Martin Luther King's Legacy of Peace

Introduction

            Four decades ago, on April 5th, 1968, martin Luther king Jr. was pronounced dead after he was assassinated in Memphis  Tennessee, though he was only 39 years old he was already a towering figure in America and on the global landscape. To say the least, it is quite interesting to note that Martin Luther king Jr. was only known as a civil rights crusader while at the same time was a campaigner for alleviation of poverty and was also a strong critic of the war in Vietnam..

Martin Luther King's legacy of courage

            Most of Martin Luther king’s leadership and civil rights movements were mainly infused with his values and beliefs; this was specifically expressed by his courageous spirit when he willingly faced anger, hatred and threats. Though his courage of convictions was less appreciated or acknowledged and at times met with brutality, he kept hi ground on issues such as leadership and courage. In his, "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech that was read after his death in weary premonitions, He believed that community leaders who are elected should be ready to put their beliefs and values before the world and be ready to face the potential consequence (King 6). He state that the deeply rooted social norms and economic values must be challenged in order for mankind to thrive in the then modern society. He was a crusader who was ready to take the teachings from the pulpit onto the streets (Warren & Taylor 174).

Crusade for justice

            Whenever he had a crusade, King called for equality along racial lines; he even stated this in his “I Have a Dream.” During his speech, he often called for the end to racial discrimination and racial prejudice in the whole world. In his "I Have a Dream" speech of 1963 king pointed out that:

Like anybody else, I want to live a long and fulfilling life, although longevity has its place, I am not concerned about that at the present, I want to do gods will. though He has allowed me to get to the mountain top, and I have looked over and seen the promised land, I may not carry you with me, but tonight I want you to know that, as a community , we will eventually get to the promised land(Katznelson 5).

                King is remembered for leading the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott (lasted for 387 days) which was planed by another human right activist ED Nixon, this lead to a string of related events that culminated in the bombing of his house. The result of the Montgomery bus boycott saw the end of racial segregation. He was later stabbed at the chest using a letter opener as he signed a copy of his book titled Stride toward Freedom in 1985 in a departmental store inHarlem. King is also credited for following Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent protest philosophy whenever he led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in protests. In his argument organized and non violent protests against the system can lead to enough media coverage thereby culminating in the provision of these rights fought for(Nojeim 179).

Civil rights:

                It is imperative to note that King's main legacy in the Americas was to secure the civil right of the citizens of America; he has been referred to on most occasions as a human right icon and most of the present day politicians have referred to his position on various modern political issues. On the other hand, outside US, the legacy of king included his influences on the black movements and civil rights related movements in South Africa, his works were mainly referred to by Albert Luthuli. His death can mainly be related to racism(Ching 18).

Peaceful demonstration

                With the implementation of the principles of Christian Left and the tactics of peaceful sit in, the organized marches were very successful owing to the strategic choice of location and method of protest. However, these protests were not taken well by segregationist authorities as the protest turned wild on some occasions. It is never the less healthy to say that King Jr’s planned and led protests for the right of black Americans such as the right to vote, labor right, racial desegregation and other civil rights were successful because they were finally enacted into the united states law. The basic civil rights acts were also enacted when Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 respectively in response to the marches led by king(Nojeim 182).

            King was basically against United States role in the Vietnam War, for example; In April 4, 1967, king delivered his key note speech titled "Beyond Vietnam” in his riverside church. His argument was that war consumed resources at the expense of the citizens of that country. According to king, the United States of America was involved in Vietnam War so as to "to occupy Vietnam as an American colony". In his opinion, America was the worst purveyor of hostility in the world. In conclusion, king was a hero to the then black Americans and a villain to the segregationists (Nojeim 132).

Cited works

Katznelson, Ira: When the Affirmative Action was White; the Untold History of Racial         Inequality in the Twentieth-Century in America. Norton & Co. 2005

King, Jr., Martin Luther: Autobiography. Warner Books. 1998.

Ching, Jacquelina: The Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosen Publishing Co. 2002

Nojeim, Michael J: Gandhi and martin Luther King J. the Power of Non-violent Resistance. Greenwood   Publishing Grp. 2004.

Warren, Mervyn, Taylor, Gardner C:  King Came Preaching; Pulpit Power of Martin Luther King Jr. Inter-University Press. 2008.