Martin Luther King Junior

Martin Luther king Junior is among the personalities that will never fade or blot out in historical books and in the minds of peaceable and noble people in face of the sun. Unique man in thoughts and actions made him lay his life to ensure his white and black brothers were in harmony and loving each other as the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ. His philosophy and policies were based on two issues that are equality and non violence. Being a profound and educated Christian he understood that human beings are of the same father (God) and God is love. The teachings of Jesus Christ of using nonviolent way inspired to advocate for peace and non violence way to enhance equality in America (King 44).

Martin lived in America in a time when there was a lot of racial discrimination and the blacks were discriminated against by the whites. His quest for equality made him one of the most beloved man and also the most hated man in America. Kings activists and other achievements made him a remarkable man and even today people use him as a symbol of nonviolence. The background of Martin Luther king made what he was since his father was highly influenced by the teachings of Marcus Garvey which advocated for people to go back to n Africa in the early 1920s.This philosophy made martin see the essence of equality in America. The Africans Americans were treated badly in a wrong and that, made Martin felt that something was to be done to ensure that all was okay.

On the other hand, Martin’s mother was a daughter of the most influential African American minister and that give him an upper hand to be in civil rights. Martin managed to get good school education and he ultimately studied theology where he received a bachelor in Divinity degree. When he was pursuing doctorate degree in Boston, he married his wife, Coretta Scott and that marked the beginning of his short family life. After receiving the PhD in 1955, he accepted nomination in the Dexter Street Baptist Church in the Montgomery Alabama (King 56). The nomination was marked as the beginning of activist career which was highly accepted and appreciated by the black population in America.

Among the best events that are associated with Martin Luther is advocating for nonviolence during the Memphis sanitation strike of the workers. During the 1968 sanitation workers in Memphis, the workers were protesting due to terrible working conditions, low pay and discrimination. The obvious issue is that they were not paid their dues while the other white workers went home with their money. It was disappointing and painful since they were discriminated against on the basis of their skin color the fact that made it difficult for them to feel that they were Americans.The strike started in 12th February 1968 and Martin Luther went to Memphis and supported the second march of the sanitation workers. The strike lasted for 64 days and ultimately growing to become among the major civil rights events.

The American state federation, the county, and the municipal of employees (AFSCME) and also the sanitation workers eventually demanded end of xenophobic discrimination, increased wages and recognition of their unions. The action attracted national media houses and other parties and stakeholders who also joined the cause just like the community leaders and the other members of the clergy. Finally the strike ended on 12th April 1968 upon the city of Memphis agreeing the workers demands. The non violence strategy of forcing the individuals to comply with the workers was a significant step which also applicable in the modern world (Mcclane 678).

In the Montgomery in Alabama, Martin Luther spearheaded a boycott against city buses which denied black people to sit in the front seats of the bus. The protest rapidly gained followers and ultimately dispersed countrywide and the rules were ultimately changed. Consequently, King and his companions were sent to jail though the xenophobic rules were ultimately changed. The action was considered exemplary and it was praised in all the corners of America and more especially by the blacks sand the Christian society who believed on equality in the eyes of God.This kind of peaceful revolutions are healthy for nations where bad governance is evident especially in cases of countries like Egypt, Cameron and other countries which have applied the same principles to ensure that equality is enhanced (Walton 56).

Martin’s famous speech which he delivered in Washington has been instrumental in many countries today and more especially in revolutions against bad governance. It started just as a joke in 1963, when Martin and other civil rights leaders marched to Washington DC followed by a crowd of around 200,000 followers and they were protesting against racial discrimination in the work place, schools and also minimum wages for all the workers. The demonstration was the largest gathering in the DC history and King delivered his famous speech” I have a dream “As a result of the march, the American citizen started to push the then president John F. Kennedy to pass the civil rights in the congress and later on the rights were recognized at national level. This march have enabled many countries and revolutionaries to fight for their rights and ultimately living a better life. The speech has also been highly used in many countries in their fight for freedom and equality (Mcclane 678).

The philosophy that was used by King made him popular and admirable amongst many revolutionaries. The government those in the government felt that what King was fighting was more important since he advocated for equality and non violence. His commitment to peace and use of non-violence means made his plea for change significant in the American society. Though the oppressors used brutality and force, king managed to overcome range and insisted on peaceful demonstration for him and his followers. His genuine desire for uniting of the country could not be subdued by affliction and suffering that he faced in the whole endeavor. His untimely death and suffering made the Americans feel that they had lost as powerful and significant man in their country (King 67). In the past few years, countries like South Africa used the same means to ensure that they gained their independence. The late Mandela advocated for non violence means in the course of fighting for freedom and this was a borrowing from Martin’s policies.

In conclusion, it’s evident that King was a significant leader and his efforts to civil rights movement cannot be underestimated. His work towards enhancing equality through non violence way did not only touch the oppressors only but also the entire world. Many countries which have applied the same methods in the revolutions and they have ultimately succeeded in their endeavor.

References

King, Martin Luther, and Clayborne Carson. The autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.. New York: Intellectual Properties Management in association with Warner Books, 1998. Print.

King, Martin Luther. Martin Luther King. London: Little, Brown, 1999. Print.

Mcclane, Kenneth A.. “A King’s Holiday: A Personal Reminiscence of Dr. Martin Luther King.” The Antioch Review 60.4 (2002): 678. Print.

Walton, Anthony. “A Dream Deferred: Why Martin Luther King has yet to be heard.(Martin Luther King, Jr.)(The Anatomy of Racial Inequality)(Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution)(Brown v. Board of Education: A Civil Rights M.” Harper’s Magazine 1 Aug. 2002: 34. Print.