"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve to you yourself and you shall have the suffrage of the world..." This excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay entitled Self-Reliance supports my belief that no man or woman can attempt to change the world without first having a sense of self Emerson and some of his contemporaries, such as Henry David Thoreau, were the primary inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the Christian religion, King encountered the need to ascertain his purpose in life early on, which contributed much to his success. A man of undeniable excellence, Dr. King has greatly influenced people from all walks of life. His teachings of nonviolence, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation all fuse together to create a legacy full of his inalienable love and dedication to the rights of mankind. There is no doubt that Dr. King's philosophies have motivated me to be a better student and citizen.

Everyday I strive for excellence, thinking of how my success could someday contribute to the success of those members of future generations. Unselfishness is the key to opening the door to unity. Dr. King's undying commitment to the struggle proves that nothing is too great to accomplish; it all boils down to your own degree of self motivation and self determination.

In this day and time, it becomes extremely difficult for one to keep their eyes on the prize, a phrase that served as a motivation for many of the civil rights contenders. Every time I look at the news, a young person bas been killed, has killed someone else, or has participated in some other atrocious act. How does one attempt to change a world so wrapped up in evil? My answer is to begin by extracting the good. The foundation of my dream is education. Like King, I believe that education requires not only reasoning ability but also character and moral development. In early 1947, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote "The Purpose of Education", published in Morehouse College's newspaper, the Maroon Tiger. In this essay, King expresses how education can release the shackles forced upon a people.

We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character---that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living. (Jakoubek 25).

King's persistence in an attempt to make a better world intrigued me a great deal. For instance, the Montgomery Bus Boycott is proof of Dr. King's ability to confront the issues of this world, more specifically the issues of America. With the help of other local ministers, King rallied to form the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), an organization designed to exclusively support the boycott. He was elected president of the society. Although angry Whites threatened and even bombed the King home, the protest lasted for a year. The following year, in 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated seating was unconstitutional (Jaynes 485). Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stared adversity in the face and defied all odds by not conforming or acquiescing to the standard set by an ignorant society. Humility was a major facet of attaining these results.

As for my dream for my community, J have come to the realization that my generation, as a whole, is under the misconception that Dr. King's efforts, which occurred almost half a century ago, created a utopia. While the works of this august man cannot be discredited, it is up to us to mend the broken pieces of the world in which we live today. The Jena Six controversy is a prime example that the time for a change is right now. One tree, two races, and three nooses resulted in six unfair arrests. We must use King's copacetic doctrines to rescue a people that are disintegrating under the pressures like illiteracy, famine, and even global warming. According to the United Nations, which defines illiteracy as the inability to read and write a simple message in any language, at least 44% of the world's population is considered to be illiterate. Despite the ignominy this statistic provides, illiteracy is on the rise. The future belongs to us and if we don't work tediously to help ourselves, we will be completely lost. I aspire to be a leader in my community, using Dr. King as a beacon of knowledge on my journey to seek a remedy. I realize that I have inherited a bequest to continue to lead the way to a bright and beautiful tomorrow.

In King's autobiography, he reveals a dogma for his passion to revolutionize society: " ...I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much moral obligation as is cooperation with good.. ." His strong belief in freedom for all mankind should be a way of life. All distress and tension in the world could be eliminated by practicing brotherhood, and with equal treatment for all races. Discrimination is nothing more than a product of cultural irresponsibility and ignorance; it plagues the minds of individuals who are afraid to accept and embrace the differences among the people of this land.
King has left an indelible impression on my perspective of life. As I ponder on his philosophies, I know that I must do my share of reconstructing this society. I plan on doing so by going to college to become an entertainment lawyer. Once I began to reap the fruits of my labor, I want to give back by building nonprofit student help centers around the country; here students would be able to reach their full potential. Also, I want to build shelters for young women in high school that live in environments that could hinder them from becoming successful in life. For all of my dreams to come true, it is imperative that I emulate the patience and insistence demonstrated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This great man of the era has already laid the foundation for us to construct a mighty building of illustriousness. If we develop a dedication to what is righteous, there is no doubt that we will prevail.

Bibliography

Jakoubek, Robert. Martin Luther Kina, Jr.: Civil Rights Leader. Chelsea House
Publishers: Philadelphia, PA. 2005.

Jaynes, Gerald D. African American Society. Vol. I Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks,
CA. 2005.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

www.census.gov/pubinfo.html

The opinions, comments, and sentiments expressed by the participants are not necessarily those of Holland & Knight LLP or the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc.