Raquel Soto Vargas ENGL ‘Online' Criminal Justice, B.A. Oral Presentation Module 3 – Assignment 3.2 Professor Mary Ann Toledo Conversational English

INTRODUCTION Leaders are motivators and encouragers. They have the power of influence and can alter a person’s critical thinking and actions to accomplish a goal. The followers, on the other hand, influence the leader actions. The followers determine the need for change and the general direction of an objective. Thus, the relationship between follower and leader is close and directly related to each other, and it is a bond necessary for a functioning leader.

What makes the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. & Sonia Sotomayor an historic moment is that they always appealed to minorities, bringing all of them some elements of hope in life. They as a fact were different, he was black and she is white colored, but both went to the struggle of facing difficulties to achieve their dreams.

 Both politically engaged, were pursuing the issue of race and racial injustice that has to be both critically understood and politically engaged also. Individuals should be judged by the "content of their character" and not by the colour of their skin. It is difficult to believe that character and merit are the prime determinants for social and economic mobility and a decent standard of living. 4

 What the Sotomayor debate suggests is that far from being relegated to the past, racism in its various forms can be resurrected for both attacking minorities of colour and for appropriating victim status for whites, while suggesting that people of colour are the "real" racists. How else to explain that Judge Sotomayor is a "Latina”? 5

 They believe that all people, regardless of background or circumstance, should have the opportunity to reach their full potential by participating and succeeding in higher education. And working together, we can do more to make that dream a reality. 6

 Sotomayor reiterates:“Race matters”. Race matters in part because of the long history of racial minorities' being denied access to the political process.”  But I sincerely believe that if we are going to live up to the extraordinary vision of King, then we must open our hearts more to each other, as sisters and brothers, as part of the human family. 7

CONCLUSION Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Associate Judge of the Supreme Court in the United States of America, Sonia Sotomayor, are two leaders who make their fight since the 20th century. They spoke openly about things that people tend to hide rather than to discuss — and about emotions. Justice for the People and Minorities. Justice for the People and Minorities.

REFERENCE English 2050 – 3357 Online, (2014); Module 3, Assignment 3.2; YouTube videos: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech, I Have a Dream and Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court Nomination Speech; Retrieved in: 9