Martin Luther King, Jr. and Racial Discrimination Essay

A quick review of the current headlines of the Statess newspapers, blogs and chat rooms speaks volumes about the advances that Afri piece of tail-Americans devote make in the quest to give equality in a nation that proclaims self-direction and justice for all, yet has sadly fallen short of delivering that check to minorities in decades past. This, of course, brings to mind the campaign to end racial discrimination, a struggle that owes an endless gratitude to Martin Luther king, junior a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.Sadly, poove lost his manner to an assassins bullet ironically, this query go out sample that Martin Luther index, Jr. s fight and dedication to peace and bring down the way in which he tried to end racial discrimination, and he never used force to reach his end result. Who Was Martin Luther king, Jr? If it is possible to to the full understand the mindset of Martin Luther King, Jr. , his mission and methods, it is important to likewise gain a better understanding of who he was as not merely a social advocate but similarly as a human being.A simple quote from the last speech that King ever gave, prior to his tragic take so early in life, speaks a great deal about his philosophy and faith I just want to do Gods get out, and he has allowed me to go up to the mountain (Dyson, 2000, p. 2) In saying this, what King was trying to cause was that he was not motivated by fame, wealth or individual(prenominal) recognition, but rather that he was motivated by what is right, and that he had been apt(p) the privilege of using his wisdom and popularity to gain equality for all Americans, unheeding of their race.When looking back on the writings and speeches of King, it works apparent that he rightfully advocated non- convulsive natural processs to achieve his goals and realize his dream, but he in addition realized that it would be necessary for blood to shed, probably his most of all, for the dream to co me to life. In fairness, it would neither be fair nor correct to depict Martin Luther King, Jr.as a saint or a supernatural figure, no occasion how impressive his actions in his life and the sacrificial nature of his death. In its purest sense, Kings message held that it is legally, morally and philosophically the right thing for everyone to have equal rights, regardless of their race. What he intended was for everyone to have the opportunity to prove their abilities, advance based their hard work and initiative and improve their timeworn of living as much as anyone else.However, it would seem that King has created a monster of sorts, as his message has been perverted for selfish purposes over the old age to indicate that minorities should be given preference because of prior deprivations and disadvantages, something which creates a respectable level of friction amidst races in America to the present day. Additionally, it has been so-called by Kings critics that he resorted to grandstanding as a content of gaining attention for his cause (Greenblatt, 2008).Suffice it to say that King, in the final abstract was not a superhero, nor was he all style and no substance. In actuality, he was an intelligent, motivated individual who was driven by zeal to furbish up a difference in the world, eradicate wrongs that he observed in that world, and try to generate harmony for minorities and non-minorities through the promotion of peace between the two groups.Simply put, King was human, but doing everything humanly possible to outpouring above the limitations of what he saw as an unjust world. Turning handcuffs into Freedom Perhaps one of the clearest statements of Kings support of non-violent action in order to eradicate injustice and discrimination anywhere that it existed in the get together States can be found in his writing that would become known as Letter from Birmingham Jail.The letter came into existence when King was arrested as a result of his prote sting activities in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, which as that time and place was believed by many to be the most racially segregated and prejudiced city in the United States of America. Adding insult to injury, the clergy of Birmingham leveled the allegement that King and his groups of non-violent protesters who came to Birmingham were in fact outsiders who were essentially interfering with matters that they had no blood line being involved with in the first place.Taking a accredited level of offense at this accusation, King addressed his letter right away to the clergy of Birmingham who were making the accusations and managed to cleverly outline his strategies for achieving meaningful swap without using violence, the author for doing so throughout Biblical texts and secular history accounts, and precisely what he and his many fellow advocates intended to realize in the end after(prenominal) the actions took place (Abcarius & Klotz, 2007). Additionally, some other facets of t he letter deserve recognition.King uses monetary value like loyalty and sacred values to make the argument that the fighting to end discrimination is something that is not only of the mind of all people, but also a matter of the heart. Further, he makes the assertion that the level of difficulties that existed in Birmingham made involvement by outsiders not only appropriate, but also necessary. Thus, it can be fairly argued that King was ready, willing and able to altruistically embark on a crusade of freedom, wherever that crusade happened to form him. Kings Death Gave Added Life to His DreamAs this research was introduced, the point was made that ironically, a non-violent activist like Martin Luther King, Jr. had his life prematurely snuffed out by a violent act on the part of an individual whose sole motivation seemed to be violence in order to reach his goal (Kukathas, 2008). Adding to the irony of Kings murder is that his assassin intended for the murder to also kill Kings d ream of equality for all, but in the final analysis, the exact diametrical took place. As tragic as his death was, it seemed to speak a billion words, telling everyone that racial hatred is not only wrong, but could also be fatal.When faced with life and death, many soon realized that a better dialogue on the issue of race was necessary. While the itinerary to equality would be slow, it was aided by the sacrifice made by Martin Luther King, Jr. upon his death. King in Context and Conclusion As has been seen in this research, Martin Luther King, Jr. was more motivated than perfect, active than violent. In fact, the point has been made by examining pivotal writings of King and his historic record of activism that he made the progress that he did without ever raising a violent hand to anyone.Therefore, in conclusion, what is seen in King is a non-violent catalyst for change in a world that sadly, was too violent to allow him to cover up living in it. While those who would come afte r him would attempt to change by reversal his words for their own benefit and depict King as something that he was not, over the course of history, it has been proven that the quality of what he offered to the world has withstood the test of time and when it is revitalized and used as he designed it, can continue to be successful in the modern United States of America. Hopefully, it will continue to do so as time moves forward.Works Cited Abcarias, R. & Klotz, M. (Eds) (2007). lit The Human Experience of Reading and Writing. Boston Bedford/St. Martins Press. Dyson, M. E. (Ed) (2000). The True Martin Luther King, Jr. New York The Free Press Greenblatt, A. (2008). The Legacy of Disadvantage in the United States Kukathas, U (Ed) (2008). Race and Ethnicity. Farmington Hills, MI Greenhaven Press