In the first part of Martin Luther King Jr's “I Have a Dream” speech, he uses the rhetorical appeal of scare tactics to spread a sense of urgency and the nation’s need to take action. In this speech, King addresses the accomplishments of the nation since it was founded, but asserts that America still has plenty of room for improvement. He exemplifies on the point that the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all seem to exempt African-Americans. This causes him to further push his audience to act and urgently states, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood… It would be fatal for the nation to …show more content…
After discussing the many social injustices occurring during this time period, he begins to describe what America would look like after they have finally taken action to fight back. In this description he states, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together’” (King “Dream”). Here, the reader can clearly see an instance in which every dilapidated aspect of the environment is fixed and flattened to form a less “imperfect” surrounding. This compares to King’s society which his it’s flaws, but implies that taking action will fix such imperfections. By painting an image of a dilapidated landscape that forms into a clear and flattened one, he further pushes his purpose as to why every man and woman should be involved with the Civil Rights Movement for the good of
Martin Luther King Jr’s Dream has said to have been fulfilled. However, others claim that the dream has only been taken at face value, thus, misunderstood. In John McWhorter’s article, “Black People Should Stop Expecting White America to ‘Wake Up’ to Racism,” he refers to past and recent events to establish the difference between society’s fantasy and the misinterpreted Dream of Dr. King.
During the 1960s inequality was a major problem in the United States. One advocate for making things right was Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King organized many marches, sit-ins, and boycotting events. But one of Dr. King’s greatest and memorable works has to be the “I Have a Dream” speech. During this speech Dr. King was conveying a message of freedom for all, to 250,000 civil right followers and many more people listening to the radio broadcast. To spread his message Dr. King uses rhetorical appeals like logos to appeal to the reason of his audience, ethos by his examples of practicing what he preached, and his metaphorical language and repetition.
The author of the “I Have A Dream” speech is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King, known for his work in Civil Rights during the 1960s. In this informative speech, Dr. King inspires individuals to have a change in both white and black citizens during the Civil RIghts era in the United States. Moreover, the premise of the speech is that both sides of the discussion must accept change in a non-violent yet effective way. He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of black citizens that was occurring in our nation. As he opened, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” he explained what he was there to do for all citizens. He is
Dr. King brilliantly weaves so many subtleties into such a relatively short speech that almost 50 years later it still must be analyzed to no end. Dr. King was a southern Baptist preacher before he was sucked into the leading role of the civil rights movement, I’m sure that had a great effect on his ability to give a speech. Dr. King knew just what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. From this we can see Dr. King’s lasting effect, and the fact that although we have come far in the area of civil rights, we still have a long way to go and it will be Dr. King’s timeless words that usher us into a new era of prosperity and brotherhood.
In conclusion, King’s “I Have a Dream,” played a major step in inspiring generations of blacks to never give up and made thousands of white Americans bitterly ashamed of their lack of moral and Godly values, forging a new start for the American society that embraces racial equality. The speech’s heart-warming and moving content coupled with King’s effective voice and the usage of literary devices such as Aristotle’s Art of Rhetoric have made this speech the greatest of the 20th century.
Imagine a you are writing a speech that could very well change the way life is. If you knew that you would be speaking to hundreds and thousands of people on racial equality, what would you say? How would you start that speech? How would you write that speech so that everyone can understand it and learn from it and get inspired from it? How would you know what to say and how to say it?
While the other author believed that “At a time when ongoing cultural wars over American values continue to divide the nation, this detailed look at how Americans at opposite ends of the political spectrum have used parts of the speech to promote their own agendas not only sheds light on the contested legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, but also unravels deep-seated divisions over the meaning of core American beliefs” (Rose). This meant that African Americans should wake up after they had listened to King’s speech. People should make a call to action in the fight against discrimination. Thereby, we have already seen clearly that black people have earned equality and freedom in the United States today. Martin Luther King wanted to stimulate certain feelings from the audience so they take concrete actions to respond positively to the racial discrimination issue.
Delivered in August 1963, Martin Luther King’s most famous speech, I have a dream, was extremely influential and powerful, and it became a milestone of racial equality movements. King addressed the central idea--all people are created equal--passionately in the speech (Doc 7). His strong demands of racial equality and social justice became the mantra for African Americans. Moreover, his influential speech is as familiar to subsequent generations as the words in the Declaration of Independence. Not only did his contemporaries admired him, but when people nowadays look back to the history, they also honor and respect what King had done for African Americans. As a result of King and other leaders’ hardworks, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964; King was there to witness the great moment. The two men held each other’s hand, marking a great victory and major improvement in the civil rights movements (Doc 12). It outlawed discriminations based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin, ending segregation in schools and giving everyone right to vote. The landmark piece not only benefitted people during the era, but has also been making profound impacts on people of subsequent generations. Its far reaching consequences must be considered a beneficial aspect of the years between 1962 and 1973. In addition to black rights, poor and less privileged people in general got the attention from the government and the president. Believing that money could gave poor people chances to get education and become successful, President Johnson was engaged in fighting poverty. He had a great vision for America’s future: a Great Society with education for all and without racial injustice (Doc 10). Admiring FDR’s New Deal programs, Johnson launched a set of domestic programs--job training, government aid--aiming at improving poor people’s
Martin Luther King Jr. made many claims about the American society in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 that were all legitimate. Today, we have made many advances toward the racial equality that he sought. As a nation, however, we still have not "opened the door of opportunity to all God's children", as King so eloquently put it. In part, this is due to the fact that although our society has reached a degree of political nondiscrimination, this political nondiscrimination has not led to economic nondiscrimination. What it has led to, though, is affirmative action policy and awareness among the people of this country that justice is a complicated process that has yet to be realized. King made us aware that Blacks weren't receiving equal treatment under our laws, and this awareness led to equal rights policy. These equal rights policies have, in turn, led to affirmative action policies. Affirmative action policies of equal opportunity were necessary because political equality was not resulting in economic equality. Today's citizens are still not satisfied, however. This is because affirmative action policy, to date, has been based on egalitarian policy, which has not resulted in economic security nor a sense of balanced justice. In this paper, I will show how Martin Luther King Jr. initiated a growth process in our country by creating an awareness, and that this awareness is gradually evolving toward a justice that we have yet to realize. I will show that Americans are still in the midst of growing pains, and that equality, opportunity, and justice are complex issues that we are slowly working out over ti...
When Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream speech, he was trying to urge the participants of the Civil Rights Movement to keep pressing forward in peaceful protest. He understood the ease with which one could be overwhelmed with hatred and slip into the use of physical violence. The use of physical violence would have undermined the movement and stripped the African American community of white sympathy. Realizing this, Dr. King assured the people of the effectiveness of their methods and reminded them of their cause rooted in justice and freedom. He related with them as to their sufferings and assured all African Americans
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream Speech” very powerfully on August 28, 1963, which would therefore change the lives of African Americans for the better, forever. King delivered the most heart touching speech America has ever heard, and it would change everyone 's lives forever. King uses various ways including ethos and pathos to support this.
Martin Luther King, Jr., attempts the near impossible–to convince a country run rampant with racism that African Americans are human beings, and that they deserve to be treated as such. His speech is powerful and effective; his message transcends time with his ability to stir the moral conscience of the country as a whole while still delivering hope to the African American people. Though Dr. King’s words are poetic and eloquent, they demand action within the hearts and minds of all listening. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will not rest until, “all of God’s children,” can sing together, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at
In his speech, “I Have a Dream,” delivered on August 28, 1963 at Abraham Lincoln’s memorial in Washington, D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. explores the rights that African American’s are granted by the U.S. Constitution. King believes that those rights are not equal to the rights that white men and women have. King describes a world that is different than the world where he lives. A world that he desires his family to grow up in and the vision that he sees America becoming. Though all Americans were ostensibly granted unalienable rights, King uses rich figurative language to argue that African Americans are still waiting to enjoy the same privileges afforded to others.
Malcolm X once said, “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” (X, Prospects for Freedom in 1965, chapter 12) Various African American leaders have rallied up protesters and have recited speeches, like Malcolm X’s “Prospects for Freedom”; yet, none seem to compare to King’s “I Have a Dream.” The speech has been heard all around the world, and is by far one of the most well known. Accordingly, “I Have a Dream,” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most enthralling; moreover, he persuades America that inequality should have never existed, and everyone should have freedom adorning them, that was earned peacefully. This idea is exhibited by the speech’s distinguished evidences: the African
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963. It was late in the day and hot, and after a long march and an afternoon of speeches about federal legislation, unemployment and racial and social justice. Martin Luther King Jr. finally stepped to the lectern, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, to address the crowd of 250,000 gathered on the National Mall. The speech became synonymous with the aims of the march and the entire civil rights movement. His dream represented the dream of millions of Americans demanding a free, equal, and just nation.