Three Ways of Meeting Oppression Essay

Martin Luther King is one of the most recognizable Black American names in US history.  His fight for equality had made him a revolutionary icon particularly with the Black community. He had delivered several inspirational speeches and correspondence that have initiated social awareness and invoked the civil rights of many minorities (Kirk, 2005, pp. 5-25).

In an insightful essay written by King entitled “Three Ways of Meeting Oppression,” King disclosed that there are three ways in which people respond to oppression. The first reaction is through “acquiescence” wherein people choose to stay in the oppressive state because it is easier and less complicated than going against the flow pf the majority.

The second way to deal with oppression is through physical violence. With this, a struggle is formed which in most cases leads to more problems rather than generating a viable solution. The last method is by utilizing “non-violent resistance” (Gibbs Magazine, 2007). Moreover, these concepts are applicable in the real world.

Equality will not be achieved using extreme measures.

Non-violence methods are the best way to change the status quo in the society. Overall, the end goal can only be reached if people will truly believe in the power of non-violence combined with the full participation of the community and the elimination of biases and bigotry.

In terms of construction and organization, the essay of King was well-written. Every paragraph was filled with substantial information which were cohesively put together. More so, King introduced ideas one by one and each concept was thoroughly explained. Also, the use of concrete examples have aided in the easy comprehension of the main thesis statement. King provided the readers with historical events that they can easily relate to so as to facilitate an uncomplicated process of learning.

References

Gibbs Magazine. (2007). Three Ways of Meeting Oppression.  Retrieved September 22, 2008, from http://www.gibbsmagazine.com/Ways%20to%20respond.htm

Kirk, J.A. (2005). Martin Luther King Jr. Harlow: Pearson Longman.

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