RJ Mosqueda
Professor Brown
English 306
10 November, 2016
Analysis of "I Have A Dream" Speech
The image shown above of Martin Luther King Jr. is the perfect representation of the American Civil Rights Movement which took place from the mid-1950s until King’s assassination in 1968. This photograph displays Martin Luther King Jr. giving his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech in “Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial for the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” (Carson). Martin Luther King Jr. is the ultimate symbol for the American Civil Rights Movement because he believed it was necessary for change back then during that period of time and fought for freedom and equality for all especially African Americans. Delivering this speech, on this type of stage, with these many people watching, is an accurate portrayal of identity for African Americans and also “freedom” as well. Because of Martin Luther King Jr and his famous speech, we are able to witness protest and a form of identity for Blacks and freedom all around the world.
When looking at MLK from a protest perspective, Dr. King was an advocate for that. He believed in peaceful protesting as he lead multiple successful peaceful protests such as The Birmingham Campaign (1963), The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955), and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, “I Have A Dream Speech” (1963). When MLK gave his “I Have A Dream” speech, he specifically said “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”. When projecting this speech, it is clear what Dr. King is protesting for, freedom and equality. All of his previous protests were successful and great but this one stood out in particular because it was nationwide so everyone could view it and because at this time when he was delivering it, he was well known for his peaceful protest tactics. So this March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was basically an eye opener for a lot of people and was the ultimate exclamation point for the American Civil Rights Movement. MLK protested and made a statement with this speech by basically saying enough is enough.
The main reason for all these protests and events that went on is very simple and straightforward, racial inequality. Martin Luther King Jr. was revolutionary and played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement. From a historical context, African Americans back then were clearly being mistreated simply because of the color of their skin. It was clear that racism was going on, but due to technology back then, it was not widely available and documented throughout the United States. People were not aware as to what was going on during these times so it was essential that these protests started popping up all over the news. It was clear by Martin Luther King Jr’s standards that something had to be done. So he served as a voice and an image for all African Americans and even freedom/equality in general because that is what he was fighting for. MLK brought attention to the world on how unfairly blacks were being treated. “Any way you look at it, socially, politically, economically, education, African Americans were kept out of society. And they had to scratch and bite to get whatever advantages that they did get. And the majority could not get those advantages.” (PBS). African Americans back then dealt with so much from segregation, to restrictions on voting, and even violence. Whites in the South wanted to make sure there was no type of rebellion towards them, “Another issue was in order to make sure that African Americans did not attempt to assert themselves in any way, whether it was voting, whether it was trying to buy land, the white South resorted to terrorism. And that terrorism which was a legacy that never stopped from the time of the Civil War all the way up through this period, reached an intensity in the 1890s and in 1900. And it consisted of lynching African Americans, it consisted of burning African Americans, it consisted of whipping African Americans.” (PBS). Overall, the main reason for protest is because of how African Americans were treated back then. If it was not for Martin Luther King Jr. being the voice/image for these people, we would not experience freedom today. Because of Dr. King and his protests, we are free to this day. Freedom is the main reason why protests were started, it just happened to be revolutionized by Martin Luther King Jr.
When we look at identity, specifically when it comes to African Americans, Martin Luther King Jr. fills that void immensely. He gives African Americans their own identity through his actions, intentions, and impact on Blacks as a whole. He has inspired numerous groups and people such as The Black Panthers, John Lewis, and James Farmer to stand out and protest against inequality, including the “Big Six” civil rights leaders. All of these groups and people were inspired and basically started by Dr. King himself because he gave everyone hope and showed the world that we can all live together as one in harmony. Dr. King brought everyone together, not just blacks, but anyone who was against racial inequality and gave them their own identity/image/voice through him.
Ultimately, looking at Dr. King’s infamous “I Have A Dream Speech”, it reflects protest perfectly and is also concerned with a specific identity. The Lincoln Memorial for the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was an exclamation point on what Dr. King was ultimately trying to convey, which was freedom and equality for all. To bring awareness and deliver such an iconic speech with that type of platform was revolutionary because he was showing the world that he was protesting for African Americans to be treated equally as everyone else in this world. “This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” (King). He brought everyone together for one main goal and gave African Americans an identity with his peaceful and revolutionary protests.
Works Cited:
Questions:
- Does the "I Have A Dream Speech" reflect protest effectively?
- Does the "I Have A Dream Speech" represent an identity/image for African Americans?
- Is it clear as to what Dr. King was pushing for with this "I Have A Dream Speech"?
Revision Plan:
ReplyDelete• Expand a little bit more upon how MLK was so crucial on the CRM.
• Explain more about the identity he brought upon African Americans.
• Quote the "I Have A Dream Speech" more.
• Explain the speech's meaning more in depth.
Introduction:
I want my intro to be solid. I want readers to know right off the bat of what I am going to be talking about. How MLK's famous speech was the perfect representation of protest and identity. What he stood for, what his overall goal was, and his impact of society during that specific period of time. The avenue he paved for other groups and individuals to protest and stand up for themselves. Give a clear insight is to what MLK wanted and what he was about, with all this explaining the identity and protest he created.
Conclusion:
For my conclusion, I will clean everything up, meaning I was gather all ideas together and be more organized. I will not necessarily re-state what my intro/thesis was but make sure to be very clear as to how MLK displayed identity and protest with his actions and overall vision/message he was trying to convey.