MLK Had A Dream

5 Pages 1303 Words

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. A dream of freedom, of complete brother hood, the true American dream, the dream of full equality. King was one of history’s most influential leaders of racial justice. King organized marches, speeches, and much more to motivate the Africans of America to fight for their rights. His political philosophy and strong beliefs helped lead our nation to the racial justice we have today. King speaks of the American dream in almost every speech. This American dream is a dream of total equality, a society in which whites and blacks could live side by side, work together, fight together, and attend school together.
King was not like the other civil rights leaders of his time. He used a nonviolent approach that involved many sit-ins and harmless protests. He had a set of steps that he would use when organizing a nonviolent direct action campaign. The following steps were used in the Birmingham campaign. “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.” (King-390). After several arrests for demonstrating without a permit, King’s Birmingham campaign was launched. This campaign was a series of rallies in Birmingham, Alabama that led up to the Civil Rights Act. During the campaign, King spent 11 days in jail and wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” On May 10th, the Birmingham agreement desegregated restaurants, stores, and jails. King starts his letter by saying “While confined here in the Birmingham city jail”(King-389). This is important because King is making a strong point right away in his letter. He is saying they threw me in jail for what I believe and I am okay with that because I am standing up for what I believe in. He is also saying I am making a sacrifice for the cause of human rights and yet you are disputing my purpose for being here in Birmingham...