Reference no: EM133642493

Assignment:

Article:

Schools. A bridge in the small country of Burkina Faso. Across Africa, it's not unusual to find places named after Martin Luther King, Jr. They're reminders that the American civil rights leader's influence isn't confined to the U.S. His legacy stretches across borders and continents.

Take Uganda. In that country's capital city, Kampala, a school for underprivileged children is named after the social activist, who was assassinated in 1968. The school's motto, "Have a Dream," borrows from a line in one of King's most famous speeches, "I Have a Dream." In the speech, King called for people of all races to be treated as equals.

"Martin Luther King stood for human rights and equality, so we wanted a way of inspiring and motivating our students," said Robert Mpala, who founded the school in Kampala.

In Liberia, another African nation, a rural school also bears King's name. "Martin Luther King was a great man," said J. Maxime Bleetahn, director of communications for Liberia's Ministry of Education. "We still follow his dream."

Many of us know about King's dream, but we may not fully understand how it started and evolved. King came of age at a time when the southern U.S. was racially segregated. Discrimination against blacks wasn't only a fact of life; it was also totally legal. In the 1950s, King emerged as an influential voice in America's civil rights movement. The young pastor had a vision for America. His inspirational speeches on love and justice, his calls for action, and his insistence on nonviolent resistance helped bring about change. Over time, segregation in the U.S. came to an end.

While King was working for racial equality at home, Africans were trying to gain independence from colonialism in their countries. King paid attention to their plight and showed his support for the people of Africa.

King first set foot on the continent in March 1957 to attend celebrations marking the West African nation of Ghana's independence from Britain. He returned to Africa in November 1960 to attend the inauguration of Nigeria's first president. After that event, King said African leaders had told him "that racism and colonialism must go, for they see the two as based on the same principle."

The similarities between King's efforts and Africans' struggles may have been strongest in South Africa. There, racist laws had oppressed the majority of the black community for decades. A system called apartheid kept black and white people apart, much like segregation.

In December 1965, King delivered a speech in New York City condemning South Africa's white rulers as "spectacular savages and brutes." He called on the U.S. and Europe to boycott the nation. Countries in the West eventually embraced this strategy. This helped end white rule in South Africa.

King was unable to visit South Africa because he was denied a visa to enter the country, but in 1989, years after his death, a bust of King was smuggled in. U.S. sculptor Zenos Frudakis said the U.S. government had asked him to create the bust so that it could be installed in South Africa for "political impact." The bust was barred by South Africa's government from being displayed in a public space. So it was set up just inside the U.S. embassy fence. That way, it was safe from government control but visible to the public, Frudakis has explained.

The country was transformed after apartheid ended in 1994. Anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, who became the country's first black president, was a big part of this effort. Mandela recognized King's contribution to the struggle for equal rights. He made that clear when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

"Let the strivings of us all prove Martin Luther King, Jr. to have been correct when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war," Mandela said.

Question:

Explain how Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy is being honored in Africa. Why do you think King showed support for the people of Africa? Use facts and details from the Article in your response.