Martin Luther King Jr. writes, "We have inherited a large house, a great "world house" in which we have to live together-black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Moslem and Hindu- a family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn to somehow live with each other in peace" (King, 284).  This was spoken during the time of the Civil Rights Movement, a moment specifically in 1967when African Americans were facing racial segregation and discrimination, leading to the fight to secure their legal rights. In this claim being used in his chapter titled "The World House", although it examines the main point King is trying to convey, to the reader it seems quite unrealistic, far-fetched, or even too high of a goal. With the knowledge gained through research of Black Power and the perspective of African Americans during that time as well as understanding the relevance this claim has to the current day, King's proposals on the emphasis of peace and unity and methods of non-violence seem justified and more reasonable as they can be taken into greater consideration.

Several of Dr. King's claims circulate around the idea of peace and unity. He says that the focus on the growth of soul needs to be placed under more emphasis than the growth of material powers and that the subject of non-violence should be accounted for when it comes to resolving inter-personal struggle (King, 294). Specifically, we need to "narrow the gap between proclamations of peace and our lowly deeds that perpetuate war" as well as suggest that "philosophy and strategy of non-violence became an immediate subject for study and experimentation in every field of human conflict" (King,294). Dr. King puts the government into light and encourages the individual's concern and questioning of one's government, specifically tackling the issue of poverty and how "there is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we now have the resources to get rid of it" (King. 290). To the reader, one might be alarmed at the drastic accusations made on the government and on humanity itself, claiming that King's call-to-action seems a bit far-fetched and over-exaggerated. However, researching and having the knowledge of Black Power and the attitudes of African Americans during the time of the Civil Rights movement, gives more insight into the hostile mindset of those involved, therefore justifying Dr. King's urgency on peace and unity for humanity.

An article called, "Black Power: A View From the Outside" was written by Locksley Edmondson in 1967, the same time "The World House" was published. It was here that Locksley examined the ideology from an outside point of view in order to gain an accurate representation of the perspective of African Americans during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. The term "Black Power" was originated as a cry against white supremacy, later evolving into a belief of separation of whites and African Americans in order to create a more orderly society. The basis of self-reliance in African Americans, especially those in Africa and the Caribbean, are ideals that attracted African Americans politically. The need to develop a territorial base in order to build political nationalism was brought up to further political self-determination. Edmondson provides his opinions on several of these claims, specifically designating this as illogical given the differing views by African Americans in Africa and the Caribbean to that of America, as well as the likeliness of American power to allow for this to take place. The issue of violence and its effectiveness was a complicated topic and discussed the various influential viewpoints from opposing forces such as leaders or political figures, creating a sense of hostility and instability amongst the African American community. Economically, Black Power was appealing to the developing nations such as Africa and the Caribbean as it emphasized self-reliance and economic independence. Psychological contribution, Edmondson suggests, is the greatest as the reasons for following and the creation of Black Power are justified through the feelings of restoration of dignity (Edmondson). Given this evidence, it is clear that African Americans during this time were facing emotional turmoil, feeling humiliated and in need for a solution. Because of this desperation, many were willing to support radical ideals such as those associated with Black Power, in order to reach a sense of unity and equality in the power of one's own life. Knowing this, the research on Black Power gives a new interpretation on the claims made in Martin Luther King's "The World House". His strive for peace and the growth of the soul is justified when taking into account the hostile feelings and actions of African Americans during that time as radical ideals were appealing to them at their weakest point. Dr. King knew and was aware of this, therefore making these proposals, such as the study of the strategy of non-violence in human conflict, in order to counteract the extremist viewpoints of other leaders during this time seem to have been needed. Despite the dwindle of these viewpoints today, Dr. King's claims still remain relevant to this day, helping to provide a new interpretation of the text as well.

A blog piece written in 2011 by Michael L. Westmoreland-White P.h.D, gives a discussion on "The World House" from the viewpoint of a Baptist Minister from Louisville, Kentucky. In it, he refers to the writing as "underrated" and the most useful for that of the twenty-first century. Westmoreland-White rationalizes his claim when he speaks on the importance of unity as stated by Dr. King, and that if we forget one's origins and beliefs and focus on bettering oneself, then the world must change to reflect that reality in all aspects. He also points out that the reason for why the World House has been ignored is because it is asking the world of a lot, showing that it is still as unrealistic seeming now as it was back then. He says that to live this way will not be easy, but we should try in order to honor ourselves and this world (Westmoreland-House). This entry gave insight on the views of "The World House" from a current perspective as it confirmed why this piece is still needed to be taken into consideration today. Although the issues of segregation are not as present in the current day as they were in the past, there are more issues that steer humanity away from becoming unified, just like it did during the Civil Rights Movement. Knowing this, the reader can interpret the text with more assurance being able to recognize that Dr. King's points were universal and not just specified for that one point in time. It also leads the reader to question what the world and this society has done to make these drastic statements still relevant, and if this is the only way change can occur. With this in mind, the text can be interpreted as a rulebook for how to change society in a positive manner, instead of a set of proclamations that pertained to better humanity during a specific period of time. Once the reader realizes that this piece can relate directly to their current situation, the words said in it would be taken into a greater amount of consideration, changing how the text is read altogether.

Given the research, does a great "world house" in which we have to live together, despite beliefs and origins, sound as far-fetched or unrealistic as previously claimed? The knowledge gained from gathering outside information helped to answer this question given the observation of Black Power and the perspective of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement as well as the relevance the piece has to this day. It was found that the radical ideals of Black Power attracted the masses of African Americans because of their self-determined claims and use of the vulnerable state of hostility some were in in order to gain support. Dr. King was aware of these desperate states and proposed peace, unity, and the growth of ones-self in order to further prevent any future dangers to humanity. Along with the justification of King's claims, it was found that Dr. King's teachings in "World House" can still be found relevant today, allowing the reader to directly relate and therefore take said teachings into a greater amount of consideration, changing one's perspective altogether. This research overall justified King's claims and allows the reader to take away the claims made with a greater sense of confidence, making the "world house" not as far-fetched as one would think it to be.

