Analysing the Catalytic Power of Award Acceptance Speeches in Civil Movements: Martin Luther King’s Speech as a Political Call for Ending Racial Discrimination

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of English, Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia University

Abstract

Since time immemorial, leaders of civil and social movements have used numerous worldwide venues to advance their objectives and reach a larger audience, superseding cultural and national barriers. In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most stimulating Nobel Prize acceptance speeches. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo for his efforts to advance civil rights for African Americans in the United States. In his speech, King addressed America's racial divide and violence, and he envisioned a world in which non-violent revolutions could heal man-made rifts between peoples of different races and creeds.
The Nobel Prize acceptance ceremony is more than just a celebration of an honour and a title. Instead, it serves as an occasion for laureates to deliver a resounding statement that reflects their work and views to a global audience. My aim in this paper is to investigate the essence of King's speech, its consequences, and how he used the platform to inspire revolutionaries to behave and act in a certain manner.

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International Journal of Humanities and Language Research
Volume 6, Issue 2
December 2023
Pages 71-78

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