Was King a Pan-Africanist? Martin Luther King and the African Liberation Movements

Do you know what a trendsetter is? These types of people change not only their lives, but others as well. There are many people in the world that can be characterized as trendsetters. Some examples of a trendsetter is Karl Marx, Galileo Galilei, and Martin Luther King Jr. In this essay I will be talking about focusing on Martin Luther King and how he was not only a trendsetter, but a nonconformist. I will be comparing and contrasting Dr. King to Boxer of “Animal Farm”. Boxer is my example of a conformist. These two impacted their environments a lot by making certain decisions and I will explain them.

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resolutely responds to eight clergymen who question his methods of protest against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Specifically, in paragraphs 12-14, Dr. King explains why his protests are indeed being done in a timely manner to obtain the “constitutional and God-given rights” (A Portable Anthology, page 207) that Africans have been restricted of for over 340 years. Dr. King’s argument, combined with his strategic use of rhetorical devices to enhance it, helps create a palpable feeling of understanding that captivates the audience into seeing America through his vision.

By the time of the 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the March on Washington, King had become the voice of the various perspectives of life as a Black American. He now expressed the universal voice of all his people, and he was not afraid to use it in the pursuit of equality for Blacks (Branch, 881-3). Martin Luther King’s Birmingham campaign would prove to be the

In the fifties, segregation existed in every state, but it was strongest in the South where Public Schools, transportation, hotels, and restaurants were all segregated. King convinced thousands of African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama to refuse to ride the city buses because they were segregated. For thirteen months African Americans in Montgomery walked to work instead of riding the segregated buses. Eventually, the loss of revenue and a decision by the Supreme Court forced the Montgomery Bus Company to accept integration. After his success in Montgomery, King organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which gave him a base to pursue further civil rights activities, first in the South and later nationwide. In 1960 King moved himself and his family to Montgomery to devote more of his effort towards the work of the SCLC. King traveled the country making speeches and inspiring people to become involved in the civil rights movement. King argued that as African Americans made up ten percent of the population, they had considerable economic power. By selective buying, they could reward companies that were sympathetic to the civil rights movement while punishing those who still segregated their workforce. By boycotting, they were able to pressure the companies into hiring more African Americans. King wrote a book in 1958 entitled Stride Toward

Well known speaker, writer, and so much more, Martin Luther King Jr., in his letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, provides a powerful and insightful look into what it is like being a black person during the time when America was in a battle, so to speak, against segregation. Kings purpose is to provide his readers, eight clergymen whom called his actions “unwise and untimely” (King 800), with an insight on what it is like trying to make a change in the world through peaceful negotiation but continually getting little to no result. He provides a compelling tone in order to gain the sympathy of the eight clergymen he was as addressing along with all his present and even future readers.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “A Letter From Birmingham Jail,” depicts the fight for equality by African Americans during the civil rights movement. In this letter, King uses tone, rhetorical questions, and allusions to discuss the racial segregation sweeping the nation. King’s letter is a response to “A Call For Unity,” a condemning message written by eight white clergymen who frowned upon the peaceful protests conducted by many African Americans. Although Dr. King is presently seen as an American hero, during the civil rights movement he was simply seen as just another negro attempting to break the social norm. “A Letter From Birmingham Jail,” counters the arguments made by the clergymen in a very effective way by appealing to their

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

A statement from eight white clergymen from Alabama prompted Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. This statement criticized Kings actions of non-violent protests against racial segregation and the injustice of unequal civil rights in America (Carpenter elt al.). The eight clergymen considered Birmingham to be “their” town and King was disrupting the “Law and Order and Common Sense” established in coping with racial issues in Alabama during this time (Carpenter elt al. par 1). These clergymen considered King an “outsider” and describe his actions as “unwise and untimely” (Carpenter elt al. par 3). This statement suggests that there is an appropriate time

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. refutes the condemnatory claims made by eight white Alabama clergymen. By appealing to ethos, logos, and pathos King argues that he is not an outsider and that the experience of African Americans in segregated Birmingham warrants well-intentioned demonstration and civil disobedience. In doing so, he calls attention to the clergymen’s hypocrisy and firmly garners their respect and understanding.

The first argument Martin Luther King Jr .presents in his “Letter From Birmingham…” is the reason for his struggle. Though shunned by his fellow clergyman Dr. King’s fight against North

The 20th century composed of many organizations ideologies and leaders helping to promote and advance liberation both in America and worldwide. These different entities worked to defy the social structure filled with aspects of conservatism and oppression and rather upheld the Africana sense of governance and encouraged socialism in terms of a more broad and pervasive perspective on civil rights. Additionally, many leaders, Nelson Mandela, MLK, and Madame C.J. Walker, to name a few, made domestic and international differences advancing the Africana community through different inventions,

Martin Luther King lived in a time where Negro people were faced with a multitude of social injustices. King was actively participating in passive protests opposing the laws which upheld these injustices. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” King replies to the criticism of eight clergymen, who called him and his companions extremists and law breakers (King 187). In his letter of response, King both shows his disappointment with these men, as well as plead with them to see his side. King wants his letter to make the clergymen to look past his skin color and simply see him as a brother in the church.

By going back to one’s roots, the future of developing countries resided in the “development of Africa is one of the most constructive and universally helpful missions” (Locke, 6). This direction was a form of modernization that was an improvement of relationships between African Americans and other races.

In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses logical language, arouses strong emotions and ethics which appeals especially to the clergymen he is writing to. He highlights harsh truths which that a country which highlights human rights african americans are denied so many. He argues that the african americans of this country should help to fight back nonviolently against the injustices unfolding before them, rather than staying quiet.

The primary purpose of Dr. King’s eloquent and dramatically delivered speech is that of persuasion. King’s claim is the Negro people are still not free one hundred years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This warrant is supported by King’s effective emotional appeal to his African American audience. He supports this with the following: "but one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.” This is emotional because after one hundred years of oppression, the African American community has still not achieved their cultural and economic potential according to King. He is endeavoring to persuade his audience, fellow minorities and