I Have A Dream Dbq

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Bailey Gillen Robert Whitley History 132-620 17 July 2017 Primary Document Review: "I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech effectively motivated and inspired the people involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Amidst the turmoil of oppression and racial tensions, Dr. King’s speech gave birth to a new hope and a newly invigorated spirit within the African American people. His speech is still remembered today as one of the most momentous moments of the movement. To say that Dr. King’s speech left an impression would be a major understatement, but what kind of impression was King trying to make? 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 …show more content…

King delivered his intended message with great success. His effective use of rhetoric and powerful metaphors struck home with listeners in Washington D.C. King was an extremely powerful communicator. By watching the video of his speech, you can see Dr. King change pace and tone with the intensity of approval coming from the crowd. He received stirring rounds of applause and great shouts of confirmation from people feeling the same great weight of oppression as he had described in his speech. Considering the many victories that followed this speech, it can be inferred that the “I Have a Dream” speech successfully motivated the many Civil Rights supporters to continue fighting with peaceful

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