Martin Luther King Jr was well-known for being a civil rights leader and someone that believed in nonviolent protests to solve problems like inequality and racial discrimination. King also believed that people should live in peace and that African Americans should be treated just as the rest of the people. He also accomplished many things like for example being recognized for protesting in a nonviolent way or one of the most popular his “I Have a Dream” speech which moved many people. This speech was held in 1963 in Washington DC where King and other civil right movement leaders like Rosa Parks organized a march in which more than 250,000 people attended. Although some people argue that Martin Luther King’s Speech didn’t impact back then’s society in reality King’s speech brought attention to the African American civil right movement, it made people realize the importance of nonviolent protests and it promoted equality not just in the United States but all over the world.
To begin with,The Civil Right Movement was an unstoppable fight that was suppose to give African Americans freedom and equality under the laws of the United States. King’s speech had a great impact on this movement mainly because it made people realized how wrong Africans Americans were being treated. According to US History “Later in 1963, he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to thousands in Washington, D.C. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, King turned his efforts to registering African American voters in the South.” This quote proves that King’s speech was a really big contribution to the passing of the Civil Rights Act which was very important for African Americans because just one year later King delivered his speech the Civil Right Act was passed. This speech clearly made Congress see that the way that African Americans were being treated all around the United States was unfair and decided to change that with this Act.
Secondly, nonviolent protests were key factor to King’s success as a humanist and all of his accomplishments early in life like for example the Montgomery boycott. This protests reminded people that you didn’t have to be violent just to make a point and enforce it. According to History “He is also remembered for his urge to use nonviolence as the most effective form of protest (even when violence was threatened against him and his family).” This quote explains that King used nonviolent ways of protesting because he believed that fighting wouldn’t solve anything and that in the contrary it would be just worst. King didn’t care that violent methods were used with his family and even him, and he talked about this in his speech which made many realize how wrong this was.
Also King’s speech gave African Americans hope of one day being treated as all of the other people since he talked about what his dream was and what he wanted to achieve. He wanted his children to live in a society in which the color of their skin wasn’t important, where they would be treated based on their principles and this is why King wanted equality not just in the United States but all over the world. According to YourDictionary “Martin Luther King did not make overt efforts to fight international civil rights inequalities; however, his U.S. civil rights victories and speeches were inspiration for those who were involved in international racial injustice.” This quote is saying that King’s speech impacted not just the United States but all around the world making all of his nonviolent protest and all of the things he did worth it. King made other countries throughout his work and dedication to commit to stopping racial injustice.
In his “I have a dream” speech Martin Luther King also talked about how in the Declaration of Independence were promises that weren’t being enforced, that were simply just not real like for example freedom for everyone. This put African Americans to think about their rights as U.S citizens and why they were not being respected or treated the same as a white U.S citizen. According to enotes “Among other things, King reminded his audience that the Declaration of Independence extended a promise of freedom to all Americans.” This quote clearly explains that the Declaration of Independence wasn’t fulfilling all of the laws like for example freedom for everyone. This is one of the main things King talked about in his speech and thanks to that African Americans realized this and had now a little more freedom because of the non-stoppable protests.
Martin Luther King’s nonviolent protests weren’t always as controversial or as successful but this is one of the things that made King stand out because he never gave up, he believed in something ( in this case equality and fair treatment for everyone) and he never stopped working towards it. No matter the ups and dawns King followed what he thought was the right thing to do and always with a positive mind. According to College nannies “His protests and marches were not always successful, however, his presence in our society made a huge impact on the African-American Civil Rights Movement.” This quote says that even thought sometimes things didn’t go as planned for Martin Luther King he never gave up and he kept going. This is really important because if King would’ve stopped then he would have never done his ” I have a dream” speech and then the Civil Rights Movement would’ve never changed for the better.
Something else that Martin Luther King did and that everyone remembers is that he went to every country to give speeches and to tell people how was the life of an African American living in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Many people were chocked by King’s speeches and the way that African Americans were treated, also King and others thought the world needed a little more compassion, because of this Martin Luther King now had millions of followers that were with him in the fight for equality. According to Truth Tellers “Martin gave 2,500 speeches during the last 11 years of his life, including his “I have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King Jr. went country to country giving speeches about peace and kindness.” This quote is saying that King not just wanted peace and a better life without unfair treatments for the United States but also for the entire world. King gave many speeches worldwide including his most remarkable one ” I have a dream” speech, and because of this speeches is that people started seeing the nightmare in which Africans Americans were living.
Martin Luther King will always be remembered as one of the greatest leaders that fought for equality not just in the United States but all over the world, making him one of the most remarkable people worldwide. Sadly King died when he was just only 39 years of age due to a shot he received when he was at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. According to ABC News “On April 8, a funeral for King was held at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Among those in attendance was former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Vice President Hubert Humphrey.” This quote shows that Martin Luther King was an extremely important person because if he wasn’t then the First Lady nor the Vice President wouldn’t have attended his funeral making King one of the most influential people of the 1960s. The majority of his fame among people was because of his believes of non violent protests and the change he made to the Civil Rights Movement.
In conclusion Martin Luther King Jr’s speech “I have a dream” changed society in the way that it brought attention to the African American Civil Right Movement making the Civil Right Act be possible faster than expected. It made people realize the importance of nonviolent protests, he demonstrated that when you want to make a point and enforce it is not necessary to use violence. Also he promoted equality not just in the United States but all over the world, King traveled to many countries to tell people the way African Americans were treated and say why this was wrong. Many people followed King for this and many more reasons making him one of the most important leaders of his century. Sadly Martin Luther King died in 1968 at age 39 due to an assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. King will always be remembered by everyone as a great person and one of the most influential people of the 1950s and 1960s.