“No matter the darkness of evil, the light of justice will shine so long as there is hope. Rubin Carter, Dr. King and Maya Angelou were all oppressed by racial prejudices. At the same time, they also didn’t give into the oppression and stood up for what was right till justice was served. Perseverance is the ability to keep fighting for what you believe in, but it is best defined by the terms of courage, hope, and determination.“
Maya Angelou is inspiring. In her poem “Still I Rise”, Angelou talks about what she’s above and how she carries herself, which at that time took great courage. Racism wasn’t uncommon and hatred was everywhere, and yet Angelou didn’t let it affect her. “Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells. Pumping in my living room” (“Rise”). Angelou is asking the readers that wish to see her downfall if they get upset when she walks tall and proud. She’s proud and boastful of her ability to walk through the prejudice fires that flood the lands of her home. She repeats this sense of pride again and again throughout the poem by saying… “…Leaving behind nights of terror and fear. I rise. Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear. I rise. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise” (“Rise”). Maya Angelou rises! She is strong and powerful with her words and actions. She does not shy away and submit because she believes that no one is above anyone and fights for it. “
“During the film, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was at a constant struggle between losing and having hope. Lezra and his Canadian friends had been trying to help Carter till one day he gave in to sadness and wrote a letter to them… “…I appreciate your many efforts and kindnesses, but I am a prisoner…. The key to my survival… lies in my ability to do the time…Please do not write. Please do not visit” (“Hurricane”). In this moment Carter is hopeless, he has given up on himself and his freedom. He believes that no matter what he does, he’ll just be turned away again. Lezra and his friends take action and make a big change… “…Look out the window, do you see a blinking light?… Yeah, I see you. What are y’all doin’ here?… We’ve moved down here… We’re all in this together, and we’re not leaving till we all leave. You’re beautiful” (“Hurricane”). Lezra and his friends gave Carter hope. He was broken inside, and they fixed him and gave him something to believe in. Hope is what carried Carter from on the verge of giving up and submitting to racist oppressors to being freed from prison and transcending. “
“Martin Luther King was committed to the light of justice finding him through the darkness. Dr. King knew that the light would never find him if he did nothing, so he began writing a letter. “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” is Dr. King’s response to complaints from eight white religious leaders in the south. Dr. King knew he was wrongfully thrown in jail, so he fought for his freedom… “…One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (“Letter”). Dr. King is pleading his case, he wants the readers to understand that the crime is being committed against him. Other people were meant to read the letter as well, so he had written things such as… “…More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people” (“Letter”). Dr. King wrote things like this in his letter to wake people up, to make them realize that turning a blind eye to evil only makes it stronger. Dr. King hand wrote just under seven thousand words with nothing but a pencil, the back of newspapers and his mind. With all these setbacks, made no excuses in fighting for what he believed in, Dr. King is perseverance.“
“No matter how bad a situation is there will always be one trump card to help gain the advantage, perseverance. Three civil right icons, three lessons, three values. From Maya Angelou, courage is taught along with the importance of standing up to evil. Rubin Carter, hope is instilled with the significance of never giving up. To Martin Luther King, where determination is edified with the weight of self motivation and making the best of what you have. These three and many more historic figures have successfully contributed in improving the lives of citizens in the United States everywhere. Thanks to Angelou, Carter, Dr. King and many others’ perseverance, in regard to freedom and opportunity the world today is something they could only dream of.“
