“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”- Harriet Tubman. One very important activist in our history was Cesar Chavez who, along with Harriet Tubman, stood up for human rights. Cesar Chavez wanted to change the fact that field workers were being mistreated, and they didn’t have their rights as a “normal person” would.
Adaisha Hamilton Prof. Rosalski History of US 111 6/20/16 GRQ #2 Before the beginning of the American Revolution, there were many political activists that wanted to communicate with the rest of the colonists on their views of British involvement with the colonies. The perspectives from political leaders like were recognized through their published papers, such as James Otis who argued about equal representation as British subjects, followed by Paine’s strong remarks against the separation between the colonies and Britain which resulted in the motivation for the unification of the colonies to begin fighting for their freedom. James Otis was a prominent political leader in Massachusetts. He was an advocate for equal rights among the colonies
What makes a government and society moral and just has been a reoccurring question and issue throughout time. Henry David Thoreau, an American transcendentalist, stressed civil disobedience and greatly showed his disbeliefs on the Mexican-American War in his essay, “Resistance to Civil Government.” Through comparing the nation's political authority to a machine and not paying his taxes as a method of protest, Thoreau manages to coax the “true citizen” to stand up against unjust government. Martin Luther King, an American Baptist minister and activist, was a leader and an important part of the African-American Civil rights movement. He fought for black rights and stood up against authorities unjust treatment of his fellow black brothers and sisters.
As the quote reads above, we often only remember Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and tend to forget about Thurgood Marshall who also and important figure of the civil rights movement as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were. Thurgood Marshall was the first black supreme court justice. Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1908. In his college years he went to the historically black Lincoln University. After, he applied at University of Maryland Law School but was denied because he was black.
Malcolm was born on, May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother was Norton little and his was Earl little. The family had eight children. Earls civil rights activism caused death threats from white people. Their Lansing, Michigan home was burned to the ground.
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.
“Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves and be free.” -Cesar Chavez. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez both fought for the rights of people who were treated unfairly. Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of the farm workers in California.
was a powerful figure in the history of civil disobedience and left lasting impacts on our society. While Antigone, important in literature, was no more then the cursed daughter of Oedipus doomed like her father to be rash and selfish. It was not Antigone’s but MLK’s version of civil disobedience that made had the most profound impact; he helped end segregation and racial injustice in America through non-violence and self-enlightenment. MLK fought for justice for all and fought to insure the rights of future African
Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.
For an argument to be substantial and taken seriously, it must have debatable opposition and equal representation. Throughout Inherit the Wind, Henry Drummond demands equal representation in hopes of keeping the trial fair. Because Drummond supports the unfavorable stance in the court case, he and his position are at odds against the religious town. By demanding equal representation and status, Drummond establishes the importance of unbiased representation;“The use of this title prejudices the case of my client; it calls up a picture of the prosecution, astride a white horse, ablaze in the uniform of a militia colonel, with all the forces of right and righteousness marshalled behind him” (Lawrence and Lee 1 2 113-116). When Drummond calls out Matthew Brady and his appointed title, he delivers evidence of bias against his client and case.
During Thurgood Marshall’s work in the Civil Rights Movement he said, “The goal of a true democracy such as ours, explained simply, is that any baby born in these United States… is endowed with the exact same rights as a child born to a Rockefeller,” (Adelman). During his work in the judicial system, first as a civil rights lawyer and then as a judge, Marshall strived to work towards a democracy focused on equality eventually becoming known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” (Archer). Although Marshall is primarily remembered for working towards African American rights as a Supreme Court Justice, Marshall strived for equal citizenship under the law for all people. Many of Marshalls ideas mentioned in his dissents stem from the lessons and ideas he learned early on from his parents and mentors during his childhood and college years. In his work in the Civil Rights
was an american hero who worked towards African American rights. He went about protesting unjust laws with non-violent protests. For example, he would host sit-ins where a group of African Americans would go into a white restaurant and sit down at the soda fountain bar. No matter what anyone would say or do they would not move. This act of civil disobedience helped people see that the African Americans weren't doing anything wrong.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” What Gandhi is saying is that nonviolence is a stronger force than using destructive tools like guns or explosives. He is saying you can achieve your goals without the need to use violence like harming innocent people or causing chaos and havoc. Historical figures like Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela used non-violence civil disobedience Although non-violent civil disobedience is the best way to bring change to an unjust system, it is not always successful.
For example, Martin Luther King, Jr. and his use of civil disobedience is extremely honorable and still memorable today. He used the power of speech and marches to fight for African American rights. Also, Mahatma Gandhi is another influential leader that practiced civil disobedience while leading India to independence. Similarly, both heroes were harmonious in the way they stood up for their beliefs. They used nonviolent resistance to spark waves of revolution throughout the world.
He encourages many to fight against racism and earn equal rights. Freedom is worth fighting
