Racial Inequality and the Enduring Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Abstract

[Instructor Name] The early 20th century was a tough time for African Americans since they lived under the set of Jim Crow Laws. The adversity and suffering of the African Americans prompted dissatisfaction with the regime calling for a passionate end to discrimination. Dr. [Instructor Name] rose as an icon of peace and racial equality. He passionately fought for the struggles of the Negros. The ‘I have a dream speech' became the defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement and one of the most famous speeches in American history. The most famous line, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where the color of their skin will not judge them, but by the content of their character’” reflects what’s going on in society today; racial inequality. The speech alludes that the Constitution advocates for freedom and equality, yet the Negro is still not free. It was a call for freedom and justice for all. The letter from Birmingham jail was to persuade the people to break unjust segregation laws nonviolently; it was a response to the eight white religious leaders. The letter was about the menace of racial injustices and segregation attributed to African Americans. The issues addressed by Dr. Martin Luther King are social issues still evident in American society today. The most eminent factors addressed in his speech and letter in jail are poverty, police brutality, racial inequality and discrimination, and voting rights. These social issues are still subject to debate in American society. African Americans have not yet achieved their freedoms and equality. Martin Luther king's legacy is still important today because many of the struggles he fought for are still unresolved in society. Racial profiling is common in the United States, and every American is assigned a racial identity whether they are ware or not. It is a culture and norm Americans possess. Martin Luther King stood tall for racial equality in times when racial segregation was torturous. Today it is still unresolved in the American institutions. Police brutality is in its worst form in American society, resulting in the deprivation of life. Police enact fore, torture, physical abuse, and killing of the people of color without any justification. The subject of police brutality is a historical legacy that keeps recurring, yet the American systems are silent. Police brutality has become a culture. According to (Pedro 143), the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks spurred widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustices. Police are never charged for misconduct and many times are left untouched. Derek Chauvin, the killer of George Floyd, was scrutinized and found with numerous police misconduct of at least police misconduct cases, yet was still a free man. Poverty is still an issue in American society, with African Americans victims of the problem. Blacks and Hispanics have the highest poverty rates in the United States. Blacks today live in poor neighborhoods due to the high poverty rates. According to (Firebaugh et al. 13372), “Blacks, in particular, are significantly more likely than other Americans to live in high-poverty neighborhoods. neighborhoods characterized by poor schools and limited access to healthcare, jobs, and beneficial social network, resulting in inequality of opportunity, as life chances are diminished for residents of such neighborhoods.” The neighborhoods are suggestive since they lower the residents' quality of life. Blacks are exposed to crime, noise pollution, and congestion. The poverty gap has declined since 1963, but it is still...