Politcal
reviews
BY Quintet
Dr. King and Obama
2
Black history has been defined by these two men. Exploring their similar approches in politics
“One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land…….” These are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an excerpt from the speech” I Have a Dream.” Dr. King’s speech was considered a turning point for civil rights in America. During this time (1963), African Americans were discriminated against and were treated unfairly in rights and freedoms. Today some 45 years later we have an African American President. Although there is a major gap of time between then and now, President Obama’s inaugural speech in comparison is very similar to that of Dr. King’s speech. Both Pres. Obama and Dr. King express concern with poverty, the need for unity, the American promise, and, the need for change.
Dr. King and Pres. Obama both speak about poverty in their speeches. During Dr. King’s time African Americans were the main people in poverty. They were not given the same opportunities that white people were. It was hard for them to go to school, therefore even harder to get employment in positions that required education. Which left most african americans to work manual labor jobs that did not pay well. The problem ,however, still remainsin other forms. Pres. Obama’s speech also talks about poverty. One of the main reasons for poverty today is still lack of education. Most are poor because they don’t have the education necessary to obtain a livable income, or make enough to afford an education. Pres. Obama proclaims that these cycles have to be broken.