In the newspaper advertising, Heed Their Rising Voices, the authors write about peaceful protests of Black people for their rights and against discrimination. “Again and again, the Southern violators have answered Dr. King peaceful protests with intimidation and violence. They have bombed his home, almost killing his wife and child. They have arrested him seven times…” (“Heed Their Rising Voices,” 1960). With such words, the authors transfer the main idea of the advertising: the rage about the injustice and inequality widespread in those times. The aim of it is to hear, to “heed the voices” of those who suffer from that and urge for help from those who cannot tolerate injustice too.
I am impressed and enraged with those facts: it is why this advertising has caught me. It describes the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a famous human rights defender. He was the advocate of non-violent protests to defend the rights, especially the rights of the Black people. Among the American cities, “Tallahassee, Atlanta, Nashville, Savannah, Greensboro, Memphis, Richmond, and a host of other cities in the South,” teenagers came out to protest against the discrimination (“Heed Their Rising Voices,” 1960). They were not afraid to oppose the government and police forces and other people who were not tolerant. Protesters are described as heroes suffering from those who are against the democratic reforms. The article is advertising and was written to encourage people to donate money: thus, the article may be quite overweighted. Still, the courage and willingness of those people to defend human rights have impressed and inspired me. I think that those qualities are essential in a democratic society, where all people should have equal rights and possibilities.
Reference
Heed their rising voices. (1960). New York Times.