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— Scott Allison and George Goethals
The “I Have a Dream” speech has to be one of the greatest moments in American history.
^^ Absolutely. Nobody has ever more eloquently expressed the essence of American values.
MLK was a truly amazing man. If he’s not a hero, then the word has no meaning. He was charismatic, eloquent, intelligent, passionate, compassionate and dedicated– and he put every fiber of his being into making the world a better place for everybody. He represents the very best that America and Humanity has to offer.
And he was the very definition of selfless. He came along at a very turbulent and violent time– a time that has rightly been called the Second American Revolution– and he didn’t shrink from the consequences of what that meant. By comparing himself to Moses, he told us that he was well aware of the deadly peril that he faced. It didn’t stop him, and he did indeed end up giving his life for his country.
But dreams don’t die. And his can come true, will come true and is coming true.
When he died MLK was in Memphis to campaign for garbage workers who wanted a fair wage and benefits. The full title of the March on Washington was The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. So, as much he is and will always be a racial icon, I’m remembering MLK today for his message of economic equality. Why should anyone, like those garbage workers, need to carry a sign with the words “I am a Man”?
MLK is truly a remarkable hero. He did what no one had the guts to do. Instead of allowing himself to be treated unequally, MLK said that anything is possible and if people set their sights on it, the world would be racially unprejudiced. Thanks to MLK, people from different backgrounds are able to live peacefully together.
MLK’s speech at Washington was so powerful, inspirational, and motivating that people began to believe that equality was going to become possible during a period of racism and discrimination. MLK’s heroic protest helped change the world from one race mentality to an openess of all races.
Martin Luther King Jr. certainly embodied those eight traits of a hero from the beginning of his movement to the time when he had national recognition. Because of those traits, he wasn’t simply a man who knew what was just and unjust, but he was a man who had a great following of people attempting to tell and show our country why the social norm of racial discrimination was absolutely wrong.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the few heroes that had a global effect that effectively spread a message that seems almost innate now. Racism still lives to this day; however, an entire race has broken free from the chains of another race. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the ultimate sacrifice to help his race then and in the future. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for a cause, and because he did, Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero to this day.
What I love most about Martin Luther King, Jr. is that a simple “color-blind” society wasn’t his ideal. He wanted a society that embraced each other with brotherhood. Loving people for who they were, not how they looked. Celebrating the cultural diversity while embracing the core of our humanity.
How great would this world be if we loved like brothers? Martin saw it… can you?
You might be interested to know that Martin Luther King, Jr. is featured as Hero of the Month over at MoralHeroes.org. You can follow the link to get there directly, http://moralheroes.org/martin-luther-king-jr
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest public inspirational speakers to ever live. He played a major role in getting everyone to have equal rights. MLK led a non violence protest which to me when you are constantly getting beat and constantly being put into jail is a very hard thing to do. He is truely an amazing man and deserves to be called a hero.
Dr. King had a great impact on the United States and he was and still is a hero to many people in the world. King showed extreme courage both physical and moral when he decided not to fight back against the people that were threatening his life as well as his families' lives, instead he used a nonviolent approach and it showed to be a great tool. He overcame many obstacles to achieve success in the Civil Rights movement and he emerged as a hero at a time when African Americans needed one badly.
There is no question that Martin Luther King Jr. continues to be a inspiration. His vision of a “color-blind” society still resonates, growing ever closer and closer to its full induction in our society. Furthermore, MLK’s usage of compassion is key to the overall success of the movement, and it is our duty as citizens to embrace every person and judge them by their character, not by the color of their skin. He created hope in millions of people, and that, in my opinion, is the true purpose of heroism.
he was a great man who was wise. truley a hero
I have a dream speech by Martin Luther King has got to be the most influencial speech of all time. Everytime i hear if it feels like it was just yesterday.
There are few people, if any, that have had a great an influence over an entire country as Martin Luther King Jr. did in the United States. What was even more remarkable was how he did in such a short time, as his life was cut short early. He resembled a great deal of moral courage that put him in physical harm. If asked I am sure that MLK knew he was at a great deal of danger and knew that if he unfortunately were assassinated, at least it’s silver lining would be the powerful social consequences it had. It was a true heroes departure.
martin luther king will always be remembered because he brought peace to the world by bringing black and white people together insted of treating us differently than another person. well always remember you martin luther king jr well also remember what you did for us.
It is interesting to see how speech can make such and impact on a mass amount of people and rally them together. Bravery to me is what Martin Luther King Jr. showed the most. He had the bravery to stand in front of thousands, be heard by millions, some loving what he had to say and others obviously willing to kill him to shut him up. He was a brave hero fighting for what was right.
Its hard to imagine now, but after MLK was assassinated in 1968, it took almost 20 years for his birthday to be recognized as a national holiday. Today, all over the country, individuals and organizations gather to honor and celebrate his heroic legacy. Tomorrow, the university will put on several performances and programs to commemorate his life and work. By celebrating his life, we are in fact celebrating the best of what we are, and more importantly, what we must become. I believe this is something we should do and reflect on everyday, not just on January 16th of each year. A true memorial to Dr. King would be choosing to be the best people we can be and acting with compassion in all our endeavors.
No matter how many times I have watched the clip of the Martin Luther King Jr. speech, it gives me the chills. What is inspiring about Martin Luther King Jr. is that he not only wanted what was best for African Americans, but he wanted what was best for all Americans. He believed that everyone could make the future of the United States better. His eloquent way of presenting his ideas is inspiring and uplifting.
Martin Luther King undoubtably embodied the “Great Eight.” But what definitely stands out among those eight in Dr. King was his immense compassion for others, for all people. I couldn’t agree more with Josie’s comment about celebrating Dr. King’s life and his work by striving every day to be the best we can be, by showing compassion in everything we do.