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" chapter in one of his books, in which he talks about the problems of this world and the solutions to fix them. Dr. Kings main points were racism as a result of slavery, and poverty. Historical and present day documents show Dr. Kings lasting impact. In "The World House" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the social constructs of race issues by offering simple solutions to solve these problems both nationally and internationally which brought lasting attention to these issues from the 1960's through present day.

Poverty has been a worldwide problem. According to the Borgen Project, poverty, as we know it, started from poor slave-exporting nations. Colonialism is when rich powerful countries come into poorer nations, and take over the land and citizens through force, and enslave the poorer nations people. Colonialism of poor counties prevented those inhabitants from accessing land, education, and other resources, which sparks poverty in these countries. Colonialism is also a result from 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. Worldwide poverty can be seen in many countries, and this has been a problem for hundreds of years. In America, the National Census collected data in 1968, stating 39 million Americans lived in poverty. There was a much higher percentage for the 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 acknowledged the worldwide poverty issue in his chapter, "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" (290). Through the National Census, it can be proved that African American families struggle with poverty more so than white American families during this time period, however 39 million Americans fought against poverty. 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 superpowers 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 (291). What distinguishes Dr. King from other leaders during this time, is that he recognizes a problem and gives a solution, and he does not focus on just America, but rather every suffering country worldwide. Dr. King also does not 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. Dr. King does not limit poverty to just the African American population, and tries to eliminate the racist divide. 

Another important issue Dr. King addresses is slavery and racism. King states that the problem of the twentieth century will be the color line. Slavery, however, was no an American phenomenon. Slavery has been occurring since the beginning of time, and it has not geographical boundaries. Tim 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" (King), which means that empires, countries, and cities have been built on slave labor, specifically African slaves. Dr. King states "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning of freedom eventually manifests itself" (289), 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" (290). Racism stemmed from slavery. Generations were taught that the African American race was inferior to the white race, and this mindset was very hard to break. Racism throughout American was due to the history of slavery and inequality. Dr. Kings goals were to spread equality and eliminate racism.  

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," ... "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  but everyone should be guaranteed an income that would prevent them from falling into poverty". Siek also comments throughout her article how researchers and scholars are still analyzing Dr. Kings chapter and his goals. This proves that Dr. King has made a lasting impression throughout history to present day, and that his goals and solutions are still being taken into consideration, and the conversation King sparked in the 60's is still alive today. Siek also gives recent statistics to support her argument that Dr. Kings chapter started a lasting conversation about poverty in America, "The prevalence of poverty is higher for minorities   27.4% of African Americans were living in poverty in 2010, according to Census data" (Siek). Here in this chapter, Dr. King addresses issues with racial boundaries and fair wages, and gives 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. Today it can be seen that America is still struggling with poverty, and that Dr. Kings ideas are still valid and still analyzed today.

Another one of Dr. Kings most famous issues that he tackled was racism and inequality. 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. Kakutani recalls back to a speech President Barack Obama gave in 2004. In this speech, "Mr. Obama channeled Dr. King's vision of hope, speaking of coming "together as one American family." In his 2008 speech about race, he talked, much as Dr. King had, of continuing "on the path of a more perfect union" (Kakutani). Race has always been a problem in American history. Obama followed in Kings path about America coming together as one, and not focusing on the color of skin. In his chapter, "The World House", Dr. King talks about racism and slavery and 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" (King). Dr. King believes that the world will not survive if racism is taken into daily judgments, and his message can still be seen today, especially in President Obamas speeches. 

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 censuses 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 worldwide. 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. 

