The Great Dream Of A Great Person
The Great Dream of a Great Person
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech that forever changed America's perception of the black people. Up until then, the blacks were segregated in almost every aspect of life and had very few rights. It can be said today, some 35 years after his death that King was truly one of the greatest black activists in history who helped shape the lives of every black person in America. This speech by King was the pinnacle moment of his movement. He was already well-known by the whole country before this speech for his involvement with racial discrimination. His beginning as a national figure began when he was named president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, an organization that directed a bus boycott. The black people were not happy that they had to give up their seats to white people, prompting the bus boycott. After taking this issue to court in 1956, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision, which ordered that buses needed to be desegregated.
King also helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, a group aimed at ending racial segregation. He was in charge of leading marches, boycotts, and demonstrations. Through this, he was also able to make strategic alliances with whites that later helped him influence the public opinion in the United States. It is very clear, through his actions and involvement, that King was a very informed man who had more than enough expertise and credibility to give this speech to over 200,000 people.
This speech was directed to every person in the United States. It was geared mostly towards the white population which did not treat the black population with respect. To the black people, King told them to fight this struggle with dignity and discipline. He did not want them to use violence in order to get their point across. By looking at the large audience of white...
View Full Essay