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HIS perspective n violence Is that It achieves momentary peace and create new problems. King view this perspective as another Ineffective way of meeting oppression. King’s effective approach of meeting oppression is through nonviolent resistance. He affirms that this approach achieves respect, gives nobility and encourage brotherhood. In light of this, King’s message speaks to the ways in which people still deal with oppressive conditions in the American society today such as racism, unemployment and poverty. First, King explain how people acquiesce to their oppression, which Is still relevant today to how people acquiesce to racism.
In the society today, racial stratification Is one big factor that affect the blacks. The book “Race, Racial Attitude and Stratification Beliefs” by Hunt and Wilson shows that recent analyses suggest that sorting mechanisms, including discretionary decision-making and discrimination by employers and coworkers, may be partially responsible for racial stratification (Hunt and Wilson 41). As a result of racism, inequality has persisted in the society, the whites, along with the Hispanic and blacks, Increasingly see Inequality as driven by individual motivation rather than structural processes (Hunt and Wilson 42).
Hunt and Wilson points out that “a prominent body of recent research contends that racism is the driving force behind whites’ opposition to policies designed to assist blacks” (42). Furthermore, racism has evolve to what is called “new racism”(Hunt and Wilson 99), which Is defined as the conjunction of anti-black feelings and America moral traditionalism. New racism Is considered to be more subtle than Its predecessor but equally Invidious. Another factor to look Into Is racial resentment.
Though it differ from the old fashion racism in some ways, Hunt and Wilson says “its features annoyance and fury its central themes, and these emotion are provoked by the sense that black Americans are getting and taking more than the fair share” (1 19). The black Americans are considered to be undeserving of special consideration on the basis of racial group membership alone. Second, King’s message Is still relevant today because his message speaks to the ways in which people still deal with oppressive conditions in the American society today such as unemployment.
According to the book “job in America” by Debra A. Miller, recession that hit America economy in 2008 has slowed down the economy causing unemployment in United states to rise to 25 percent. Although, the federal government took some action; high unemployment still continued, reaching almost 10 presenting the fall of 2009 (miller 18). Although millions of workers In the united most harmed by the current economic slump (miller 21). Altogether, sixteen to twenty four year olds lost 2. 5 million Jobs between 2007 and 2010, making them the hardest age group to get Jobs (Miller 21). Earthmover, Miller states that “its is clear that the young people of color (blacks) are more impacted by this problem than their middle class white peers”(21). According to bureau of labor statistics, African Americans in teens between the ages of sixteen and nineteen in the fall of 2009 had unemployment rate 40. 7 percent, while young Latino in this age bracket rate was 30 percent. Both group were significantly worst than white teenagers, whose unemployment rate was 23 percent (Miller 21).
Considering the older black workers; they experience higher rates of unemployment when compared to the whites. Miller says “if it persist much longer, this era of high Joblessness will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults” (25). Third, Martin Luther King’s message is relevant today because his message speaks to the ways in which people still deal with oppressive conditions such as poverty. According to the book ‘poverty and power’ by Edward Royce, the biggest problem of poverty is that it is being ignored thoroughly in the United States.
Martin Luther King and other political and civil rights activist kept the issue of poverty alive throughout cost of sass’s, and looking at the society today, poverty is still much alive. More than four decades after King’s era, Royce points out that “American society have not only failed to eradicate poverty, but the very idea of poverty is barely spoke about in the mainstream public discourse” (1). The problem of poverty in America is far more serious than is commonly imagine; millions of American are denied equitable access to opportunities for a quality education, good Job, healthy environment and a decent life.
Furthermore, in 2005, the U. S census bureau measured poverty in the United States and came up that 12. 6 percent of the population were poor (Royce 2). Study also shows that the rate of poverty is higher for different subgroups; 24. 9 percent for African Americans, and 21. 8 for Hispanic. The rate of poverty in the United States is very high; United States came on top with a poverty rate of 17 percent in a recent study of the nineteen rich nation (Royce 4). Poverty has become more trap in recent years; it is more difficult for a poor family to get out of poverty and stay out of it.
Another disturbing issue is the way the rich in United States are getting richer and the poor getting poorer. In conclusion, Kings work addresses the way oppressed people meeting their oppression. Although his works were written decades ago, he message is still very relevant in the American society today. Kings message addresses how some people acquiesce and other use violence to face their oppressive conditions which is still happening today. In the light of this, King’s message is relevant today in the ways in which people still deal with their oppressive conditions such as racism, employment and poverty.