Contemporary Connections – Speeches, Past and Present

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. crafted his own powerful and influential speaking style while drawing from important predecessors in history. The classical rhetorical styles of the writers and orators of the revolutionary period had a great impact on King as well as the philosophical nonviolent resistance practices of abolitionist writers like Mahatma Gandhi.

His fight for equality and human rights were delivered through a distinct speaking style, and his message of nonviolence struck a chord with Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. His enduring legacy still influences world leaders, and echoes of his powerful rhetoric can be heard in speeches, arguments, and literary works today.