Martin Luther King Luther King Jr Essay - 1,498 words

BOOK REPORT Why We Cant Wait, by Luther King, Jr. WHY WE CANT WAIT Martin Luther King, Jr. I was reluctant to read this book that was originally assigned as a part of my African American Studies, but I am very glad that I did. As a black female born in 1981 who grew up in a neighborhood that did not have the black only signs or white only signs that were talked about in the book, I had a hard time understanding why race seems to be such a big issue in this country. As I saw it, slavery happened a long time ago and bigots were idiots to be ignored until they all died off. Why all this talk of discrimination and affirmative action?


Why all the pleas for acceptance and peace? I heard my parents talk about the things that they and my grandparents had to face. The injustice, the unfairness, and the down right prejudice they had to deal with. But, to be honest it seemed like so long ago. I felt disconnected from those stories they shared with me. Now I sit with the book in my hand, unwillingly I open it.


I am startled by the stabbing of Martin. The characters begin to come alive. It is spring in the year of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was hauled off to jail in the aftermath of the Birmingham confrontation with Public Safety Commissioner "Bull" Connor and municipal authorities.


Beatings, hosing, and the unleashing of vicious dogs could not deter thousands of demonstrating Negroes from risking serious injury, even death, in peaceful parades into the heart of downtown Birmingham Anger begins to swell up in me as I realize that my ancestors arrived in America and were treated like property, with cruelty and lies. Lies toward the right to be free even though they fought for our freedom during the war. However as the years passed and reached the 1950 's - 1960 's. Our people still struggled for equal rights and liberty, to end segregation, to live in peace in harmony. The African American society had to have symbolically speaking- a chief to lead its tribe.


Martin Luther King Jr. symbolized the chief and the African American society symbolize the tribe. Martin Luther King took upon himself to write down the struggles that the black community had to go through to gain equal treatment. For instance to go to the same school with whites, eating at the same restaurants, black children able to play at the same playground without the labeling of colored only. Martin Luther King also wrote this book to show that blacks had minds of their, own to speak out against the way they were treated, at the risk of their lives and the determination they had. Martin Luther King knew it was going to be a long process of America recognizing that blacks are humans not dogs, that they deserve equal treatment not a In 1955 - 56 Martin was stabbed in the chest at a book signing which was the first time he came close to a death experience.


In 1954 the supreme court had handed down a decree calling for desecration of schools with all deliberate speed. In 1963 nine years later after the supreme court decision 9 % African Americans were attending integrated schools. Deliberate speed means giving some courtesy and consideration to the need for softening old attitudes and out dated customs, democracy must press ahead, out of the past of ignorance and intolerance and into the present of educational opportunity and moral freedom. However deliberate speed changed for less than 2 % of African American children. The decision of integration by the supreme court which gave approval to pupil placement law.


American history grew, followed by celebrating certain events that made white America proud but black America confused. For instance in 1963 America celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation, the 101 st birthday of blacks liberation from bondage. However in the black society and the eyes of Martin Luther King felt that they were not free -free physically by the Emancipation but still in bondage of economic, social, political, and intellectual problems. This book came as a slap to the face of my preconceived notions.


I realized suddenly that many of the men and women I see every day, my parents and grand parents included, lived during that time, only a ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: luther king jr, civil rights movement, african americans, martin luther king, equal treatment

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