Martain Luther King Jr.

The King’s words echo in our minds to this day, but he knew all too well that that progress could not be made by words alone. The quest for freedom and equality for African-Americans had to have concrete goals and a strategy for the future. It's beyond reasonable argument that America in 2002 is a vastly better country than it was in 1963, when King gave his historic Lincoln Memorial address. King knew the value of symbolism. But he also realized that the movement had to have a concrete focus on removing obstacles that stood in the way of individual achievement. King's great contribution is that he raised the issue of civil rights through peace and not violence, particularly at a time in the nation's history when violence would have come all too easy and thus leave a sour impression in those whose opinion’s were swaying in the wind not knowing which way to fall. As evident in paragraph seven of his speech “The Negro community must not lead us to a distrust...