‘Racism is man’s gravest threat to man. The maximum of hatred for the minimum of a reason’ (Heschel). Daily select members of society terrorize minorities with racism. Their sinful actions and resentment for others cannot be justified nor understood. The Civil Rights Movement is an instance of extreme racism. The white moderate tormented, discriminated against and, belittled colored Americans. ‘Groups of colors and whites called the freedom riders, took buses to the south to protest transport segregation. They were greeted by riots and beating’ (Freedom Riders). Civil Rights Activists faced a serious problem in which the victims had to be served justice. A simple peaceful protest was equated with destruction. ‘In 1954, the case of Brown vs. the board of education outlawed segregated education’ (Brown Board). Children of all ages suffered at the hands of racism. A simple everyday task was modified to comply with the toxic culture.
Fortunately, supreme court rule in the Brown v. Board of education prevented segregation in schools from furthering. ‘March 7, 1965 hundreds of peaceful in the Selma to Montgomery March. They were blocked by police brutally beaten and teargassed’ (Kindig). Martin Luther King employs a variation of tools to seize the attention of his listeners. King’s expression and style interest the audience and make a striking distinction in his speech, ‘I Have a Dream,’ and his ‘Letter to Birmingham.’ King includes a diverse selection of tones in his work, start to finish. Martin Luther Kings eloquence in his speech, ‘I Have a Dream,’ affirms to his audience that suffering colored Americans will not only, endure the time of distress but they will thrive in the end.
Martin Luther King’s influential tones such as poised and vehement fuel the audience’s thoughts on equality, discrimination, and racism. ‘I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ ‘ (King). Martin Luther wants the bigot to recall the original beliefs in the nation. He wants citizens to settle the time of misery. Victims of prejudice are urged by Martin Luther King to not behave violently as their racist counterparts would. Victims should not seek vengeance to not escalate the matter. ‘… we refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity in this nation’ (King). King seeks equity for all U.S. citizens. Majorities at this time were appalling to not see that minorities are equal and deserve justice.
The infamous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech was the most prominent during the period of the Civil Rights Movement. It will forever be recognized as a masterpiece for its motivational background as well as its eloquence. Martin Luther King Jr.’s demand for justice is paramount. His passion and dedication bleed through diction the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ Through the letter are omnipotent words that target his specific audience. For example, ‘Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage on good faith negotiation’ (King).
