Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished numerous remarkable feats during his lifetime, one of which was being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is among five prestigious awards presented to exceptional individuals in literature, medicine, chemistry, physics, and peace. Alfred Nobel, a renowned figure who invented dynamite, established this prize by allocating a substantial sum of money for these honors.
According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize is to be given by a council of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. The recipient of the prize should be someone who has accomplished outstanding work in promoting peace among nations, reducing or eliminating standing armies, and organizing peace conferences. Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833, in Stockholm, Germany. His parents were Immanuel and Andriette Nobel. Immanuel Nobel was an intelligent individual and had successfully established a machine shop that produced land mines, which is closely connected to his son’s remarkable invention of dynamite.
Fonderies & Ateliers Mecaniques Nobel & Fils, the company, provided the Nobel family with a better life than they had before, even though they were not wealthy. Despite living in a small wooden house, the Nobels prioritized their children’s education. Ivan Peterov, a Russian teacher, instructed them in math, physics, and chemistry. Lars Santesson taught them history and philosophy and expanded their worldview significantly considering the time period was the mid-nineteenth century.
Alfred Nobel was the first person to experiment with controlling and harnessing the power of nitroglycerin. Despite their contrasting nature, both “Dynamite” and “the Nobel Peace Prize” are associated with Nobel’s name. Nobel utilized a permeable rock named kieselguhr, capable of absorbing three times its weight in liquid nitroglycerin. This specific combination was designated as dynamite by Nobel himself. Dynamite was not developed to cause harm to humanity, but rather to eliminate barriers hindering humanity’s progress. It was Nobel’s belief that the more devastating the weapon, the more individuals would avoid engaging in warfare and assuming responsibility for it.
Since the creation of dynamite, a weapon capable of causing immense destruction, civilized nations have become afraid of war. The devastation witnessed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the use of enhanced explosives like dynamite serves as evidence that Alfred Nobel’s belief in its positive applications was severely misguided. It is ironic that Nobel, who invented such a deadly weapon, also established awards to promote peace and intellectual harmony worldwide. These prestigious awards are known as the Nobel Prizes and have been given annually since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The administration of these prizes is carried out by the Nobel Foundation located in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1968, an additional prize called The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was introduced. Each prize includes a medal, personal diploma, and monetary reward. According to this text: “The cash award varies each year based on the interest accumulated in the account.”
Sometimes, the Nobel Peace Prize has no recipients and the funding is returned for future prizes. During times of war, fewer prizes are awarded, which surprises me because it seems like an ideal opportunity to promote peace. In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. was a deserving candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his lifelong commitment to nonviolent protests, peace, and equal rights. “I appreciate the Nobel Prize for Peace at a time when 22 million African Americans in the United States are tirelessly battling against the enduring injustice of racial discrimination.”
I am aware that just yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children were met with fire hoses, snarling dogs, and even death as they cried out for brotherhood. Therefore, I must question why this prize is given to a movement that is facing hardships and remains dedicated to an ongoing battle. This movement has yet to achieve the peace and brotherhood that are the fundamental principles of the Nobel Prize. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded this prize for his successful endeavors in putting an end to segregation.
King is not the only person who has been awarded the prize; another African American political icon, Barrock O’bama, recently received it. President Obama expressed his belief that he was unworthy to be counted among the influential figures honored by this prize, who have inspired the world with their brave efforts for peace. However, he acknowledged that the Nobel Prize serves not only to recognize individual accomplishments but also to propel certain causes forward.
The Prize can be seen as a “call to action”, serving different purposes depending on the field. While the Nobel Peace Prize brings fame rather than monetary gain, the scientific prizes provide substantial resources. This recognition elevates the recipient’s status, particularly in diplomatic matters if they have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Alfred Noble’s admirable decision to dedicate his fortune to honoring those who exceed expectations and contribute to advancements in technology, literature, medicine, and overall progress towards global peace.
Martin Luther King Jr., alongside the Dalai Lama and Theodore Roosevelt, received recognition on the Nobel Prize list. Although the quest for world peace remains elusive, Nobel believed that “Justice is to be found only in the imagination.” Therefore, it is important to have a dream, as genuine justice will be respected by everyone.
Works cited
Nobelprize. org. 25 Jan 2011 The Rotarian – Jan 1935, “That Man Nobel” by: Marianne Oppegaard The CIO – Vol 15, no. 12, April 12, 2002.
