African American Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

African American Studies - Essay ExampleWhile this long term outcome was the same for both men, they differed greatly in the path that they went about turning their ideas into action.Martin Luther King started out as a preacher with a purely religious set of goals. He followed in his familys tradition, ministering to his knowledge people in his own church and confining himself to religious teachings. Increasing violence against his congregation, and widespread atrocities in the southern states prompted him to change his position to a more(prenominal) political one, however and he became known for his commitment to non-violent political action. He supported bus boycotts, sit-ins, demonstrations and the famous march in Washington, and in word and human action he called black Americans to rise up and join together in resistance, but stopped short of any proactive acts of violence or dismantle retaliation in the face of violence. In his most famous I have a Dream speech to a mostly black audience, he used his considerable talents as a public speaker to paint a future vision of an Alabama, the heart of the currently racist south where junior-grade black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. (Luther King, 1963a) Using imagery drawn from the word of honor he deliberately included white people in this vision, and stressed the unity of all people, male and female, black and white, rich and poor, depicting them as cosmos in chains while they participate in this unjust society, and free at last (Luther King, 1963a) when slaves and oppressor together can enjoy equal rights. By advocating serene resistance, he managed to retain the moral high ground, and by stressing the common Christian religion and culture of the majority of blacks and whites in America, he sought to build authority and tackle instances of oppression one by