preview

Dr. Martin Luther King 's I Have A Dream Essay

Better Essays

Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech in 1963 emphasized the idea that the founding of the United States entailed a promise of equality for all citizens. This, of course, would have been a very important idea in the mind of Dr. King and his followers as they sought to end racism in the United States, and gain civil liberties for blacks across the nation. Although that movement was turning point regarding civil liberties and racism in the United States, the work was certainly not finished. Since then, the battle for equality has continued and expanded to include much more than race. Today, the battle for equality encompasses race, gender, economic status, and many others. The writers of the Constitutional chose to include the belief that all men are created equal, and have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dr. King understood the founding of the United States, and therefore its Constitution, to be a promise of equality for all citizens. The questions are, how well has this promise been met, and how will the Supreme Court today impact this process? In order to answer this question, it is paramount to analyze Supreme Court decisions and federal laws regarding constitutional principles, civil liberties and equality, and representation and citizen participation. These decisions and laws reveal that although the promise of equality for all citizens was not met well for many years, it has improved with time, and will continue to improve under the

Get Access