Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was well known for his leadership during the Civil Rights Movement and his goal was to end segregation in America, as well as end poverty and injustice throughout the African American movement. Dr. King was an advocate for non-violence movements, and often shared his beliefs through peaceful protest and speeches. In 1967 Dr. King published "The World House" in which he talks about the problems of this world and the solutions to fix them. Dr. Kings main points were racism/ slavery, and poverty. Through primary and secondary sources, it can be proven that poverty and slavery are worldwide problems and this is significant because Dr. King gives reasonable goals to fix these issues.

Poverty has always been a worldwide problem. According to the Borgen Project, poverty started from the poor slave-exporting nations. Colonialism has prevented people from accessing land, education, and other resources which sparks poverty in these areas. Colonialism is also a result form war and political instability which causes poverty throughout a nation. Unstable government causes a nation to suffer because the nation will lack basic laws and protection which in turn makes the economy suffer. Poverty is a vicious cycle which is very hard to break. World-wide poverty can be seen in many countries, and this has been a problem for hundreds of years. Nationally in America, the National Census collected data in 1968, stating 39 million Americans lived in poverty. There was a much higher percentage for African Americans living below the poverty line as opposed to the white population. Due to inequality, African Americans were severely underpaid and families often struggled to make ends meet. Although these numbers focus on American issues, Dr. King goes to acknowledge the world wide poverty issue in his speech, "The World House". Dr. King discusses how two-thirds of the world goes to bed hungry each night, and that their beds are sidewalks in cities, or dusty roads of villages. Through the national census, it can be proved that African Americans in the USA struggle with poverty more so than white families, but during this time period, 39 million fought against it nationally. Dr. King then goes on to say "There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we now have the resources to get rid of it". Dr. King then goes on to claim if the super powers of the world America, Britain, Russia, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe, gave just two percent of their gross national income annually for 10-20 years' poverty would vanish. What distinguishes Dr. King is that he recognizes a problem and gives a solution, and he doesn't focus on just America, but rather every suffering country world wide. Dr. King also doesn't define poverty with racial boundaries. Although this time period and movement is focused on the racial divide, Dr. King knows that poverty does not just affect the African American population, and he is trying to fix a worldwide problem.

Another important issue Dr. King addresses is slavery and racism. He states that the problem of the twentieth century will be the color line. Slavery was not an American phenomenon. Slavery has been occurring since the beginning of time, and it has not geographical boundaries. Lambert discusses the evolution of slavery and how slavery has been around since the Aztecs and the Mayans (BC), and that this problem has existed globally all throughout history. Slavery originally started as enemies of war were captured, and then became hereditary throughout the generations. Dr. King says "In country after country we see white men building empires on the sweat and suffering of colored people", empires, and countries, and cities have been built on slave labor, specifically colored slaves. Dr. King states "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning of freedom eventually manifests itself", He acknowledges that slavery must end or that society will fail, "Together we must learn to live as brothers or together we will be forced to parish as fools".

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave many speeches and led many protests. His wise words and courageous actions helped to advance the world and change history.  One of his biggest goals was to end poverty globally, but also in the United States. Stephanie Siek reports for CNN about Dr. Kings views on poverty, and recalls back to what he said in a speech on poverty in Grosse Pointe, Michigan:

The problem of unemployment is not the only problem," Dr. King said. "There is a problem of underemployment, and there are thousands and thousands, I would say millions of people in the Negro community who are poverty-stricken   not because they are not working, but because they receive wages so low that they cannot begin to function in the main stream of the economic life of our nation. Most of the poverty-stricken people of America are persons who are working every day, and they end up getting part-time wages for full-time work.

Dr. King is declaring that the poverty throughout this country is due to the racial boundaries and wage inequality. Siek comments on Dr. Kings views and states "not only should poverty be eradicated, he argued, but everyone should be guaranteed an income that would prevent them from falling into poverty". In "The World House" speech given by Dr. King, he addresses poverty and a solution to solve global issues. Here in this speech Dr. King once again addresses issues with racial boundaries and fair wages and solutions to solve the poverty. Dr. King stands out as such a strong leader because he uses his knowledge to peacefully address issues, and give solutions to how they can be solved.

Another one of Dr. Kings most famous issues that he tackled was racism and inequality. Dr. King was relatable to the African American citizens of this country because he grew up among them. Dr. King sought to teach all Americans that this great country was not built on hatred and segregation but rather diversity and acceptance. Dr. Kings most famous "I Have a Dream Speech" was heard nation wide and left a lasting impact on this country, "Dr. King's "Dream" speech would play an important role in helping pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act" Michoko Kakutani writes in The New York Times. Without Dr. Kings powerful speeches, the Civil Rights Act may have been delayed or never even passed.  Dr. King also recognized racism as a worldwide problem, not just a national one. In his speech, The World House, Dr. King talks about racism and slavery in South Africa, Angola, Rhodesia, and Latin America. Dr. King goes on to say that "This is a treacherous foundation for a world house. Racism can well be that corrosive evil that will bring down the curtain on the Western civilization". Dr. King believes that the world will not survive, and the great West will fall because of the poor foundation of slavery, these nations were built upon slave labor.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a very powerful and educated outlook on the problems this world faced in the 1960s. Through his many speeches and movements Dr. King made a lasting effect on this world. Through primary sources such as census and speeches, and secondary sources such as articles and data collections sites, it can be seen that Dr. King faced a lot of problems in America, and also world-wide. Dr. King fought to solve problems peacefully and he ultimately had a lasting effect on American History, and even global history by winning a Nobel prize for his important work. Without Dr. King, this society and country would not be where it is today. 

