An American Hero and My Hero

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, in many ways, one of the most important, influential people in the history of the United States of America. In our everyday life, a stereotype is that all heroes are supported and honored by fans across the globe.  This may be the case for some heroes, but not for Martin Luther King Jr. Despite having many white people hate him physically and verbally abusing him, he still meets my three criteria for being a hero: effects on modern culture, bravery, and leadership. Not many people are capable of having all the traits to be a hero, but Martin Luther King sure did.

I believe that the most impactful trait of a hero is their impact on today's culture. Martin Luther definitely did this. The most famous way that he shaped today's culture is how he influenced Caucasian Americans to have an open mindset towards people of all colors. His work would eventually give black people rights as equal American citizens. He did much more than just that; he taught many back people the word of God so that they could pass it on to the following generations no matter what they would be put through. Dr. King, in my opinion, has had the most impact on the American culture than anyone else. 

The second most important trait is bravery. Without bravery, King might not have been able to accomplish what he did. Without bravery, King wouldn't have been able to deliver a speech (I Have a Dream) in front of two hundred fifty thousand hopeful souls, pleading for equal rights for all. Without bravery, King would never have said a word to the racist American leaders who stood in his path. Without bravery, he wouldn't have kept fighting for freedom for all with the chance of torture, imprisonment, and even death. Even though Dr. King was imprisoned many times when he was protesting, he still never lost hope. Incredibly, when he woke up to bullet holes in his hotel windows in Memphis, Tennessee, he still woke up that day and went to deliver a sermon at the nearby African-American church! Bravery is critical to all heroes, especially if there are possible consequences for the heroes’ actions of service.

The third most important quality of a hero is leadership. Leadership is important to all heroes whose main goal or purpose in life is to help a group of people. Dr. King needed leadership many times in his life. He needed leadership when he marched triumphantly onto the streets of the nation's capital. He led the white people who fought for civil rights for people of all colors to change the minds, hearts, and souls of the white supremacists who wanted all other races killed or tortured, just like the ones who tried to plant bombs in his home in Montgomery, Alabama following the famous Montgomery bus boycott. King not only led the oppressed black people physically, but mentally. If King had not shown leadership the black people may have given up. If that had happened then slavery could be still legal in America with colored people submitting to all white slave owners.

Dr. King once wisely stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I think that this may have been King’s logic to his civil rights movements. Dr. King stopped evil in America which could have influenced other countries globally to follow in our wrongdoings. If that had happened it would lead to world chaos farther down the road. Not only did King save America, have saved the world. These all were ways Dr. King was qualified as a hero.