Beyond Poverty

       “Beyond Poverty”

Dr. Martin Luther King was Baptist minister, activist and humanitarian. His goal was to make sure every individual was treated equally. He was best known for his leadership role in the civil rights by promoting nonviolent protests. In 1960’s, America was experiencing segregation and participating in a vicious war. The Vietnam War was a battle between North Vietnam and South Vietnam because of communism. Dr. King’s speech “A time to Break Silence” was an anti-Vietnam war and pro-social justice speech. He delivered this speech on April 4, 1967. The speech effectively addresses both of these issues; Civil Rights and Opposition to the Vietnam War. In addition to poverty, the African American community also faced lack of financial assistance, segregation, and inadequate education

African Americans were facing issues such as lack of financial assistance. There were many people in need of financial assistance in many aspects of their everyday life. From food, to living, and even insurance. During this time African American didn’t have the equal support they needed. They were treated with the upmost disrespect. They couldn’t survive with the low paying income they were receiving from their low rated jobs based upon their race. They really had no stable resource to provide for their families. Basically they were being judged upon their ethnicity so much that it took a very important toll on their everyday life.

Next, African Americans faced a major issue in the Civil Rights time which was all based upon segregation and racial profiling. African Americans did not have the same privileges and luxuries’ that the generation today take for granted. Segregation was in full force even on down to the simple little things. They did not have the advantage of doing things with respect. They were treated like the lowest of the lowest. Segregation against African Americans had no exceptions against age nor sex, if you were black it was perceived as if you were worth nothing.

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