. At age 33 he, pressed the case of Civil Rights with President John F. Kennedy, at 34 his “I have a Dream” speech electrified the nation, at 35, Dr. King won the Noble Peace Prize, and at age 39 he was assassinated leaving behind

To begin, Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American rights activist and an impressive preacher. One day during a peaceful protest, he was arrested and sent to the Birmingham Jail. In jail, he wrote a detailed, metaphoric letter to the clergy men, speaking about the recent racism problems and how to fix it. He wrote page after page of issues, using several examples and many iconic phrases from history. Martin Luther King Jr. was not an uneducated fool, as many seen him. He knew that if he used ethos, pathos, and logos, he would get many people on his side, consisting his notable character known by the church, his ability to evoke sympathy, and his logical way to present this problem.

In the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama was arguably the most segregated city in the United States. African Americans living there were constantly berated by racist men and women, forced to never visit “white-only” areas, and were even threatened by members of the infamous Ku Klux Klan. To retaliate, African Americans decided to protest against the racial issues in a peaceful manner in order for African Americans to gain civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was among these protesters, though he was soon arrested for his involvement. While in Birmingham Jail, King received information about a letter written by several Christian clergymen named “A Call for Unity”, which was a letter to the public, specifically to African Americans, to end the protests so that peace can be kept in Birmingham.

It forced the government to do something to stop segregation. This was the turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech, “ I have a dream…” Unfortunately, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel In Memphis, Tennessee. His death and the march he participated in. led to laws being changed for black people. If he had not been motivated by his personal struggle, he might have not become the person he was, and changed the history of

In the 1950’s the Montgomery bus boycott occurred. Civil rights activists, some from NAACP, organized this boycott and handpicked Ms. Rosa Parks to participate in it, in which she later became famous for. While Rosa Parks became a known idol in the African American community at that time, Martin Luther King Jr. also was a well-known idol in the Black and Christian community altogether. Martin Luther King Jr. ended up taking over the boycott and used nonviolent resistance. He urged all followers to remain hopeful and not to be tempted to turn to violence. This was the true beginning of the black Civil Rights Movement in the state of Alabama. Martin Luther King Jr. lost his popularity for a little bit, but in 1963 was able to steal his spotlight back and he staged a series of protests against discrimination and segregation in schools and against voting rights for the African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama. Martin Luther King protested hard and eventually was taken to jail and from his jail cell he wrote a letter that belittled Americans response to the black Civil Rights movement to fellow Christians since he was a minister. He wrote to both black and white ministers questioning why they didn’t agree with his protests and told them something close to, “If they were real Christians they would support the Civil Rights movement”. He probably

Martin Luther King Jr. used his knowledge as a minister and his leadership in the community to advance his argument to end segregation. “Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their ‘thus saith the Lord’ far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my home town.” (King Letter from Birmingham). King knew that the clergymen could not go against his arguments because they would then look like hypocrites going against the world of the bible as Catholics. According to King, Jesus Christ preached his beliefs and thoughts of freedom in ancient times. King argues that he to is arguing and fighting for the freedom of his people just as Jesus did.

Thousands of people everyday ask themselves about the question of racism and social injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest leaders in racial equality. (227 God) When King speaks he reaches his entire audience, in a way that motivates without violence. In the excerpt above from the speech "Our God is Marching On!" which was delivered on March 25, 1965, you can see how King uses true life experiences to reach his followers. (227 God) This speech ended a long march which King lead. Thousands of people began this mighty walk to prove to "white" Americans that the "black" American was ready for their well-deserved rights. King explains how all these people went through "hell" to get here today and they are not going to turn around. "We ain't goin' let nobody turn us around" states King (227 God) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave blacks part of their rights, but according to King these rights are worthless without the right to vote. "…without the vote it was dignity without strength." (227 God) In this march King believes that an entire community was into motion, dealing with brutality and death across the land. This sad, yet shinning march became a major moment in the conscience of man. (228 God)

Why do people treat differently to someone if that person is from the different culture or has different skin color? Racism is the major issues today and it still exists in our schools, works, and society. Racism at the workplace is responsible for continuous mood changes, aggressive behavior, and have a bad feeling in the minds of the affected persons. This turn bad for the employer and the society. Everyone has right to do something so why do people become races. Today it was better than years ago but still, racism exists in the United States and other countries.

Rosa and three other colored women to move seats. However, Parks disobeyment led to mass support when she was later arrested and the bus boycott took place. This gained the support of thousands African-American people and not only from the ones who participated in the event. It also gained support of prominent colored members of the community. Martin Luther King Junior, a Baptist minister in Montgomery, emerged as a prominent figure for this movement. King helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization that founght to end racial segregation in the south (History-Civil Rights Movement). In August of nineteen-sixty-three, an event called the March on Washington took place, over two-hundred thousand Americans rallied for freedom and rights (Histor-March on Washingtony). At this event that King gave his iconic, “I have a dream speech,” that discussed the discriminations colored people faced, such as segregation. He states that, “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (International Business Times). King also wrote a letter in nineteen-sixty-three titled, “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” where he explained why immediate nonviolent action was necessary in order to achieve segregation (science.jrank). Due to Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat, however, that allowed all these actions to take place, and leading to African-Americans finally able

Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and civil rights leader during the 1950’s and 1960’s, preached nonviolence when advocating civil disobedience and sought to end segregation. During this time blacks faced constant discrimination and the constant threat of violence. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and sent to jail because him and a group of others were protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. He was thrown in jail for protesting something that he believed in, which was a violation of the of the first amendment of the constitution which was signed in 1787. As a result the highly anthologized “Letter from A Birmingham Jail” was created. King created this letter for social justice, and to try to create peace between the different races. Predominantly, between the blacks and whites. This letter was published in the newspaper not only for the entire community to see, but for other ministers to see as well. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted other ministers to join him for his movement to create peace and to end violence. King stated “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (“Letter From A Birmingham Jail’’). What King meant was that we cant choose a certain group to be fair to. Everyone is connected with one another. We are all connected to each other and that's why if something happens to one person it will affect all in some way. If we let bad things happen to certain people, those bad things can spread and become the norm. Martin