MLK Letter from Birmingham Jail and President Obamas A More Perfect Union Compare and Contrast - Essay Example

Racism has been a problem for the people of America, which has had the Nation’s leaders up in arms trying to advocate for equality across the land. In the past, leaders like Martin Luther King thought fighting for equal rights would bring unity among the people. That was decades ago, and fast forward to today, the United States has its first African American president. The two are both icons of their times (Leeman, 2012). This paper will examine the similarity they share in some of the famous works that saw their fight across international boundaries.

Both Martin Luther King and Obama have something in common. It is their fight to eradicate racism against a nation that is considered a super power. The United States has been one of the countries where racism has had a negative impact on the lives of the American people. Stereotyping has made prisons become full of people of minority groups, and this number is on the rise. Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ talks of the many issues that Americans face, and the long road not travelled.

Obama faces the same opposition from the same people who were once accustomed to labelling minority groups as barbaric and incompetent (Brinkley, 2010). In Martin Luther King’s letter, he talks of the racism that affected African-Americans in the country. Often, MLK did point fingers at some of the groups involved in the segregation of the people considered the minority. Obama, on the other hand, did not talk to, or about any group of segregated individuals. He decided to go down the diplomatic route with his speech.

They both use emotional appeal to attract their audience to their message. This similarity is common in the political arena as political heads are out to talk to a wider audience than just one group of individuals (Brinkley, 2010). The persuasive manner in which they talk to their audience is evident in both leaders. The manner in which Obama appeals to the wider audience, however, makes his speech less concise and specific. MLK’s letter, on the other hand, addresses a specific group. The reason this happens is the difference in time.

King’s letter came at a time when the nation was battling seriously with the segregation issue, and there were cases where people of minority groups were being killed. In 1963, segregation laws were in effect and proved difficult for any minority group to be heard. Obama was addressing a much more diverse group of people. This is through the evolution of laws and abolition of segregation laws (Leeman, 2012). The other thing that may differ in the two scenarios is the cultural and political ties the two leaders had while delivering their messages.

Obama might have had political ambitions. That made his speech much more focused on the diverse America population. King did not have any political ambition; rather, he hoped for the day that the country would allow an African-American leader to lead the nation. It was through such works from Martin Luther King that leaders like Obama have a chance to give speeches. The American public wanted to evolve from the time of segregation through people such as Martin Luther and Jesse Jackson. The two addressed the issue of special interests among people (Brinkley, 2010).

Obama, however, labelled the groups involved as corporate leaders who wanted to enjoy the short period of greed. King addressed white supremacist groups, and their quest to eradicate the minority group, specifically African-Americans. Both