Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech Essay

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist and first hand witness of mistreatment of African Americans from the mid-1950s until April 4, 1968 when he was assassinated. He was a black man who grew up during a time of segregation and injustice. King Jr. came from a loving and structured home in which his father was an influential role model and a had a big impact on his future professions. Religion was also a large part of his life and was one of the biggest influences for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. In this contextual analysis I will be summarizing the historical context of King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” and how it impacted his social standing and life's work. I will be exploring how Martin Luther King Jr.’s upbringing set the stage for his civil rights activism involvement and allowed him to become one of the most famous African Americans in the twentieth century.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a social justice leader, ambassador, and an icon to the African American communities in the United States during the !950’s and 1960’s. He was an icon for what he did in his lifetime that made him so well known. He all around helped the community and gave awareness to what he was trying to say. He wanted peace, freedom, and equality no matter what religion and race you were. He tried to express this to many people. Results of this ended with him going to jail for protesting on what he believed in. He had a major impact on influencing others on the awareness on race relations in the United States. His marches, speeches, and leadership started in the mid 1950’s to ban segregation the United States. This was the era of segregation and discrimination against other men, woman, boys, and girls. The era of what race you were and what you believed in.

Back in Martin Luther King Jr.’s day, racism, segregation, and violence toward blacks was prevalent within America. In order to take a stand, he engaged in peaceful protests and presented a speech that would move not only America, but the entire world. These actions eventually led up to putting an end to segregation in schools, workplaces, as well as public areas. This also lead ultimately to the road being paved for the United States of America becoming a country that accepts people no matter their race, religion, or gender, giving equal rights to everyone.

Martin Luther King Jr. is revered as a symbol of peace and understanding. He is humble as he is true to himself. We recognized him as someone who can overcome any obstacles that stand in his way. A leader who is fully capable of evaluating justice and inequality. These are only some of the characteristics that describe Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his work to enhancing the quality of life for his fellow people and open the rest of america’s eyes of the promise of African-Americans. This man has shed blood in the name of peace and equality. It all began with the amount of civil unrest MLK encountered in Atlanta, Georgia, where segregation and Jim Crow Laws were a daily reality for African-Americans. He found inspiration for social change at his local

In a dark world, a time full of hate, hurt, and segregation, a man stood out against those injustices, Martin Luther King Jr.. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very strong activist in the civil rights movement. King was a pioneer of the “no violence” and “no harm” era of protesting. He became a leader for African Americans and whites who opposed the idea of segregation. These people wanted change, they stood together as brothers and as Americans, all led by the great qualities of Martin Luther King Jr.. On the road to civil rights, King had many quotes that had given people hope, trust, and faith and many are still used today.

    The Civil Rights Movement was a zealous and essential period in American History. The civil rights movement began in 1954 and was led by African Americans to outlaw racial discrimination against Blacks. One century after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, African Americans still observing segregation and various forms of oppression and “Jim Crow” laws. The nonviolent and civil disobedience protests were used by the civil rights activists to bring about change. Some significant leaders within the Black community were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  Malcolm X, and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. are seen as national heroes for the significant message they represent, liberty and unity. Throughout history, minorities have been oppressed and courageous men like Lincoln and King worked hard to liberate them. President Lincoln ended the Civil War and Dr. King was an activist in the Civil Rights movement. Both the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement lead to unity and freedom. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address’ addresses the theme of freedom by having a nation where independence reigns by abolishing slavery. Conversely, in King’s I Have a Dream Speech, the theme of freedom is addressed by ending segregation and discrimination in America. Lincoln’s theme of unity is ending the war to unify the nation to improve it. Similarly, King’s theme of unity is ending the division of races in the nation and working together towards a better future.

In 1960, King and his family moved to Atlanta, where he became a co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptism church. In 1963, activists did boycotts, sit-ins, and marches to protest segregation, unfair hiring practices and their injustices in one of America’s racially divided cities. On April 12, 1963, King wrote the civil rights manifesto, known as “Letters from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of civil disobedience addressed to a group of white clergymen who criticized his tactics. Later that year, King worked on a number of civil rights and religious groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This was a peaceful political rally designed to shed light on the injustices African Americans continued to face across the country. The event was held on August 28, and attended by 250,000 participants. This event was a moment in the history of the American civil rights movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 King’s most famous address “I Have A Dream”

But King's major legacy was the pieces of federal legislation passed in 1964 and 1965. In his final years, King had failed somewhat to engage the broad-based support he had earlier enjoyed: while the Christian socialist vision of his later period proved too radical to affect white mainstream Americans, his non- violent tactics had remained too peaceful to satisfy the rising tide of black militancy. However, the fact remained that King, more than any other leader, had been responsible for both the abstract and the concrete achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. King had dreamed and had acted.

“We’re one, but we’re not the same.” (Bono). A man in the 1950’s lived by this quote. The name of this man was Martin Luther King Jr. The time in which Dr. King lived in, was a time when things were tough for people like him. Using the same bathroom as a white person had not been allowed. Restrooms only allowed one type of person, either white or black. If a white person wanted your seat on a bus, you would have to give it to that person. There are many more laws that were against black people, at least that was until he changed it. Martin Luther King was non-violent, brave, and honorable leader. Protests and boycotts led by him had huge impacts. He even gave big speeches in front of thousands upon thousands of people. Dr. King was a great

The very iconic and sadly last speech made by the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. was perfectly exposing what white America was too scared to face. His outcry was battling against the politicians refusing to pass laws that would benefit the African American communities. His outcry was battling against the men in white hoods who lived lavish lives by ruining lives of the blacks. MLK was battling against the country that turned their backs to him and his community.The setting that sparked this speech all started on February 1, 1968, when two black employees were sadly killed by a malfunctioning truck during their job. The city's response to this incident was inconsiderate and highlighted how many business/work corporations were getting

Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was written and delivered on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and remains one of the most historically influential and world-changing speeches of all time. Fifty-two years later, this speech is considered to be one of the best persuasive speeches ever delivered. Dr. King is not only attempting to persuade his audience to understand the plight of minorities in the United States, but he is also attempting to encourage a nation to change for the betterment of mankind. Through the effective use of several literary elements, Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech prompted Caucasian Americans to look closer at the country 's dismal record of civil rights for black Americans and other minorities.

This speech took place on August 28, 1963 millions of citizens, children, law and policy makers attended while 250,000 watched on TV as a Baptist Preacher ,a Boston University Graduate Dr, Martin Luther King stood behind a podium. He established an immediate rapport with an ever changing audience and communicated on a meaningful level, by appealing to moral conscience of Americans standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He gave the rhetorical demands that racial justice no longer shall people be divided by race or religion. Although at the time it wasn't the case, it was a future vision that " all people are created equal" ( M.L.K.)

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream Speech” to a large group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC. Martin Luther King Jr. is a great example of how displays of anger must be controlled in order to be effective and lead to good outcomes. Throughout his entire speech he appeals to the emotions of the audience. By addressing that even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed to free the slaves, and many years later they are still not free. He is constantly reminding the people of color that they continue to be the race being segregated and discriminated by the white people. He blames the white people of being prejudice viewing

When informing Americans across the nation of his dream, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proposed an unforgettable speech that would one day change The United States of America forever. In analyzing “I Have a Dream”, there are a few rhetorical purposes that are reflected throughout. These purposes are repeatedly focusing in on a particular audience in which King speaks to. Using different types of appeals and literary elements, his speech produced a meaningful purpose that the audience could relate to.