King evokes many of the philosophical premises that justified Gandhi in his actions, and explicitly mentions another famous social agitator -- Socrates -- in the hopes of solidifying the logical foundations of the notion of social protest.
When it comes to commitment and communication, the two can easily be displayed in the case of King through his famous letter from the Birmingham jail, where King demonstrated both his ability to communicate his message, and to undergo deplorable treatment -- through commitment -- in the name of his cause. Essentially, King believes that taking direct action is necessary, despite the possibility of conflict, to bring individuals and society as a whole to a crisis point, at which they are forced to face the truths that they have kept hidden from themselves -- either consciously or subconsciously. He writes, "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a…...
mlaReferences:
Blank, Warren. (1995). The 9 Natural Laws of Leadership. New York: American
Management Association.
Browning, Christopher R. (1991). Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. New York: Harper Collins.
Colaiaco, James. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. Brooklyn: Carlson
This dramatically altered American life and our prejudices, in today's world, racial superiority is seen as ignorant and untolerable.
Another area that Dr. King has changed our prejudices is in redefining our understanding of democracy and liberty. Dr. King's poetic speeches and his magnetic presence left a mark on how we interpret democracy within the United States. Previous to the Civil Rights movement, Americans believed that voting, democratic participation and general social involvement was exclusive to caucasions by right of birth. Dr. King showed that this perspective goes against the fundamentals of our Constitution and the principles our nation was founded under. Through his efforts, we now understand the value of democracy and equality as founding principles for our success.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the society and the fundamental principles of the United States. His composure, wisdom and spirituality became the lynchpin for the success of the Civil Rights…...
Martin Luther King, Jr.
There are people in this world who are self-interested and live with a single purpose: to promote themselves and better their living situation. Then there are other people who work and sacrifice in order to make the lives of other people better. Martin Luther King, Jr. is most assuredly one of the latter types of people. He is revered as a person who made the ultimate sacrifice in order to secure the civil rights of African-Americans. King was imprisoned, arrested multiple times, suffered physical injuries, and was then assassinated because of his actions as a leader of the period. Martin Luther King is a heroic person because he led fellow African-Americans on successful boycotts and protests in order to oppose segregation and prejudice, organized the March on ashington where he gave his "I Have a Dream" speech which inspired all those who heard it then and subsequent…...
mlaWorks Cited
King, Jr., Martin Luther. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. Clayborne Carson. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1992. Print.
Manheimer, Ann. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Dreaming of Equality. New York, NY: Twenty-First
Century Books, 2004. Print.
Singleton, Carl and Wildin, Rowena. The Sixties in America. Salem, MA: Salem Press, 1999.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Influences of Heredity and Family
Influence of Environment
ole of Social Support Systems
Theoretical Approach Explaining Individual's Behaviors and Achievements
Life Span Development and Personality
The history of world is full of examples of personalities who belonged to humble surroundings but emerged to change the fate of nation. There have been uncountable instances when a person breaks centuries' old accepted customs and makes a new way to follow for all the ones around him. It is important to discuss what gives him the courage to disregard the old traditions and make his own way. Clearly, there is a vision which does not let a person stay contented with present circumstances and forces him to do something new and good to the people. Vision is the product of development psychology and this paper is about development psychology in which the concepts are applied on the personality of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The…...
mlaReferences
Alaxander, L. (2010). Encyclopedia of African-American History, Volume 1. USA: ABC-CLIO
Devillier, C. (2001). Martin Luther King, Jr. USA: ABDO.
Echols, J. (2004). I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King Jr. And the Future of Multicultural America. USA: Fortress Press.
Hornsby, A. (2004). Southerners, Too? Essays On The Black South 1733-1990. USA: University Press of America.
Martin Luther King Speech
Critical Analysis of "I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The last speech Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered has been popularly referred to as the "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech (). Dr. King delivered this speech on April 3, 1968 at the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. Following this speech on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis. In this oration primarily focused on the concerns regarding the Memphis Sanitation Strike, Dr. King males a call for nonviolent protesting, economic action, boycotts, and unity. He further challenges the United States of America to uphold the ideals established in some of the most famous legislative documents posited that outline the principles of the right to protest and assemble non-violently, the right to the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom and liberty for…...
mlaReferences
King Jr., M. (1968). I've been to the mountaintop." Retrieved 6 January 2011 from http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm
Martin Luther King Jr.
Beyond Vietnam
According to Dr. King, President Johnson's desire to end poverty and provide economic opportunity for all Americans was "shot down on the battlefields of Vietnam." This is an observation that he makes bearing the events that followed the almost three decades long battle in Vietnam and to the date of April 4, 1967 when he officially delivered his speech renouncing the war, King recounts that there were no substantial resolutions brought forth and instead there were losses that came as a result of the war.
This is a position that I agree with in totality, bearing the facts that are displayed in the speech and the realities of the time that they depicted. One of the outstanding reasons that indicates the war in Vietnam was an economic burden to Americans was actually in the roots before the war where Americans were footing 80% of the cost of…...
mlaReferences
Beyond Vietnam, (2012). A Time to Break Silence. Retrieved July 1, 2012 from http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2564.htm
Eyes on the Price, (2012). The Promised Land. Retrieved July 1, 2012 from http://america.docuwat.ch/videos/?alternative=1&channel_id=0&skip=150&subpage=video&video_id=149
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The mid-twentieth century was a time of much reform for many Americans, and even more push for equality amongst African-Americans. Amongst the leaders of the well-known African-American movements toward desegregation and equality for black rights was the activist Martin Luther King, Jr. A renowned and respected pastor and a man well-known for his peace movements within the African-American revolts and the anti-war protests against Vietnam, there is no wonder that the United States celebrates Dr. King's achievements in history. Without his contributions to America, who is to say how much reform could have happened?
King led an educated life. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929 to Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Sr. And wife Alberta Williams King (King, n.d.). By the time he was 15, he attended Morehouse College and became a Baptist minister by 17. In 1951, Dr. King graduated at Crozer Theological Seminary and…...
mlaReferences
Barnett, D. (1992). The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Volume I. Magill's Book Reviews, 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. (n.d). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
King, Martin Luther Jr., (1957, May). Give Us the Ballot. Retrieved from
King, Martin Luther Jr., Initials. (1963, August). I Have a Dream. Retrieved from
ith faith comes confidence. A person that stands on faith stands on a solid rock that cannot be shaken. hen a person of faith walks into a crowd of doubters the sense of confidence is contagious. The most striking characteristic of Martin Luther King's speeches is the faith that he exuded to the crowd. By the end of the speech, the crowd embraced the same faith that change will come that was expressed by Martin Luther himself. This contagious confidence produced a crowd of people that exuded confidence beyond belief.
Fear is the most common cause and association with violence. hen a reasonable person has been pushed to their limits, the will often turn to violence, when they have nowhere else to turn. Fear gives the impression that a person is frightened and that they are down to their last resort. This is the point that Malcolm X missed, and…...
mlaWorks Cited
James Cone, Martin and Malcolm in America. New York: Orbis Books, 2006.
Hall, S. I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King.. The Western Journal of Black Studies.. Vol. 25. Num. 4. 2001. pp. 240-246.
King, Martin Luther Jr., Strength to Love. Fortress Press, 1981.
King, Martin Luther Jr., Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech. Oslo, December 10, 1964. < l.> Accessed May 25 Accessed May 25, 2007.http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-acceptance.html .
... we noticed all over the polo grounds almost a half million people.... I could hear people shouting all over that vast audience, "Freedom, Freedom!" before I knew it, I started weeping. I was crying for joy.... And I could hear that old Negro spiritual once more crying out: 'Free at last, free at last, Great God Almighty, I'm free at last (Carson).'" Finally, Dr. King pointed out that," "The thing that impressed me more than anything else that night was when Nkrumah and his other ministers who had been in prison with him walked in. They didn't come in with the crowns and all of the garments of kings. They walked in with prison caps....Often the path to freedom will carry you through prison (Carson)."
Beginning in 1965 King started expressing his doubts over America's war in Vietnam. On April 4, 1967 King vocally expressed his doubts about the war…...
mlaWorks Cited
Clayborn Carson. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. Warner Books: 2001
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-Peace Prize Recipient." Top Blacks. 2001. Aug. 10, 2005:
http://www.topblacks.com/civil-rights/martin-luther-king-jr.htm
Have a Dream- Speech by Martin Luther King." Write Spirit. Aug. 28, 1963. Aug. 12, 2005:
King then proceeds to compare just and unjust laws by referring to St. Thomas Aquinas who declared that an "unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law" or those created by God. "Any law that uplifts human personality is just," while "any law that degrades human personality is unjust" ("Letter," Internet).
These unjust laws, in the eyes of Dr. King, are those which forced his fellow African-Americans in the 1950's and 1960's to live under a repressive system of segregation, discrimination and racial bias designed by powerful and influential white Americans, such as those in the federal government and many state and local jurisdictions, especially in the Deep South where African-Americans were viewed as second-class citizens and undeserving of the rights and privileges afforded to white Americans. Dr. King then points out that the 1954 Supreme Court decision which made segregation illegal "is…...
mlaBibliography
Letter from Birmingham Jail." University of Pennsylvania. Internet. Retrieved at http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html .
Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham City Jail." USInfo.state.gov. February 2007. Internet. Retrieved at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=February&x=20070205165927eaifas0.9735529.
Martin Luther King: "I have a Dream" a Timeless Speech
Since the beginning of recorded time there has been discrimination against various people for several different reasons, however the one main reason, simply put, is that they deviate from the norm or are different in some way. Among the groups against who are discriminated are African-American people who have taken many generations of harsh treatment. Because of this horrible alienation there have been great civil rights activists. Perhaps the most famous of all is Doctor Martin Luther King Junior, a peaceful civil rights leader who, through his famous "I Have A Dream" speech gave a call to all African-Americans and other persecuted groups to stand up and be free, for America to honor our words "All men are created equal."
King's speech begins by speaking about how, still, a Negro is not free and still lives in the poverty stricken corners of…...
hy and how Black Power, Nation of Islam, and other approaches to racial and social justice were overshadowed by King's version can be traced to the fact that King's approach had a more universal appeal.
King was able to become the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement because he was willing to engage in dialogue with white leaders, which was often a difficult and daunting task given the fact that many white leaders systematically and publicly denounced King. Some white leaders criticized King's actions as being too extreme, which is ironic considering the fact that many black leaders criticized King's actions for not being extreme enough ("March on ashington for Jobs and Freedom"1). King understood that it was necessary, at least at first, to work within the prevailing systems, frameworks, and institutions -- even if those institutions and frameworks were part of the dominant culture. King was not necessarily in…...
mlaWorks Cited
"March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." Martin Luther King, Jr. And the Global Freedom Struggle. Retrieved online: http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_march_on_washington_for_jobs_and_freedom/
"SNCC." Retrieved online: http://www.ibiblio.org/sncc/
Martin Luther King, Jr.
When Martin Luther King, Jr. was growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, during the 1930s, he promised his mother: "I'm going to turn this world upside down." A number of years later, he followed his dream and became the leader of America's civil rights movement (Pastan, 5). During his 13 short years of advocacy, King helped Americans recognize the wrongs that were being done against black Americans and, through nonviolent means, offered a way that the United States could rectify its inequities and offer freedom to people of all backgrounds.
On the evening of December 1, 1955, a well-dressed black woman by the name of osa Parks boarded the Montgomery, Alabama, city bus after work. When told to move into the "blacks only" section of the bus, she refused. She was arrested and put in jail for violating the segregation laws. At the jail, she was not allowed water…...
mlaReferences Cited
Bullard, Sara. Freedom at Last. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center, 1989.
deKay, James. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Random House, 1969.
Dunn, John. Civil Rights Movement. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998.
Kallen, Stuart. The 1950s. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1999.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
As one of the world's most famous supporters of social change through non-violent means, Martin Luther King, Jr. pulled many of his ideas from numerous cultural traditions. orn in Atlanta during a time of extreme racial unrest, he grew up in a religious family who considered the church an instrument for improving the lives of African-Americans.
Several supporters of Christian social activism persuaded Martin Luther King, Jr. To become a minister after his junior year at Morehouse College and serve society. He completed a Ph.D. And returned to the south to serve as a minister in Montgomery, Alabama.
days after Rosa Parks, civil rights activist, had refused to obey the city's rules about segregation on city buses - African-American citizens launched a bus boycott and elected Martin Luther King, Jr. As the president of the newly-formed Montgomery Improvement Association.
The boycott continued during 1956 and Martin Luther King, Jr. gained…...
mlaBibliography
Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Compiled by Prof. Melvin Sylvester. Long Island University. Accessed on 23 Apr. 2003. [ http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/mlking.htm ]
Chew, Robin. Martin Luther King, Jr. American Civil rights Leader. Accessed on 23 Apr. 2003. [http://www.lucidcage.com/lucidcafe/library/96jan.king.html]
King, Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream." Elements of literature. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Inc., 1993
Scott King, Coretta. My Life with Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Henry Holy, 1993.
Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X:
Comparing their Messages
Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X are two of the most famous Black American leaders who influenced the African-American's struggle for emancipation during their lifetimes and left legacies that have proved to be even more influential after their premature deaths. Both leaders were contemporaries with similar goals but with widely different personalities and equally contrasting strategies for achieving them. Both men were fiery orators who moved all those who heard them. The message of Malcolm and King has been discussed and debated long after the assassins' bullets silenced the two great men in the turbulent decade of the 60s. This paper is a comparison of the messages of the two black leaders.
The Pacifist and the Radical
Martin Luther King Jr. was essentially a man of peace, a passionate believer in non-violence and the Gandhian doctrine of non-violent struggle (Satyagraha). He believed that…...
mlaWorks Cited
Finkelman, Paul. "Malcolm X" Article in Microsoft Encyclopedia Encarta, 2002
Large, Jerry. "Martin & Malcolm -- two differing voices." Seattle Times. 2002. Seattletimes.com. November 25, 2002. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/legacy/large.html
Malcolm Quotations." Official Web Site of Malcolm X 2000. November 25, 2002. http://www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/quotes.html
Norrell, Robert J. "Martin Luther King Jr." Article in Microsoft Encyclopedia Encarta, 2002
Gandhi is one of the most fascinating people in all of recent history. An advocate of passive resistance, he not only helped free India from British oppression, but also inspired the 1960s Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Gandhi’s work is so well-known that his name has become synonymous with both peace and leadership. However, his personal life was marred by some controversies, suggesting that even great men can have terrible flaws. We cannot possibly tell you all about Gandhi in a few paragraphs; his life and his life’s work....
The Forgotten Chapters of American History: Uncovering Lesser-Known but Captivating Essay Topics
Beyond the familiar narratives of the American Revolution, Civil War, and westward expansion, American history is a tapestry woven with countless lesser-known stories that offer valuable insights and provoke thought. Here are some intriguing essay topics that illuminate hidden aspects of our nation's past:
1. The Forgotten Pioneers: Exploring the Contributions of Women in the Transcontinental Railroad
While the construction of the transcontinental railroad is often attributed to male workers, over a thousand women played a crucial role as cooks, laundresses, nurses, and telegraph operators. Their contributions were essential to the....
1. Analyze a persuasive speech given by a political leader and evaluate the effectiveness of their rhetoric.
2. Examine an advertisement or commercial and analyze the rhetorical strategies used to sell a product or service.
3. Compare and contrast the rhetorical techniques used in two different speeches on a similar topic.
4. Analyze a controversial public figure's use of rhetoric and how it influences public perception.
5. Investigate how social media influencers use rhetoric to persuade their audience.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of rhetorical techniques used in a famous courtroom speech or closing argument.
7. Analyze the use of rhetorical devices in a piece of literature....
I. Introduction
A. Brief explanation of protests as a form of activism
B. Thesis statement: Protests serve as a powerful tool for advocating social, political, and economic change.
II. Historical Context of Protests
A. Overview of significant protests throughout history
1. Civil rights movement in the United States
2. Anti-apartheid movement in South Africa
3. Women's suffrage movement
B. The impact of these protests on society
III. Types of Protests
A. Peaceful demonstrations and marches
1. Examples of successful peaceful protests
a. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington
b. Gandhi's Salt March in India
2. Benefits of peaceful protests
B. Civil....
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