Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equal rights and Martin Luther King Jr. positively affected the lives of millions of Americans by bringing positive change to civil justice system through non-violent actions. Preaching helped King convey his ideals to the public.

Martin grew up with the idea of becoming a preacher, thus continuing the tradition in the King family. Martin would start in the same church as his father did, but expand to preaching to the nation. He was a brilliant man both intellectually and academically (Albert 117).

King’s style of preaching originated from the black tradition of preaching. The black tradition of preaching has many references to the bible and the theology behind it. He used attitude and measures that articulated the black ch

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed --- "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." 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. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 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. I have a dream today (http://members.aol.com/klove01/dreamsp.htm).

King’s character was extraordinary. At five feet seven inches tall, with broad shoulders, a muscular neck, and weighing one hundred and seventy three pounds, Martin could of easily been mistaken as an athlete. However, King’s character leaned more towards leadership than anything else (Warren 20). Martin valued equality and passivity more then anything. His moral character, honesty, spiritual strength, and moral audacity were rare qualities that few possess (Siebold 180). All of King’s thoughts and actions based themselves around one main idea, the principle of love. King loved the people that opposed him just as much as he did those that support him, or what King referred to as “standing up for what you believe in, while still loving and respecting those who oppose you”. Martin also had an astonishing sense of optimism. He always had a positive view or constructive input to every situation (Warren 21). King’s ability to relate to everyone on a personal level was advantageous for connecting with his listeners and conveying messages that would be remembered. It was not what he said, but the way he said it that made King an unforgettable speaker. King’s ability to, as Richard Lischer states, “articulate the white man’s philosophy in a black man’s voice” made it harder for whites to contradict him (Lischer 163). Martin would regularly borrow ideals from previous sermons from white preachers (Miller 195). Martin’s ideology and moral values were superior to many and was the key ingredient to his leadership. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man and devoted his life to fighting for equal rights.

King’s trip to India forever changed him. One of the main things King learned from his trip to India is the value of patience. King realized that it took nearly fifty years for the Indian people to gain their independence. Many of their leaders had been imprisoned for multiple years; rather then the day or weeklong punishments the Americans were used to. Americans were to anxious and wanted immediate results. Through King’s trip to India, he learned that patience was a necessary virtue to make progress. He also learned that the struggle for civil rights would entail much more suffering and endurance that it already had (Siebold 72). Martin returned from India more enthusiastic and devoted to the Gandhian ideals of nonviolence and simplicity of living then ever before. King constantly thought of how to apply them to the Civil Rights situation in America. The biggest problem he faced was the difference in lifestyles of those in India and America. King tried to simplify his lifestyle in hopes that others would follow, because he thought that the desire to acquire material possessions was the root of corruption in America (Siebold 73). King’s trip to India ultimately lead to King having a better understanding of the ideas of Gandhi and increased motivation to commend them in America.

It has been my conviction ever since reading Rauschenbusch that any r

Some topics in this essay:
King Jr, Civil Rights, Burke King, Thomas Siebold, Rauschenbusch King, Gandhi King, Emancipation Proclamation, Rosa Parks, Jews Samaritans, King Jesus’, martin luther, luther king, martin luther king, king jr, luther king jr, equal rights, black church, civil rights, equal rights martin, warren 117, bus boycott, trip india, rights martin luther, king’s sermons, king’s trip india,