Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela Speeches Comparison

Comparison of the Speeches

• Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela speeches are about unity of races to overcome racism from many decades and to collide into one voice to raise a land of freedom.

“ I have a dream ” August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C

• Mr. Luther King Jr. started his speech as follows:– “ I am happy to join with you today in what will go down

in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. ”

• He talked about how many years before, the Emancipation Proclamation was brought to make justice to Negro slaves, however, many years after that, the black community continued to suffer segregation and discrimination.

M.L.K. speech

• He states that there was a promise to all men, black or white, which guaranteed rights of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But America defaulted on this promise.

• His hope was “to make justice a reality for all of God's children.”

• In order to reach this goal, he invited his people to “not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”

M.L.K. speech

• Things he pointed out as injustice for the black people included police brutality, not being able to log in the motels of the highways, signs stating: "For Whites Only”, don’t having the right to vote.

• “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Nelson Mandela: Speech on Release from Prison, 1990

• After a quarter century in jail, Nelson Mandela, the leader of the South African African National Congress, was released and faced the world's press in a speech carried live throughout the world.

• Mr. Nelson Mandela started his speech as follows:– “Comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all

in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all.”

N.M. speech

• He continued to give thanks to all the people who were there for him during the days of his imprisonment.

• He also emphasizes about the anti-apharteid struggle and gave thanks to all who contributed to keep the country standing still over injustice: the working class, the religious communities, the youth, the women.

The Apartheid

• At this point his speech intention was starting to be pointed out as he added: The apharteid “has to be ended by our own decisive mass action in order to build peace and security.”

• It caused an incalculable destruction, millions of homeless and unemployed people, the ruins of the economy.

• In 1960 and armed struggle was founded (African National Congress armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe), as a defensive action against the apartheid; after a few years, he was taken to prison.

An official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites

N.M. speech

• He makes a call for the liberation of the political prisoners, an end of white monopoly on political power and a restructuring of their political and economic systems.

• “Our march toward freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.”

Comparison of Speeches

• Martin Luther King speech (1963) was about freedom and democracy for the black community. At that same time, in the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Nelson Mandela was convicted and sent to prison for his anti-apartheid movement.

• So many years had passed from Luther King Jr. speech, and the struggle of the black community continued. In his speech to the nation on 1990 when he got out of prison, Nelson Mandela talked about the same things as King did years before.

Comparison of Speeches

• Both in their speeches fought for justice to the black people and described how this community has struggle against the white power and discrimination. They both strongly stated they will not give up this fight, although in different tones. Luther King is more directed to black people and tells them to continue to fight, but with the soul. Mandela speech is more of a call to people of every color to stand unite and fight trough democracy.