A Quest for Inclusion in American Politics: Reading Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Abstract

his research draws on the theory and practice of anti-racial literary criticism, spearhead by Paul Kevil, Thomas Jefferson, Shelby Steele, Abraham Lincoln, Genovese, Barack Obama etc. critically to analyze the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. The thrust of the research lies in its treatment as an embodiment of the horror, racial disharmony prevalent in America. Despite the civil war, two parallel universe discourses that exist between the black and white communities, American political discourse refuse to accept the fact that the issue of the race is at the heart of its politics. There is discrimination, stigmatization and inequalities among the races. So, Martin Luther king articulates a quest of democracy that serves to confront and overcome injustices and foresees a platform for racial reconciliation among the communities in his speeches which ultimately transcend race as a pivotal issue in the American politics and society.