Martin Luther King, Jr & Nelson Mandela

         Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up in the same era and fought similar battles which changed the course of history. Although they died under different circumstances, they left a legacy that changed millions of lives for the greater good. Both men were well educated, were born with different names, and were divorcees. The greatest similarity between the men was their fight for justice and equal rights in their country. They both operated peaceful protests and were leaders and activists in their respected community. Many times they were met with violence and killings, however, they never lost their motivation or the site of their goals. Not to mention, both men endured hardships and were imprisoned, Mandela for nearly three decades, yet they never stopped fighting for the rights everyone deserved. They stood by others to boycott, protest and march for their rights and influenced others to fight along with them. Similarly, both men had a long life friend, Oliver Tambo and Benjamin Mays, to accompany them and help lead the movement for justice. In the end, both men won Nobel prizes, influenced change in the world to do greater things, and eradicated the wall of segregation in their countries. Mandela became the first black president of his country and installed a new system where everyone had equal rights. MLK influenced many with his “I have a Dream” speech and left a legacy that spurred a change in history and gave those the motivation to voice their opinions. To conclude, both men will always be remembered and honored on their respective to recognize the positive change they brought to the world.

        I chose this quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”-Martin Luther King, Jr., because the statement speaks true to the whole world. If someone doesn’t have rights in one country, then it gives power to another country trying to oppress someone else. Moreover, it would leave a significant impact if the injustice was stopped in one place, so there would be a greater chance that the same injustice would be stopped somewhere else. The other quote I chose was, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”- Nelson Mandela. This particular quote seems to have been a key thinking point back when the fight for justice was raging. Many, probably, thought that Mandela would fail after spending nearly three decades in prison, yet he became the next president and instituted a positive change in the country, therefore, the impossible became a reality after it was accomplished.