Choice: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Alice Walker highlights the racism black Southerners still faced a hundred years after the Civil War, and how Dr. King changed that. Walker's family had lived in Eatonton, Georgia for generations, and it was there where so many of her relatives were buried. Despite this, her family couldn't own the land because of the widespread discrimination in the South. Even if someone did buy land, it could be taken away at any time. Because they only wanted to have good memories of their homeland, many people left without a choice, such as Walker's brothers and sisters. However, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave her and many other Americans hope and showed them that they had a choice. He encouraged them to resist without violence, just like when Walker first saw him on television. For instance, Walker states that she “would never be able to live in this country without resisting everything that sought to disinherit me” when she sees Dr. King on TV. He cared about everyone who didn't have the rights they deserved, such as Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, and poor white Americans. Because of him, Americans can do things they couldn't before. For example, Alice Walker got her homeland back, just like many other black Southerners. This address itself was read in a restaurant which didn't allow people of color several years back. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero that has made the world a better place.
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