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Voices: African American and Martin Luther Essay Example

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Voices: African American and Martin Luther Essay Example
Everyone is born with a voice, but the power to convey the purpose and meaning is a characteristic of a distinctive voice. In history many voices have been heard but from them, only the distinctive voices have the ability to change, alter and shape society. Examples of these prominent voices are Martin Luther King and Severn Suzuki who ‘silenced the world for 5 minutes’. Through the use of techniques and symbolism such as metaphors, persuasive tones and religious context the activist are able to convey their meaning and purpose to the world.
The purpose of Martin Luther King, "I have a dream" speech was to unite both white and coloured people. Martin Luther was an African American, so he felt the discrimination between blacks and whites firsthand. He wrote the speech in hope that the people listening would be able to feel the pain that the African Americans were going through, and they did. Martin Luther played a major role in stopping discrimination.
Severn Cullis-Suzuki was only 12 years old when she spoke before the UN earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. A child speaking before adults representing all the countries in the world, yet her speech was anything but childish. It was an astonishing advice and an appeal to everyone to help stop the destruction of the earth’s resources. She spoke of deforestation, chemicals in the air, the waste and greed in our society, and the wanton destruction of animal and plant species that can never be brought back to life again.
In August 1963, Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, dramatically delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His soaring rhetoric demanding racial justice and an integrated society became a mantra for the black community and is as familiar to subsequent generations of Americans as the US Declaration of Independence. His words proved to be a touchstone for understanding the social and political confusion of the time and gave the nation a

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