“I Have a Dream” is a public speech represented by Martin Luther King, an American Civil Rights Activist and Baptist Minister in America. In American History, Martin Luther King was one of the greatest orators. “I Have a Dream” speech was represented in the March on Washington. The March on Washington was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963, Wednesday in the place of “Abraham Lincoln” Memorial Hall. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is also called as The March on Washington or The Great March on Washington. The purpose of March is to get the Civil and Economic rights for African – Americans in America who were also called as ‘Black People’ or ‘Negro’. Approximately 2,50,000 people participated in March including whites. One powerful speech “I HAVE A DREAM” creates a path to get the Civil rights for African-American People. Following the speech, King was named as ‘Man of the Year’ in Time Magazine 1963.
MARTIN LUTHER KING – BIOGRAPHY :
Martin Luther King Junior was born as Michael Luther King, a second child to Reverend Martin Luther King Senior and Alberta Williams King in Atlanta, Georgia, on 15 January 1929. Later King Changed his first name from Michael to Martin. In 1948, 19 years old King graduated from Morehouse in BA Sociology. He finished PhD from Boston University. African – American Civil Rights Movement was led by Martin Luther King. His role in the development of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs makes him a notable person. “I Have a Dream” is the famous piece of his writing. “Stride Toward Freedom : The Montgomery Story”, “Strength To Love”, “Why We Can’t Wait”, “Where Do We Go From Here : Chaos Or Community?” are the works of Martin Luther King. He got Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964 for leading nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice and he was the youngest person to receive this award. King was assassinated in the age of 39 on 4 April 1968 while standing at the balcony of Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. He traveled there to support for sanitation workers strike. After King’s death, his work “Trumpet Of Conscience” was published.
OVERVIEW OF “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH :
Martin Luther King started his speech with happy note. King says that he was very happy to join in ‘The March on Washington’ and he strongly says that this greatest demonstration for Jobs and freedom will create history of our nation. [Martin Luther King speech begins] Before Five score years (100 Years), Emancipation Proclamation was signed by a great American, Abraham Lincoln whose symbolic shadow we are all gathered today. Emancipation Proclamation signing moment created a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro. It makes Negro joyous because they are seared in the flames of withering injustice by whites. So by this signature, they will be free from the long night of captivity. But 100 years later, No changes in life of Negro. Still they are not free from whites. After one hundred years, Negro is still deeply suffering due to manacles of segregation, chains of discrimination and their lives came to poverty level.
Negro lives on lonely island of poverty in the middle of expansive ocean of prosperity. Negro are still leading a deteriorating life in many corners of America. Because of this many Negro exiled from native land. King says we came to our Capital of America to get our ‘cash’ which means ‘freedom, rights, equality and justice’ by the ‘check’ which means ‘Emancipation Proclamation’. He says that America has given a bad check (Emancipation Proclamation) to Negro. Now the check is bounced and returned, marked as “insufficient funds”. King says that they do not believe that the bank of Justice is bankrupt. Today we are all gathered here to get the cash of this check. This is the time to give a cash to Negro. Here King denotes cash as freedom and justice. Next King demands that this is the right time to make real promises of democracy. This is the time to bring the sunlit path of racial justice from dark desolate valley of segregation in nation. This is the time to lift our nation to solid rock of brotherhood from quicksands of racial injustice. King says the struggle continues until invigorating autumn of freedom and equality feels by Negro. King says ‘Nineteen sixty-three’ is not an end, it’s a beginning. He also says that all Americans must lift the nation with unity and solid rock of brotherhood. King says that no one take rest in America until Negro get the citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of Struggle continues until the bright day of Justice emerges in nation. Only after complete freedom, the thirst for freedom will be quenched. King stresses the upcoming words to Negro, we should continue the struggle with high plane of dignity and discipline. We have to fight for our rights without violence. If opposition use any physical force to break our struggle, we should face them only with soul force. We do not injure our brothers (whites) for any reason because they are also supporting us to get our rights. Some whites also participated in the March on Washington. A Civil rights question Negro, “When will you be satisfied?”. Martin Luther King replied for this question – We will never be satisfied until you give a lodging in highway motels and city hotels to Negro, until you give a basic mobility to Negro, until police brutality ends towards Negro , until you give rights to vote for Negro in Mississippi. He adds that they are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice and righteousness overflow like water and stream. King looked at the crowd and said some people were came from trials and tribulations, from narrow jail cells and from crossing police brutality for in search of freedom. King says we all will relieve from unearned suffering. So continue to work with faith. This speech gave more confidence to negro people. King says go back to Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and go back to slums of Northern Cities with the faith, one day this situation can and will be changed. King has a dream that one day all people in nation must be treated equally without seeing differences. He has a dream that one day former slaves and former slave owner’s sons will sit together with brotherhood in table in red hills of Georgia. He has a dream that one day the state of Mississippi transform from heat of Injustice and heat of oppression to a state of freedom and justice. King has a dream that his four little children lives in a nation where racial discrimination is fully wiped out and people judge others only by characters. King has a dream that one day little blacks and little whites able to join hands with unity in Alabama. King has a dream that one day every hill and mountain shall change into low area, the crooked places changes into straight, the rough places changes into plain and every valley changes into exalted. So with this faith King will go back to South side. He also adds that with this faith we can change the discords of nation into beautiful symphony of brotherhood. King gave an assurance that one day we will be free. Let freedom ring from Prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, from mighty mountains of New York, from heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, from the snow – capped Rockies of Colorado, from the curvaceous slopes of California, from Stone Mountain of Georgia, from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee and also from hill and molehill of Mississippi. Let freedom ring from every mountainside. King lastly finish the speech with words of union. When the freedom bell rings from every village, every Hamlet, every state and every city, we all black men and white men, Protestants and Catholics, Jews and gentiles able to join hands and sing the words of Old Negro spiritual, which was King’s favorite quotes : “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Martin Luther King represented Negro dreams and hopes through this speech.
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF “I HAVE A DREAM”:
After finishing his speech, King said goodbye and waved the hands to audience. George Raveling, a star college basketball player for the Villanova Wildcats. He stood as a Volunteering security guard for King on Podium. After presentation, King gave the original typewritten manuscript of speech to Raveling. Still today Reveling have a custody of original manuscript. In 2013, he was offered for more than three million dollars to manuscript of speech. But he does not have an idea to sell it, and he declined the offer.
By: Sri Sivakami R.J
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
