Whilst studying in Boston King met his future wife, Coretta Scott, a music student and a native of Alabama. They were married in 1953 and went on to have four children. He then went on to accept his first pastorate at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, a church with an intelligent congregation that had been led by a minister who strongly protested against racial discrimination.
Montgomery’s black population had prolonged grievances about the mistreatment of the black race on city buses. Many white bus drivers would enforce the city segregation laws, which would result in the humiliation of the black passengers, the laws forced black passengers to sit at the back of the bus and give up their seat to a white passenger, if there were no spare seats. By the 1950’s Montgomery’s blacks had begun contemplating a boycott, which would not end segregation but an effort to gain better treatment for the black race.
The Montgomery bus boycott lasted just over a year, demonstrating a new enthusiasm of protest among Southern blacks. King’s serious demeanour and assiduous appeal to Christian brotherhood and American idealism made an incontestable perception on whites outside the South. Although many positive consequences came from the protests, a lot of negative consequences came along too, these included many violent incidents against the protesters, including the bombing of the King’s home, which therefore resulted in a lot of media attention focusing on Montgomery.
King then went on to make strategic alliances with Northern whites that later accelerated his success at influencing public opinion in the United States. Through Bayard Rustin, who was a blacks civil right leader and a peace visionary, King made connections to older radical visionaries, who provided money and strategic advise.
During the anti–segregation marches in Birmingham, King was arrested and was sent to jail. This is when he wrote the famous letter, ‘Letter from Birmingham jail’, which argued that individuals had the moral right and responsibility to disobey laws which they found unjust.
This then built up many supports for the black civil rights and led onto him making one of the most famous speeches in American history, ‘I have a dream,’ the speech resulted in the segregation laws to change. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was instated, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations, as well as discrimination in education and employment. This was the reason why King received his Nobel Prize for peace.
King then went onto enforce equal voting rights, he did this by congregating a 20,000 rally which marched from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, in the hope of drawing attention to the struggle for black voting rights. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was then introduced, due to the march, which suspended the use of literacy tests and other voter qualifications tests that had been used to deter blacks from voting.
King was later assassinated in 1968, April 4th, in Memphis by a sniper, during a protest to help black garbage workers. King became a symbol that represented black courage and achievement, high moral leadership and the ability of Americans to address and overcome racial discrimination.
‘I have a dream.’
The speech which King delivered on August 28th 1963, is a great part of American history, was addressed to over 200,00 civil rights supporters. The speech expressed the hopes of the civil right movement; the speech is one of the most touching speeches made in American History. King was very deliberate in using certain phrases and literal techniques to put his point across. When he starts ‘Fivescore years ago’ grabs the attention of the audience as it’s a very well known saying as Lincoln used it in his speech about independence. King talks about the past and how far blacks have come from being slaves ‘seared in the flames’, the double meaning of this phrase is linked to how the slaves used to be burnt. This put to the audience how blacks have always been mistreated and its time to put a stop to it.
King uses many metaphors in his speech, ‘manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination;’, the metaphor used here describes how blacks were held back throughout history. He the goes on to use biblical references ‘vast ocean’, in the bible this describes how the Hebrew’s were treated, this is effective because at that time I’m history religion played a bigger part than nowadays, therefore it helps people to relate to what he is saying.
‘America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds”.’ This is showing how America has treated the blacks badly. King then goes on to talk about the ‘great vaults of opportunity of this nation’ and how they are not shared equally. But he is careful as this might upset some of the whites, so he says ‘this nation’, which is buttering up the white people by showing them they can help because everyone makes up the nation.
King then goes onto bring the famous president Lincoln in to the speech again ‘hallowed spot’ which is saying that Lincoln work needs to be finished. He continues to state how there is still a problem now, even though Lincoln tried to rectify the situation, ‘urgency of now’ this is showing how the injustice needs to stop now. He continues, by once again using biblical references in his speech, ‘time to rise from the dark and desolate valley’ there is also alliteration present. King continues with his biblical theme, and plays on religion ‘make justice a reality for all Gods children. He also repeat the phrase ‘now is the time’ to help get his message across and to appeal to the white people by using Lincoln once again because the phrase is on the memorial for Lincoln, which is the steps of Lincoln.
King then uses a subtle threat to the people, ‘will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual’, this is basically saying if we are ignored there will be no peace. He continues to threaten the society, ‘the whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation’.
Although he threatens the society he goes onto say that there will be no violence, ‘in the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds’, this is where he’s saying to his followers its right to protest but violence is wrong and not needed. He maintains the non–violence issue by saying, ‘physical force with soul force’, here he aphorising that you have to be strong, use your faith do not fight back.
King then goes on to use rhetorical devices, the one he uses is a rhetorical question, ‘ “when will you by satisfied” ’. The context this is used in is the question which they have been asked by people who oppose the civil rights for blacks, using this devices he makes the audience think what do they finally want to achieve from all the protesting.
He then improvised towards the end and although this section was improvised it is the most recognised section, ‘I have a dream’ the continual repetition gets his hope and dreams across clearly and very puissant.
He then ends the speech with another biblical influence, ‘ “free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last” ’, this is putting across the idea that God wants everyone to be, even blacks, and Gods wishes should be fulfilled.
My opinion
I found this speech very moving and very forceful with it meaning. It has shown me how many people had to fight to get the society we live in today and to achieve the racially equal society we live in.
This speech influenced my protest and control song immensely because I used his ideas of everyone being the same underneath to write my lyrics. I tired to use similar techniques in my lyrics as King did in his speech, for example, repetition.
Conclusion
Martin Luther King fought hard for the world we live, which some people take for granted, although there is still some racial discrimination today I feel that his teachings will go on and live with me for the rest of my life.
