Martin Luther King Jr.: The Fight Against Social Justice

Literature has many meanings and purposes in society. To some, literature is simply a pastime enjoyment. But for others, literature is a platform to express opinions and challenge societal norms. Literature plays a profound role in fighting against social justice. The beauty of literature is that anyone can write and express their opinions in a creative way. Gone are the days where writing is exclusively for white men. Now, anyone in the world can express their ideas and challenge society. Anyone can share their struggles and help others realize the shortcomings in society. The use of words and stories can inspire others to fight against the unfairness in society. Literature helps fight against social justice by allowing people to tell their

Historically, white men were the only ones able to write. What they wanted to say was put into the history books and no one else was able to have an input. People's stories were not heard and the public was living in a bubble of a perfect world, oblivious to the world's social injustices. Now, anyone can share their ideas and stories through literature. African Americans and women, who's opinions and input were once regarded as unimportant, can now share their struggles and bring light to the problems they face to inspire others. The public's eyes are open to the problems society faces and they can no longer ignore the obvious. Two writers that fight against social justice are Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These two inspiring men wrote many speeches and fought against racial conflicts in the United States. Martin Luther King Junior's famous "I Have a Dream" speech brings forth a powerful message to the general public. His speeches are inspiring and command attention. Many people listen to him and use him as a source of hope to fight against racial issues. He is a symbol to African Americans as Wapshott stated, "Africans found a particularly poignant message in King’s plea for racial tolerance and his declaration that “the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.”" His speech put forth the harsh realities African Americans face and wants to fight against them. King realizes that his people are wrongly treated and that they should not be put into separate schools and bathrooms just because of the color of one's skin. The beauty of King's speech is that he did not incite violence to fight against the horrible treatment of African Americans as he explained, "Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to