Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, “I Have a Dream,” is the perfect example of language that inspires change and hope. Although the subject matter of the speech is that of discrimination and suffering of African Americans in 1963, the tone of the speech is positive and uplifting. The speech inspired the listeners and gave his audience hope of a better future. Martin Luther King, Jr, states at least eight times in his speech, “I have a dream.” When he said that he instilled hope in his audience that things would change and life would get better for them. Where there is hope there is a chance and people will find their way to better their lives, maybe not right away but eventually.
The speech brought the plight of social injustice, discrimination, and segregation of African Americans to the fore front and made all Americans sit back and listen. His speech served not only to give hope to African Americans, but to motivate them to fight for change in a peaceful positive way. We know this because in his speech he states, “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.” This was a very powerful statement and made it clear that he wanted to protest with dignity and respect in a positive way. Martin Luther King, Jr. urged his audience to go back to their homes with the knowledge and faith that their situation could and would change.
The tone of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech is that of hope and faith and when reading his speech you can almost hear the tone in which he would have repeated it. His analogies were very creative. In particular I was intrigued by his analogy of the bank of justice which was stated as, “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”
His speech was delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial was the perfect backdrop for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream,” speech as it not only set the tone of hope for his speech, but also was the symbol of freedom and inspiration.
To be able to watch him deliver his speech in person back in 1963 must have been an awe inspiring experience. Who would have known at that time what a historical event they were witnessing. If Martin Luther King, Jr. could have the hope to inspire a nation and promote change despite what he was up against, imagine what we could do to promote change if we all had that same kind of hope. Men like Martin Luther King, Jr. have made significant changes in our world. We would not be where we are today without men like him who were not afraid to speak out against injustice.
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Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech truly did inspire change and hope. You made a great point that he instilled hope to the people by repeating the phrase I Have a Dream. He is definitely one of the reasons that brought about social change. While presenting his speech, his tone of voice was expressed hope and faith. He was humble yet confident. And the way he presented his speech truly reflects him and sets the tone of how his audience will interpret the speech. I agree with you that his speech brought a protest that was conducted with dignity and respect. That all ultimately led to positive change in everyone’s lives, black and white. It is cool to look back and see what a struggle he faced but overcame and how things are today. Racial discrimination, if any, is little to none and segregation no longer exists. It must be the biggest accomplishment to bring about social peace for his generation and future generations. I totally agree with you on being in the year 1963 to hear him deliver his speech. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the many people who helped shape what this country is today.
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