MARTIN LUTHER KING by Michaela DiFabio

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mdifabio — 2014-08-19 08:39:35 UTC

Martin Luther King Jr. traveled across the country and around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights as well as meeting with religious figures, activists and political leaders. Dr. King had the opportunity to meet Gandhi when he was on a month-long trip to India in 1959. Gahndi had such a big influence on Dr. King and his worldview that he described him in his autobiography as "the guiding light of our technique of non-violent social change." Dr. King also authored several books and articles during this time. His involvement with the black civil rights movement was closely related to his Protestant faith.

Over eleven years from 1957 to 1968 he travelled over 9.6 million kilometres and gave over two and a half thousand speeches. Dr. King addressed a quarter of a million people in his 'I have a dream' speech alone. During Martin Luther King's time, Negros had no equal rights and were heavily discriminated against. They were not able to cross paths with the white race as they were separated, they could not attend the same schools, they could not live in the same neighbourhood or enter the same shops. They were segregated in every aspect of their lives. Dr. King saw a need for change and fought very hard to do so. He wanted to see the nation unite where both blacks and whites were treated equally. This was very hard to do in the time where there was a lot of racism and prejudice.

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mdifabio — 2014-08-24 03:08:48 UTC

Martin Luther King went through a tremendous amount of stress whilst being an activist. As he was standing up for his nation and race, other races didn't seem to like it that much, bringing lots of negativity upon Dr. King. He was continuously bombarded with death threats, making it a very stressful situation for him. However, as Martin Luther King was very strong and passionate about what he stood for, these people did not hold him back. Dr. Martin Luther King felt the responsibilities of his race, he wanted a better future for not only his on children, but also the generations to follow. Through these struggles, it was his followers that kept him going in order to one day fulfil his dream.

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mdifabio — 2014-08-24 03:16:23 UTC

After researching about Martin Luther King i have found that he is not only a very inspiring man, but has also reminded me how every single person should be treated equally and unite, despite our differences as human beings. Dr. King has inspired me to fight for what i believe is morally right in life, and to not let anyone hold me back with any sort of negativity. By researching such a powerful topic, it has opened my eyes to how horribly people were treated and knowing that some people to this day are experiencing discrimination because they come from a different race or religion is heart breaking. What was even more inspiring to me about Martin Luther King was that he knew that there was a 'promise land' and that he had seen it through God and would only be a matter of time until the nation would recognise, that in order to progress and be successful they had to unite. This has enhanced my worldview as he has given us hope for the future and that we can all change under difficult circumstances. Through Dr. Kings inspiring words, i hope that we can soon become tolarent of one another and live in peace forever.

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mdifabio — 2014-08-24 03:18:25 UTC

On the 15^th of January 1929 a hero was born, named Martin Luther King. Martin’s birth name is Michael, however was later named Martin after his father, a Baptist Minister. Growing up, King attended Morehouse College, a distinguished institution for black people, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. When attending college, Martin formed a life-long friendship with teacher Benjamin Mayes, which together with both his father and Mayes' influence, led Martin to the Church.

King graduated from Morehouse in 1948 and undertook postgraduate study first at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and then, in 1951, at Boston University's School of Theology. Once there he completed his dissertation which, it was later revealed, had been partially plagiarised, and won his doctorate in 1955. It was in Boston that he met his wife Coretta Scott, who he married in 1953.In 1954, he became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where Rosa Parks was famously arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus.

Martin Luther King had very strong religious beliefs, which was the theory behind his activism. Christianity to Martin was "a spirit of brotherhood made manifest in social ethics.” Kings most famous speech that inspired millions, "i had a dream" was primarily based on the symbolism of hope and faith.

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mdifabio — 2014-08-24 03:21:35 UTC

Martin Luther King worked on an act in parliament that would guarantee the voting rights of the black community in America. This then led to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The negro's now had a say on issues which effected them, instead of being persecuted against. From this time on, King became more and more concerned with the poverty of those in America - both black and white. For whatever reason, Dr. King became more radical - or so it seemed to those who distrusted him. He used the word "revolution" in some of his speeches and he voiced his opposition to the Vietnam war. King also became involved in trade union issues. All of his work changed the way the white population acted towards the other races, especially the negros. The generations to follow would prove to be more tolerant and accepting towards coloured people and not have such a narrow minded view. Change was forced upon society, by those whom were suffering inequality. Although King stressed nonviolence, even when confronted by violence, those who did not seek change turned to violence. Protestors were beaten, sprayed with high-pressure water hoses, tear-gassed, and attacked by police dogs. There were also numerous bombings at black churches and other locations which took a large number of lives; both black and white. Those who wanted protested for civil rights such as the right to vote were murdered, but the movement went on. Until change was forced, Martin Luther King along with his followers kept fighting in a peaceful manner. One example of this was the "i have a dream' speech, which attracted over 500,000 people. Governments of the day were forced to listen and make change. Whilst protesting against equal rights, Martin Luther king and his followers offended the narrow-minded white people as they didn't want change and were happy with the way things were. White people of the day lived in fear of the negros. one way to keep them under control was to make sure they were segregated and did not have the same rights.

Bibliography

mdifabio — 2014-08-25 02:39:16 UTC

Bibliography

mdifabio — 2014-08-26 04:28:41 UTC

"Martin Luther King." Martin Luther King. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/martin_luther_king.htm

"Why Justice Matters: The Indictment & Trial Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On Tax Charges." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/01/20/why-justice-matters-the-indictment-trial-of-dr-martin-luther-king-on-tax-charges/

"About Dr. King." The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king

"Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination." Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. http://www.martinlutherking.org/

BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/martin_luther_king.shtml