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Dr. Martin Luther King's Speech

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Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C on August 28, 1963. The speech is one in which has gained much recognition over the years and virtually won Dr. King the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent approach towards racism. Mahatma Gandhi was one of King’s prominent inspirations for his nonviolent movement. Gandhi, decades before Dr. King, practiced non-violence acts and civil disobedience. The will and strength that Gandhi possessed while advocating for peace and non-violence during the terrible events that had taken place in India moved Dr. King to find the path he had to take during his own strides to create a better America, primarily for African Americans. Although …show more content…

Dr. King also makes it a point to share his ideas and hopes for the future as he talks about brotherhood and justice for all of “God’s children” not just limited to African Americans. To illustrate the idea of the struggle, King compares the feelings and “discontent” of the African Americans to the feeling that one gets during a very hot summer. He then uses autumn to compare the relief that it brings after the summer to the relief that will come to the people of color once they’ve gained freedom and equality. King makes sure to address the fact that the event is not just one in which the Negroes are venting nor are they just feeling the need to get something off their chest, but an event where they expect change to take place soon and thereafter. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual (Dr. Martin Luther King, 1963). In addition to addressing the oppressors, Dr. King also addressed his people and the ones supporting the movement. Drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred is something that Dr. King encourages the people not to do; he does not want the need for freedom and the weariness of struggle to cloud their vision. The fight is one in which King believes should be done with the heart and soul, not with fists and

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