Marissa Kaufmann

April 21, 2009

- With the conquest of my mind, I have conquered the whole world.

Sikhism. Adi Granth, Japuji 28, M.1, p. 6

- Though one should conquer a million men on the battlefield, yet he, indeed, is

the noblest victor who has conquered himself.

Buddhism. Dhammapada 103

- Who is strong? He who controls his passions.

Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 4.1

- Attack the evil that is within yourself; do not attack the evil that is in others.

Confucianism. Analects 12.21

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most influential and beloved heroes in

history. He lived “before his time.' He was desperately needed in a time when America

was heavily underdeveloped. For generations, the social structure of the United States

was set up deliberately to repress blacks from progressing. This was done by allowing

the evil of segregation to exist.

Although Dr. King faced heavy setbacks, he still managed to shatter every

negative expectation put upon him. This startling range of success makes him an
historical anomaly. Dr. King's legacy and the type of person he was is nothing short of

astounding. He was more than a man who moved a nation. He embodied the ideals of

our nation due to his phenomenal ability to realize the true definition of freedom.

Freedom is the power to control one’s thoughts and one’s actions. It is the power to

exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without. It is this

God given gift that helped Dr. King throughout his life as a civil rights activist.

Imagine living everyday in a small town down south, where the elected

government officials want to see you fail. Imagine living in fear everyday that a terrorist

group can legally burn down your house and kill you and your family. Imagine being

born into a world like this, where horrible things happened to you because the powerful

do not like the color of your skin. In retrospect, the injustices which the black

community had to endure should never have even been allowed to exist.

Dr. King’s daring efforts to bring equal rights to his people must never be

forgotten. His unique qualities of utmost sincerity and undying passion to help free both

blacks and whites of the 19th century from the evil and horrors of oppression lit up

America in its darkest time. Dr. King could transcend the social forces outside of him by

refusing to all such distorted views to limit the freedom that was his own since birth.

The foundation for freedom is the ability to control one's own life. This

consequently leads to the formation of what one thinks, does and is. In order to be free, it

is also necessary to act through thinking. Conversely, acting without thinking removes

any opportunity for a person to be free. It is critical to recognize that a great deal of what

we call freedom involves thinking. Dr. King so eloquently and elegantly does all this in
his Letter from Birmingham Prison. His writing style and the words he chooses

represents a man who takes charge and carefully chooses what he thinks and does. In one

letter, Dr. King explains the intricate steps taken in order to conduct a successful non-

violent campaign. He says “In any non-violent campaign there are four basic steps:

collection of the facts, negotiation, self purification, and direct action.” These steps were

taken so seriously by participants of the civil rights movement. Dr. King’s detailed

explanation of the four steps show prime examples of how to be in control of your

thoughts and actions, and by extension, how to be responsible in their pursuit for

freedom, while constantly thinking of ways to improve. This last most point allows the

thought to be dynamic and safe from stagnation.

Although the injustices inflicted upon the black community were far too many,

their ability to attain a saint-like level of self-control is beyond remarkable and can

forever be studied. Before proceeding with direct action, the participants in the Civil

Rights Movement had to prepare themselves meticulously through a series of workshops

on violence. During these workshops, each and every participant had to ponder and

respond to such question as “ Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?” “Are

you able to endure the ordeal of jail?” Participants were asked these questions repeatedly,

and anyone who could not exhibit a confident affirmation was not allowed to march.

These questions and workshops showed that Martin Luther King Jr. and the courageous

members of the Civil Rights Movement were the true directors of their actions. They

remain inspirational and memorable people who show the strength of the human spirit.

Freedom is something always worth creating and defending no matter the cost. It

is obtained by those who actively and intelligently pursue it. Dr. King understood this
clearly. He expresses in his letter that “freedom is never voluntarily given by the

oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” What Dr. King did for the Civil

Rights movement reflects the philosophy of America’s founding fathers. Thomas

Jefferson wrote that every American has the Divinely given inalienable rights of life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

King was a man who learned how to think for himself despite society’s negative

expectations of him. He was a man who controlled his actions, attained an in depth

comprehension of the workings of society and made informed decisions that were

carefully thought out and prayed about. Dr. King invested his heart, mind and soul in

every project in which he participated in. Dr. King worked together with everyone to

change the social context and eliminate the limitations it set on freedoms. He utilized his

inner freedom to change the world into a progressive and inspirational world for future

generations.