martin luter king
... Morehouse College. His quest for knowledge did not end in the classroom, however. He continued to broaden his horizons throughout his entire life. On a visit to India in 1959, King was able to work out more clearly his understanding of Satyagraha, Gandhi's principle of non-violent persuasion, which King had determined to use as his main instrument of social protest. King fouund ways to make all the things he had learned in his life usseful in his battle for civil liberty. King, with his new understanding of Gandi’s philosophy of non-violent direct action, was now prepared to use oration as his tool to spread the message of civil liberty. His words gave black and poor people a new sense of worth and dignity. King’s speeches stimulated Southerner’s hearts and minds, and called them to fight for equality. Dr. King's speech at the march on Washington in 1963 (“I Have a Dream”), his acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize, and his final speech in Memphis are among his most famous orations. His words to this day inspire people to people to fight on in the battle for inequality. King’s gift of public speaking was one of the major reasons that he was such a charismatic leader. His ability to inspire people through speech, combined with his ability to untie people for the accomplishment of a common goal, made him one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. It was evident from his early adulthood, when fellow civil rights activists elected him president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, that he was a natural leader. He would continue to leader others throughout his life, leading them all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, where he made his famous “I Have a Dream” orati...