At this point in time all
I can say is wow. After reading these articles it is hard for me think of the
right words to say because the topics covered in these articles, more
specifically, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," speaks on the
brutality and hatred that my heritage had to endure in order to be where I am
today. I find it is easy for Americans to forget what Martin Luther King Jr.
along with thousands of other black individuals had to go through while
fighting for their freedom because of where America stands today. Now, I am not
saying that racism has disappeared, but what I am stating is the fact that in
today's society, I am fortunate enough to go to one of the top universities in
this country and use the same restroom, drink from the same water fountain, and
eat at the same table as my fellow white friends, which is truly a blessing.
"Letter from a
Birmingham Jail," was Martin Luther King Jr's cry for freedom for the
black community. Martin Luther King Jr. does a phenomenal job of outlining the
importance of America, at such a difficult time, to come together as one nation
in the agreement that equal rights needed to be established. One line that
stood out to me in particular is, “We have waited for more than 340 years for
our constitutional and God given rights…but we still creep at horse and buggy
pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.” In this quote King is
showing how slow America is moving to the idea of having equal rights for all
citizens. He continues stating, “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never
felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘wait.’ But when you have seen
vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will..” King paints a picture
for his audience in order to illustrate to them truly how terrible the times
were and how important it was for them to say no to waiting any longer.
In the “Letter from a
Birmingham Jail,” King also writes on the fact that Christianity did not align
with what the Bible preached. King stated how people of his time were living by
a man-made religion that they masked as Christianity, when in reality these
same individuals were not willing to give respect to their black counterparts.
Overall
King did an excellent job of showing how standing up for what you believe in
and not taking no for an answer will ultimately lead you to success in life.
Through his eloquent choice of words he is able to bring in his audience and
allow them to take a step back and ponder how they can reflect his words into
their lives.
In
the Obama Race Speech, President Obama has a similar message to that of Dr.
King. President Obama speaks on the importance of coming together as one
country in order to move forward as a country. Throughout his speech he spends
a great deal of time talking about his past, but he is able to show how through
hardships and tribulations he was able to make it through. From his personal
stories he was also able to encourage the audience to accept the idea of
lending a helping hand to those who may need it within our society today. I
really enjoyed how President Obama stated how these issues America faces today
pertaining to poverty, global warming, etc. have nothing to do with race, but a
matter of one country coming together as one to solve the problems at hand.
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