Martin Luther King Jr.

I have a dream speech

Critical Perspectives Essay by Jamie Lane

Introduction
August 28th 1963, the day Martin Luther King Jr.
reached out and grasped the hearts and souls
of the world, changing and enlightening minds,
not only to the plight of the black people in
america, but their stone cold desire to achieve
change. He spoke of not only having salvation
for the negro people, but also the unification of
all races, to truly achieve peace and love
between every race of the world.

Location
Martin Luther King Jr knew that this speech
would be pivotal to his efforts, and would go
down as one of the most important events in the fight for civil rights. He wanted to make a point, a
point which would be emphasised by the time between the current day with MLK, and the time of
Abraham Lincoln who's statue towered over MLK and all his spectators. Martin was striving and
fighting for very similar goals as Lincoln; someone who he had vast respect and admiration for. He
wanted to show that.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the
Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to
millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. King Jr., Martin
Luther (1963).

Time
At this time, the struggle for civil rights were at an all-time high. MLK knew that this speech must
elevate them even more so. Making it impossible to be ignored, not only by the government, but by
his own people. He did not want them to lose hope or focus. He needed people to fight for what
they believed in. He did not want any wrong doing, and knew that his words could have been
misconstrued accidentally, and purposely through the dominant racist media. He had to add
something to his speech which would put that into perspective.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads
into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of
wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of
bitterness and hatred. We must forever
conduct our struggle on the high plane of
dignity and discipline. We must not allow our
creative protest to degenerate into physical
violence.
King Jr., Martin Luther (1963).

I have a Dream
As the speech proceeded, MLK knew he needed the finale. He needed something that would
cement in the minds of all people. He knew that his ending would need to hit with such force that it
could not possibly be greeted with ignorance. Most politicians read from a sheet, which MLK
himself did also for the first part of his speech, but it was not going as well as he wanted. He knew
it was having a great effect on people be he did not want just that. He wanted to change hearts. So
he improvised. Using something that he had said many times to his family and friends, he decided
to introduce it to the world, his dream.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today! King Jr., Martin Luther (1963).
This part of the speech, many would consider the famous part of the speech. It is what has gone
down in history as one of the most well-known and powerful speeches ever given. It was the driving
force behind the movement that would eventually lead to equal rights. Clarence B. Jones, the
speechwriter for MLK, revealed that up until the seventh Paragraph, the speech was pre written,
but that something came over MLK and made him go off of his script.
In the seventh paragraph, something extraordinary happened. King paused. In that brief silence,
Mahalia Jackson, a gospel singer and good friend of Kings, shouted tell em about the dream.
Few people heard her, with the exception of Jones, Ted Kennedy, and, of course, King.
Clarence B Jones (March 13, 2012).

Effect
As expected, but not quite grasped at the time, this speech had a
massive impact on history, even more so by MLK death soon
after. Many minds and opinions were changed by this speech,
and it will always remain as one of the greatest stepping stones
on which the civil rights movement was eventually successful.
Racism and prejudice are still very much alive today, but in
America, it is a vastly less daunting experience than it once was,
and many believe that to be thanks to Martin Luther King jr. and
people like him, who strived for people to be judged on their
character, and not their colour.
But King's dignified appeal to the better nature of his
countrymen had a resonance far wider than just the United
States. When he addressed what he called "the greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation," he would
inadvertently set off a worldwide movement for racial emancipation. M. Whapshott (2013).

Obviously, there will always be those who cannot see reason. Those who cannot, and will not
acknowledge how influential and unique MLK was, and how much wider he made peoples eyes to
the plight of minorities in America. It is even seen in this day and age.
Others say that we shouldnt be building a monument to Dr King, when blacks still havent
overcome all these years later. Oh blacks are still impoverished and oppressed, but we have a
monument for MLK though!! This is bullshit. Plain and simple. First of all, why isnt there, or why
hasnt there been, the same kind of uproar whenever a MLK school, highway, or street has been
dedicated in his honor? Secondly, to say that we shouldnt have a monument to him, when blacks
are in bad shape in this country, diminishes everything that he and other civil rights movement
leaders did accomplish! - Streetz (2011).

Summary
I believe that Martin Luther King Jr. had an immeasurable impact on the civil rights movement and
political views to this day. From people acknowledging him in ways such as a national holidays and
naming streets and events after him, so the respect he commands not only in america, but the
entire globe. As with everything, some people will always find bad, or create bad, to not follow
something which goes against their own misguided views. It is the well known and collective view
from many that MLK is responsible for America to be open to the idea of having politicians and
other areas of power being available to people who do not fit the typical rich and white mould. I
feel that, despite some small areas of human society that may think otherwise, MLK was one of the
most influential and powerful people who have ever lived, and that his story will live on longer than
anyone could have thought possible in his time.

Bibliography

Gallo, Carmine. 'How Martin Luther King Improvised 'I Have A Dream''. Forbes. N.p., 2013. Web.
25 Mar. 2015.
Jones, Clarence B, and Stuart Connelly. Behind The Dream. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
Print.
Luther King Jr., Martin. 'Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech - American Rhetoric'.
Americanrhetoric.com. N.p., 1963. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Streetz,. 'WhatS A King To A Non-Believer? The Argument Against The MLK Monument'.
Black Single Male. N.p., 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

Topics.nytimes.com,. 'Martin Luther King Jr.'. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Wapshott, Nicholas. 'How The 'I Have A Dream Speech' Changed The World'. The Huffington Post.
N.p., 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Memorial, Editorial. 'Martin Luther King Memorial'. Dreamstime. N.p., 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
King Jr., Martin Luther. 'Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have A Dream Speech'. YouTube. N.p., 2013.
Web. 21 Mar. 2015.

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