Keeping Freedom Alive: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Call for Equality and Justice

1. Unit 2, Part 3 I’ve Been to the Mountaintop Click the mouse button or press the space bar to continue Splash Screen

2. Unit 2, Part 3 (pages 375–388) Before You Read Reading the Selection After You Read Respond Through Writing Selection Menu

3. For pages 375–388 10.6 Evaluate the role of syntax and diction and the effect of voice, tone, and imagery on a speech, literary essay, or other forms of literary nonfiction. Before You Read

4. Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. Click the picture to learn about the author. Before You Read

5. Literature and Reading Preview Connect to the Speech Would you be willing to stand up for the rights of other people even if you might be harmed in the process? Discuss this question with a partner. Before You Read

6. Literature and Reading Preview Build Background In April 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to support African American sanitation workers who were on strike against the city. Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb had refused to recognize and negotiate with the nearly all-African American union organization that had called the strike. Before You Read

7. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Keep Freedom Alive In this speech, King argues that freedom and equality belong to everyone. As you read, ask yourself, What arguments does King give to support his ideas? Before You Read

8. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Allusion An allusion is a reference to a character, a place, or a situation from history, music, art, or literature. In his speeches, King uses allusions to make his points clear. As you read, ask yourself, Where and why does King include well-known quotations and examples from history? Before You Read

9. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Identify Problem and Solution One purpose of persuasive speeches is to identify a problem and suggest a solution or solutions for that problem. As you read this speech, ask yourself, Which problems does King discuss and which solutions does he propose? Before You Read

10. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Identify Problem and Solution Tip: Ask Questions Ask yourself questions as you read, such as: What are the problems? What details about the problems does King provide? What solutions does King suggest? What support does he give for his solutions? Before You Read

11. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Identify Problem and Solution As you read, fill in a chart like the one shown below. Before You Read

12. Literature and Reading Preview Set Purposes for Reading Identify Problem and Solution Click the image to view the animation. Before You Read

13. Literature and Reading Preview grapplev. to struggle, as though wrestling; to come to terms with. The city council is meeting tonight to discuss how best to grapple with town budget issues. relevantadj. related to the issue at hand. Though pollution is an important issue, it is not relevant to our discussion of the need for a new library. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition. Before You Read

14. Literature and Reading Preview agendan. an outline of tasks to be accomplished. The agenda lists what we need to discuss during this meeting. compassionateadj. having or showing sympathy for another’s misfortune, combined with a desire to help. A variety of compassionate organizations work to help victims of disasters. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition. Before You Read

15. Before You Read

16. Keeping Freedom AliveKeep the following questions in mind as you read. What is necessary to the achievement of freedom and equality, according to King? How does he say that people should work toward these goals? Reading the Selection

17. Answer:King believes that to achieve freedom and equality, people must remain determined, be willing to endure hardship, and stick together and help each other. He stresses that people should fight for these goals in nonviolent ways, such as by withdrawing economic support from racist institutions. Reading the Selection

18. AllusionThe title of this work uses a Biblical allusion. In the Bible, Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to a land of their own, called the Promised Land. Moses, who never entered the Promised Land, viewed it from a mountaintop. Why may King have chosen this allusion? Answer: King, like Moses, intends to lead African Americans to a better place. Reading the Selection

19. AllusionHow would you characterize the kinds of people and events that King is alluding to? Answer: King alludes to great and notable people from many eras. Reading the Selection

20. Keeping Freedom AliveWhat issues do you think the people in these places have in common? Answer:People in these places suffer injustice and oppression. Like King’s audience, the people who suffer the most in these places are people of color. Reading the Selection

21. Identifying Problem and SolutionWhat problems has King identified? Answer:King alludes to the racial injustice plaguing the United States, the poverty, hurt, and neglect suffered by people of color around the world, and war. Reading the Selection

22. Political History The Emancipation Proclamation This proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. It freed all slaves in the areas of the Confederacy still rebelling against the Union. Reading the Selection

23. AllusionWhat point does the allusion to Pharaoh's court help bring home to King’s listeners? Answer:By reminding listeners that Pharaoh was able to keep the slaves subjected only until they unified, King is helping his listeners understand that they need to unify also. Reading the Selection

24. Schulke traveled with and documented Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders during the 1960s. What do you think King’s body language here reveals about his speaking style? Reading the Selection

25. Answer:The position of King’s hand and his overall body language suggest that he is confident and powerful. The way he gazes out over the congregation suggests his vision of freedom. Reading the Selection

26. Identifying Problem and SolutionWhat problem does King explain in this sentence? What does he encourage people to do to address this problem? Reading the Selection

27. Answer:King explains that minor incidents of violence, such as window-breaking, are distracting people from the real issue behind the strike: the suffering of hard-working people. King encourages people to march in order to support the strikers and to remind people of the real reasons for the strike. Reading the Selection

28. AllusionWhy does King make these allusions in these two sentences? Answer:You may say that these allusions are friendly ways of connecting with the audience and, possibly, of reminding them of the commitments that come with religious faith. Reading the Selection

29. Keeping Freedom AliveWhat arguments does King make against the court injunction? Reading the Selection

30. Answer:King refers to the founding ideas of the United States and of the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, which would seem to permit the march despite the court’s injunction: freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. Reading the Selection

31. AllusionIn one paragraph, King alludes to common ideas of heaven and the afterlife. What point does he make about these ideas? Reading the Selection

32. Answer:The ideas of the afterlife are well and fine but it is not enough for ministers and others to comfort the poor and suffering with these ideas. They must also care about what happens to the poor and suffering while they are alive; they must work to make the country more compassionate and fair. Reading the Selection

33. Literary History Amos Amos, a prophet of the Israelites, denounced Israel’s sins, particularly those of injustice, corruption, and greed. The Bible verse that King quotes is Amos 5:24: “I want to see a mighty flood of justice—a torrent of doing good.” Reading the Selection

34. Rhetorical Language Throughout his speech King uses the term “brother” to connect with his audience, suggesting that all members of the human race are brothers. Identify other rhetorical strategies King uses to connect with his audience. Reading the Selection

35. Answer:King refers to the audience members as “my friends;” uses the pronouns you, us, and we. Reading the Selection

36. Identifying Problem and SolutionWhat good outcomes could be obtained by pooling economic resources, according to King? Answer:According to King, African Americans would be able to pressure businesses to adopt fairer practices toward their workers. Reading the Selection

37. This photograph of a civil rights demonstration focuses on two exuberant young women in a crowd of marchers. What is King’s attitude toward women in this speech? Answer:King believes that all people, regardless of race, religion, or gender, should have equal rights Reading the Selection

38. Identifying Problem and SolutionWhat argument does King make for attending the march? Answer:King argues that if the strikers fail, African Americans throughout Memphis will be the losers. Reading the Selection

39. AllusionAccording to King, what kinds of excuses do people make for not stopping to help one another? Reading the Selection

40. Answer:Excuses include those used by people who emphasize their busy schedules—even their involvement in worthy activities—to get out of helping others. People may also use technicalities, such as religious laws, to get out of helping others. Reading the Selection

41. Keeping Freedom AliveWhat attitude or spirit does King encourage his listeners to adopt? Answer:King encourages attitudes of responsibility, generosity, caring, and solidarity. Reading the Selection

42. Writer’s Technique Irony Irony is when an event happens that is the opposite of what is expected. King uses irony in describing the circumstances in which he was stabbed and almost died. What is ironic about the attack? Answer:It is ironic that it was committed by an African American woman. Reading the Selection

43. Style Why does King repeat the phrase “If I had sneezed”? Reading the Selection

44. Answer:The repetition reinforces how close King came to death and how glad he is that fate kept him from sneezing—and dying—so that he could participate in the civil rights movement Reading the Selection

45. Keeping Freedom AliveWhat does King hope to illustrate by mentioning these events? Answer:King was reminding his listeners of the many victories the Civil Rights Movement had achieved thus far. Reading the Selection

46. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1964. The youngest male recipient of the Peace Prize at that time, King donated all of the prize money to the Civil Rights Movement. Reading the Selection

47. Identify Problem and Solution What problem does King identify? What is his solution? Answer:The problem is that King is receiving threats and is concerned for his safety. His solution is to trust in God’s will Reading the Selection

48. Allusion In this final passage, King alludes to the “promised land” and ends by quoting the patriotic American song “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” What is the meaning of the passage? Reading the Selection

49. Answer: You may say that King thinks that he has been blessed to be a part of the struggle. He does not feel the need to actually witness the final victory of justice and freedom in person; he feels privileged enough just knowing that it will happen. Reading the Selection

50. The lone African American man in this photograph reminds the viewer that the struggle to achieve equal rights was a long, hard, and sometimes lonely road. It was, a struggle waged by individuals who both banded together and worked alone. Reading the Selection