In this speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is describing what the then current issue was on December 5, 1955. His speech starts off addressing citizenship. He states, “We are American citizens and we are determined to apply our citizenship to the fullness of its meaning.” He is saying that even though skin color may differ, we are all citizens of the United States of America. Dr. King Jr. was looking for the country to acknowledge that African-American people were citizens of the United States and they should so be treated as such. As Becca had previously stated, Dr. King Jr. was looking for equality among the races.
Dr. King Jr. also goes on to state that the African-American community is one that loves the country and democracy, as much as white people. It is “…our love for democracy and because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth.” Being a citizen and loving democracy gives Dr. King the right to protest in a manner that is non-violent and peaceful. He wants to make it known to the country that African-Americans are not going to give-up, they will fight for what is right. In doing so, everyone is going to act in accordance to the Constitution like law-abiding citizens should.
On the Nobel Prize website, I found a little information about the speech. It states that the bus boycott, in which Dr. King Jr. spoke, was the first protest that was lead that was “nonviolent.” The protest lasted for 382 days.
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