Reflection (ENG 101 Final)

Final

     Throughout the semester the theme of our class cluster has been, “What is the Language of Human Rights”? In each of the three classes, we referred into many different topics generating many different answers to the question, “What are Human Rights”? And what role does language play in the interpretation of Human Rights? In this blog I will concentrate on how Language contributes to how Human Rights are interpreted. I will use as an example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. theory of “Non-Violence” that illustrates how influential a role language plays in the interpretation of Human Rights. I will use the text “A testament of Hope” edited by James M. Washington that identifies further one aspect of King’s non-violent theory.  I will also connect King’s theory and work to my other classes that refer to the contribution of language in Human Rights in different views. I will use and connect King’s Non-violence method which was an essential movement that used language to help African Americans in times of social and economic struggles, to my ‘Law and Human Rights’ class where I learned about a document called Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR is a document that identifies each individual’s rights and privileges around the world. I will also connect King’s theory to my ‘Introduction to Language’ class that identifies one important aspect of King’s movement, Speech Power. King’s speech power help implemented his message across to his many African Americans in search of justice and equality.   

       Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American Civil Rights leader that stood up and fought for social and economic equality for African American people during their times of social injustices. King used the “Non-violent” method which he adopted from Mahatma Gandhi as the alternative for African American struggles. There were many elements to King’s non-violent movement, one of King’s most important beliefs and idea was his definition of the “Christian faith”. King says, “This belief that God is on the side of truth and justice comes down to us from the long tradition of our Christian faith” (Washington 9). This is a very important element to King’s non-violent movement because it highlighted that he believed God was on the side of justice, it worked as motivation for King to never lose faith. King’s Christian faith can be connected to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in many ways. In article one of the UDHR, it states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” (UDHR 1). All King was fighting for was the freedom and equality all men and women are born with.  In my ‘Law and Human Rights’ class we focused on how language affects these rights and privileges. In King’s case, he fought using the nonviolent method against people who were overpowering and affecting negatively the rights and privileges of African Americans.

       King’s speech power during his campaigns when he addressed many African Americans illustrated the influence of Language and its power on Human Rights. During one of King most powerful and influential speeches the power of his voice echoed through the crowd, it became so powerful that even today the words of King still lives on. During the speech King said the words, “How Long, Not Long!” King frequently and continuously for several seconds repeated the statement. It had awakened the crowd and also the nation at the time and to this day is being used as an iconic period of history. King’s speech power can connect to the many aspects of Language that was learned in ‘Introduction to Language’. A connection that we can draw from Intro to Language and King’s speech power is his voice, in class we learned that there are many human characteristics that influence how language and speech are interpreted. King during the “How long, Not long” speech used his voice to echo the message he wanted at the time, very similar to how we speak using our voice every day.

    There are many answers to how language affects and connects to Human Rights. One important definition of this view is that language in general can affirm or deny human rights. In King’s case he used language to affirm the rights everyone was born with, while he fought the oppressors who used language to deny many African Americans their rights. It is very effective the way language can contribute to the interpretation of Human Rights. There are though boundaries and limits to how far language can contribute in the interpretation of, an example being the struggles African Americans endured were an example of how negatively it worked. The positive side to this case was King’s involvement and positive use of language.