Why we can't wait-martin luther king Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why we can't wait-martin luther king - Essay Example Martin Luther King Jr represented the African-American community, but in essence, this translates to all minority communities who lived an oppressed life. This oppression came about following colonization and the slave trade where the rights of those perceived to a weak community were subjected to a wide range of discrimination. Segregation and discrimination with regard to race, gender and education were outlawed following advocacy for civil rights. This marks a critical step towards generating independence among communities. This clearly illustrates that even as King fought for the rights of African-Americans, the benefits would be felt across different communities both regionally and nationally. King mounted a challenge to oppression by defying the status quo, which eventually got support from other members of the community other than African-Americans. However, there still exist a wide disparity based on ethnicity, race, religion and gender in modern America. This creates the need for more activism and effective leadership to bridge the gap, eliminating existing disparities. It is the tradition with most advocates of social justice to apply rhetorical strategies to engage their opponents in order to refute their claims beyond reasonable doubts. Martin Luther King is no exception as highlighted in most of his speeches, letters, and books particularly Why We Can’t Wait, which is the subject of this paper. The book was written following the conclusion of the Birmingham campaign and the Washington March in 1963.