The Economics Of Organized Crime Essay, Research Paper

Martin Luther King, Jr.; Teacher and Martyr Each year on the third Monday in January, thousands of Americans, including thepresident, gather to celebrate the triumphs of one man. Martin Luther King, Jr. is rememberedfor many reasons, but he is commemorated most commonly because of his role as one of theprincipal leaders of the American civil rights movement. As his family was of great importanceto him, King dreamed that one day all Americans would realize a national brotherhood. Hefought for a day when racial injustices and inequality would be abolished. He was a greatmany things to the American people, but most prominently, King was a teacher, and a martyrduring the fight for freedom. By preaching to the public about the unjustness of racism, and bysharing his dream of a better future where all the citizens of the nation would act as one family,Martin Luther King Jr. influenced people to break the chains of discrimination. King s role inthe fight for equal rights made an impact on society, however, prejudice still exists in just asmany ways as it had decades ago. The fight for freedom is in no means an easy battle, andalthough our society has come a long way, salvation is still beyond our reach. During the early years of the pursuit of freedom, Martin Luther King, Jr. spent a lot oftime in the public eye discussing the injustices brought down upon the black people. Bypreaching about the horror of slavery and oppression, and by sharing his vision of a betterfuture, King was teaching Americans to be freedom fighters. In doing so, King hoped thatmore and more people of all races would join in the battle for brotherhood. King succeeded inconvincing many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United Statesthrough his powers of speech. Not only did King have a powerful speaking manner, but hiswords conveyed effective mental images that helped anyone in attendance to conceive exactlywhy he felt so passionately about the fight for equal rights. In 1963, King gave his mostfamous speech which was comprised of some very cogent imagery. King was able toinfluence people into seeing what a terrible thing discrimination was by using theserepresentations. By speaking of the Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames ofwithering injustice , King only begins to depict the horrors of prejudice. Segregation lawsprohibited African Americans from using the same entrances, bathrooms and water fountainsas white people. Because of these rules, and many other restrictions laid upon the black man,King was right in saying that the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregationand chains of discrimination. King then preached that he hoped to lift our nation from thequicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. In saying this, King wasexpressing how a nation acting as one family would bring salvation to every American. Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of images of past injustices, he also spoke of his

dream for the future. The attainment of national brotherhood and equality for all Americanswould mean that the citizens of the country in its entirety had finally realized and accepted thatultimately all men are created equal. When King gave his I have a dream speech in 1963,it was said to be only a beginning. It was not the first effort in history made towards equality,but it was the start of a change in attitudes towards African Americans. This speech paved theway for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This allowed for the desegregation of schools, althoughthis was resisted for a few years in the South. The Civil Rights Bill outlawed racialdiscrimination in public accommodations and by employers and unions. 1964 was also the yearthat Martin Luther King, Jr. received a Nobel Peace prize for his efforts as a freedom fighter. In 1965, the black populace of the United States received the right to vote. Three years later,Congress prohibited racial discrimination in federally financed housing. As the years passed,every American gained equal rights, segregation was completely abolished, and racistattitudes died down. It would appear that Martin Luther King, Jr. s dream has finally been realized, however,prejudice still runs through the blood of some Americans. African Americans have receivedthe equal rights they sought out, but a national brotherhood is still yet to be obtained. Althoughwhite supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, aren t as commonly heard from as theymight have been thirty years ago, they still exist. Currently, there are approximately fivehundred hate groups operating in the United States. The list of race-inspired crimes and policebrutality are endless. One well known instance of police beating because of his race is theRodney King instance, which ultimately spawned the numerous riots in 1992. Martin LutherKing, Jr. once said that whatever affects one individual directly, affects all indirectly , and insaying this, he demonstrated his belief that even if all but one citizen had turned their back ondiscrimination, they would not achieve a collective unity. Brotherhood would be impossible forall in the country if there was one person who had hatred in their heart. Until Americans as anation can learn to love and accept people regardless of their race or religion, we will nevertruly be free. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that only when we achieve perfect unity will freedom ringacross the nation. He was a professor to all who would listen, and to them he would teach theimportance of brotherhood. Edward Kennedy once entitled King as a modern day prophet ,but this is still to be seen, as his visions have not yet been realized. Instead, he died whilefighting for freedom, making him a martyr for his cause and for his people. After hisassassination in 1968, King became a symbol of protest in the struggle for racial justice. JoanBaez once sang Sleep tonight, and may your dreams be realized. For the sake of the UnitedStates, may all King s aspirations come true. For if a nation can achieve national brotherhood,then global unity is almost in our grasp.