The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr.

The rising popularity of racialized movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #OscarsSoWhite affirm that racial equality is still a goal. It is not something that has been achieved, though many credit Martin Luther King, Jr. as the pioneer of advancing America to being a “post-racial” (cite) society. His monumental speech “I Have a Dream” marked a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, yet it did not end the conversation. Decades later, former president Bill Clinton addressed the pandemic of black-on-black crime at the Convocation of the Church of God in Christ. Years following the proposal of the Clinton Administration’s 1993 Crime Bill, George W. Bush and Barack Obama gave speeches advocating for systemic and societal equality, respectively,
He masterfully presents his audience with vivid images of unity, love, and equality. King resounds, “I have a dream that that one day even the state of Mississippi…will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice” (1963, p.5). This simplistic notion is comprehensible to all audiences. Additionally, his repetition of “I have a dream” indicate his background in the church. This serves as another common place to meet his audience. In the 1960s, the vast majority of Americans were church-going people who may not have been formally educated, but they could be moved by sermons. If his tone mimicked that of a sermon, then it could better persuade his audience, which it
The impact of their speeches is subsequently lessened because of King’s prior achievement. Clinton cites that his efforts would be commended by King himself, had King been alive during the 1993 Convocation of God in Christ (p. 41). According to Clinton, “If Martin Luther King were to reappear by my side today…’You did a good job,’ he would say” (1993, p. 41). The self-congratulatory tone of his opening remarks diminishes his credibility. Moreover, the 1993 Crime Bill contributed to the mass incarceration of many African-American citizens, furthering the racial divide. The effect is adverse of what King envisioned, despite Clinton’s claims otherwise. Bush attempts to use historical contexts and future generations as a vantage point in his speech as well, but he does not do so as eloquently as King does. Bush asserts, “I have proposed a New Prosperity Initiative that reflects the spirit of Lincoln’s reforms. A plan to remove obstacles on the road to the Middle Class” (2000, p. 2). He does not resolve to call for a social reform, which limits his power of persuasion to other politicians. Obama, on the other hand, mentions the strife of John Lewis and Emmett Till without relating with them (2009, p. 6). By interjecting asides such as “not by color but cause” (Obama, 2009,