Martin Luther King Jr.: Was Everything in Vain?

Martin Luther King Jr. is a very inspirational character in American history. He is looked up to by many people around the world. King has a well-known speech called “I Have a Dream” that inspired many African Americans and gave them hope. He followed his father’s footsteps as a minister and started to be very outspoken about equality and his beliefs on racism. King’s outstanding accomplishments helped him receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Although he accomplished many great things, was it all in vain?

Martin Luther King Jr.: Was Everything in Vain?

Many people believe that King died in vain because of how the world is today. “Dr. King died for a dream but I’m afraid it was a dream deferred; a dream not fully realized as we’ve come far by faith but not far enough.” It seems like every single day there are some types of horrific incidents going on, and it is starting to get worse every year. King fought for equality, but racism is still a problem in the world today. No matter how much influence one man has on a nation, it is very difficult to change the whole world.

Racism and Its Roots

People around the world still get judged by their skin color rather than their character. King died fighting for equality and non-violence, but I sometimes wonder if it was all for nothing. One of the main reasons this still occurs is because that is how some people are raised. Parents should raise their children to not judge by the color of the skin but rather judge them by their character. “By the time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King — heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and the activist Bayard Rustin — had entered the national spotlight as an inspirational proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance” (Smith, 2020). King protested against things that he did not agree with, but it was in a non-violent way. Most of the protests that occur today involve a massive amount of violence.

Violence and Its Consequences

Not only did this incident include violence, it was also believed to have something to do with race. “Last week, several top Democrats were targeted by pipe bombs, two black Americans were killed in what appeared to be a racially motivated murder, and a terror attack against Jewish Americans in their place of worship that left 11 people dead” (Johnson, 2018). The reason that these attacks happen are all different, but a good amount of the reasons is race related. If we want to end racism and have peace in this world, we have to come together as a whole. Before we can solve these problems, we must come together as human beings. Everyone needs to come to a realization that violence does not solve problems; in some cases, it even creates more.

Non-Violent Protest: King's Legacy

King never encouraged violence when he participated in protests; he wanted to get his point across to others without being harmful to others. “…it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society” (King, 1967). Unfortunately, in today’s world, almost all protests result in riots, which then lead to violence. When Barack Obama was elected as the first African American president, it made some people furious. It should not matter the skin color of a person, which is what Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to tell people. Today, we see protests looked at as not being done correctly. Back in the 1950s, protests were viewed very differently than they are viewed now. When King participated in boycotts and riots, they were looked at as being harmless. Today, if you see a protest, there will most likely be a lot of bad things happening.

Gender and Equality

Another example is that people believe that women do not belong in positions that require them to make big decisions. If there was true equality in the world, it wouldn’t matter the race, gender, or religion of a person. King wanted everyone to be viewed as an equal human being and not underestimated because of their race or gender. “...in the fight for civil liberties, justice and equality” (Smith, 2020). Sometimes the violence that occurs is because of political reasons. There are Democrats and Republicans that normally do not get along with each other because of their political beliefs; therefore, leading to violence in some cases.

Immigration and Equality

If there was true equality, it would not matter where you came from or what your race is. “Immigrants who have lived in the United States for a long time are being sent back to states that they have no reason to be in just because of their race” (Johnson, 2018). As long as you don’t cause any trouble, you should be able to go anywhere you want to go. King tried his best to fix this cruel world; he even willingly put himself and his family in danger. Sadly, the world is still a very bad place; maybe even worse than it was before.

Conclusion

Racism and violence should come to an end fast. King died fighting for equality and equal rights, but all of his hard work did not seem to pay off in the long run. He would be highly disappointed if he saw how cruel people are now. He fought a long hard fight fifty-one years ago, but today we still battle the racism and violence all around the world. Things such as school shootings, bomb threats, and murder are all too common.

The Role of Future Generations

If children grow up around all of this chaos, they won’t know any better. The children will be used to watching crimes happen in their everyday lives. If we don’t do something to end the violence and racism, it will only get worse from here. We should all take Martin Luther King Jr.’s advice and fight for what we believe in a non-violent manner. If King would have injured people at all of his protests and boycotts, he would have been looked at as a bad person. Instead, he used no violence, which gave him everyone’s respect around the world. It is wrong to not like someone based on their skin. We need to do what King always wanted and come together as one. When something bad happens, it doesn’t only affect them and their families, but it also affects the rest of the world. Violence and racism are pointless. They do not solve any problems at all. Martin Luther King Jr. tried his best to show the world that it would be a better place without all of the bad things going on, but it seems like nobody wanted to listen. We need less violence and more love and care in the world today.

References

• Johnson, A. (2018). The State of Racism and Violence in America. The New York Times.
• King, M. L. Jr. (1967). The Other America. Speech, Stanford University.
• Smith, J. (2020). Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy. History Today.