following his three speeches and sermons: “I have a Dream”(Norton,vol 2,69-72);” I Have Been to the Mountaintop”(Norton ,vol 2, 72-79), and “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” Pay attention to race relations,Social justice,poverty and wealth of individuals and nations, (Norton,vol .2,592-607).12Font times new roman script.double space
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Martin Luther King, Jr.’ legacy
American clergyman and civil rights leader Martin Luther king was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta. His great-grandparents were slaves, his grandfather was a farmer, but his father was a priest, which lead young Martin to complete postgraduate studies at Boston University, becoming a doctor of philosophy (Washington). Being a pastor of a Negro Baptist Church in the Southern United States, Martin Luther King suddenly found himself as a leader of the struggle movement for equal civil rights of black Americans. His movement put forward the tactics of “non-violent direct action” and has played a crucial role in undermining the system of segregation and racism in the U.S.
Era of King began in December 1955, after a woman was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white bus passenger. Under the leadership of King, the Montgomery’s Negro community boycotted Montgomery transport for 382 days. In November 1956, the U.S. Supreme court declared the law of segregation in Alabama unconstitutional. In the bubbling mess during the late 50’s and early 60s, when many Negro nationalists were talking about hatred and readiness to attack with all the forces “white America”, King was convinced of the necessity of non-violent resistance to racism. The result of the civil rights movement, which included marches, economic boycotts, was the Act on the Rights, approved by the U.S. Congress in 1964. The role of the King in non-violent struggle for the enactment of the law, destroying the remnants of racial discrimination, was awarded the Nobel peace prize (Martin Luther King Jr. – Biography).
On August 28, 1963 in Washington, right on the steps of Lincoln memorial King delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream” in which he expressed faith in the brotherhood of all men and which is an excellent piece of oratory. The main idea of the speech was waiver of segregation: “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” (King). Segregation is the enforced separation of members of different groups on religious, racial or caste-based. In America until the mid-sixties African Americans were legally forbidden to occupy the most comfortable seats in buses, attend schools, cinemas and cafes for “white”. A year and a half after the famous speech, President Lyndon Johnson declared segregation contrary to the Constitution (Washington). However, the division on various grounds is still reigning on the planet. Another issue that was dressed by King was the guarantee of equal voting rights for all races and nations: “We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (King). Civil war between the North and the South over the 15th amendment to the Constitution, which gave the opportunity to vote regardless of race but then the authorities took measures that did not allow African American to vote without paying the special tax. “The Voting Rights Act” abolished all prohibitions. Now the thesis of equal electoral rights for people of any race is enshrined in the universal Declaration of Human right.
Last, but no least, Martin Luther talked about the fact, that achievements of people should not depend on skin colour: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”(King). In 2006, the unemployment rate among Negro citizens was three times more than the one for “white” compatriots. In 2010 a third of Americans faced discrimination at work and only every sixteenth drew this to the attention of management.
“Letter from the Birmingham Jail” was a reaction to the condemnation of King and his supporters by white clergymen for a protest in Birmingham, Alabama. Languishing in his prison cell, King has produced one of the most extraordinary documents in the history of American thought. The number of local white clergymen while agreeing with the long term goals of King they disagreed with his short-term tactics (Frady 109). They made a public statement, calling the demonstration under the leadership of King’s “unwise and untimely”, and opposed the civil disobedience of King, “no matter how peaceful, from a technical point of view, nor were these actions” (King). As it was mentioned, King’s reply was “Letter from Birmingham jail” that he wrote in the margins of a newspaper page, which was brought to prison. The words of King were written next to the ads for the suppression of harmful insects and news for gardeners. Those margins were a powerful condemnation of inaction in the face of injustice, and they displayed an extraordinary faith that in America the cause of freedom necessarily would prevail.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was fatally wounded by a sniper while standing on the balcony of a Motel in Memphis. The paradox is that his death caused the outbreak of retaliatory aggression. Spontaneous riots began with clashes with the police. At least 50 people were killed and thousands got wounded. On this day Martin Luther King gave the last speech in his life that is known as “I Have Been to the Mountaintop”, in which he called people to unite and continue non-violent protest. Closer to the end of the speech he talked about the possibility of an untimely death (Frady 203). He claimed that just like anyone else, he would like to live a long life and that longevity is in his plans. However, he was not worried about it and he just wants to do the will of God. Martin Luther exclaimed that he is not afraid of what might happen to him, since he was on top of the mountain and have seen the Promised Land. He ended of his speech with saying: “I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord” (King).
To sum up, after the speech of the King, authorities were forced to accept the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prohibited segregation in public places, and then the voting rights Act (1965), which stated that there are equal rights at the polls for African Americans. With the help of King America made a huge step forward and something switched in the minds of people. The role of Martin Luther King in mentioned events is obvious. Moreover, one can even say that it was a sacrificial role. Unlike other comparable figures, like Nelson Mandela, protest of Martin Luther King was purely peaceful, non-violent, and most importantly, imbued with true Christian love.

Works Cited:
Frady, Marshall. Martin Luther King, Jr.. New York: Penguin Group, 2002. Print.
Nobelprize.org,. ‘Martin Luther King Jr. – Biography’. , 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
Washington, Bet. ‘Martin Luther King Jr. – Black History – HISTORY.Com’. HISTORY.com., 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.