Dr.Martin Luther King

Running Head : DR . MARTIN LUTHER KING

Dr . Martin Luther King

[The Writer 's Name]

[The Name of the Institution] Dr . Martin Luther King

Early in the 20th century , Mohandas Gandhi started his political career in South Africa , resisting the discrimination against the Indian people in South Africa . Despite some successes , segregation in South Africa remained a very real reality until the 1990 's . Gandhi went back to India and achieved perhaps one of the greatest feats in history , liberating India from the yoke of colonialism through nonviolent passive resistance . Gandhi

's strategy yielded much less spectacular results in South Africa . It may have been deducted then that nonviolent passive resistance does not work everywhere and was successful mainly due to Gandhi 's leadership or the culture of the Indian people

But then came along another great visionary . Martin Luther King Jr showed the world that nonviolent passive resistance works , not just in India , not just under Gandhi 's leadership , but also in the Western world . What Martin Luther King Jr . achieved inspired millions of South Africans who knew very well what segregation and discrimination meant His words and the example he set avoided a bloodbath in a racial civil war in South Africa as it did here in America . Our media was filled with reports of the civil rights struggle . Despite the South African government 's attempts to turn King 's work into an example of the anarchy that would explode should apartheid be abolished , people saw and understood that justice will prevail and that violence is not the answer (Richard , 1989

South Africa 's own icon of peace and forgiveness , Nelson Mandela , was filled with hope and conviction by what King had achieved . There are so many parallels between the lives of these two great men . Mandela like King unleashed great power among his people that led to their liberation . Both men throughout their lives encouraged a path not of hate and violence , but of non-violence and love . It may be what gave Mandela the courage to walk out of prison after 27 years and conquer what must have been a strong innate urge to retaliate with bitterness and hate . It is possible that Dr King 's words and work gave Mandela the strength to forgive and the conviction to lead his people to reconciliation in the miracle that is South Africa

What touched me was Dr . King 's dedication to the dignity of the human being . He fought against all practices that robbed people of their dignity and pride . His speeches spoke to the best that resides in all of us . He reawakened my awareness of our ability to walk in righteousness and dignity , despite circumstances and the actions of others (Kenneth 1974 ) Dr . King 's vision went beyond racial discrimination and the bs of the USA . He remained committed to uplifting the poor and oppressed , white and black , and those committed in war . Dr King 's words have convinced me that the only way to heal this...