Context of the speech
Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the address in front of a throng of around 200,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 march at Washington. The Civil Rights Movement, which peaked in the 1950s and 1960s, was the backdrop against which the speech took place.
It has to do with African-Americans’ inequitable treatment in the United States. The speech came at a crucial period for racially disadvantaged people in the United States.
The address was 17 minutes long and was written in New York first, then Washington before the event.
The main idea conveyed through the speech
Martin Luther King argued that all people are created equal in his address. Despite the fact that the circumstances in America at the time demonstrated otherwise, King was adamant that it should improve for the better in the future. Read to know the main idea behind Martin Luther King’s famous speech.
Many white individuals at the time were taken aback by how quickly the civil rights movement gained traction. Racism continued to exist in many forms across the country.
For example, black pupils were not authorized to attend Little Rock’s Central High School. This is despite the fact that school segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1954, three years before the incident.
Martin Luther King was very aware of his surroundings. The larger point he is attempting to make with the speech is that the participants in the march at Washington are not demanding anything ostensibly lavish or privileged. These individuals were merely demanding the fulfillment of an almost two-century-old commitment. King points out that racial equality is guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence as an extension of the rights that were initially guaranteed.
King’s speech also does a decent job of painting a clear picture of the issue at hand. He periodically consults the Bible in order to accomplish this. Otherwise, he draws upon literature, music, history, and, most importantly, instances from his own life.
One such aspect that he really emphasizes is captivity, which took the form of either slavery or imprisonment. He presents his ideas by using keywords like chains, manacles, prison cells, and other words that hint at a form of restraint on one’s freedom. He goes a step further in drawing a parallel between the injustice then and in the past.
In fact, the beginning part of his speech consists of a startling claim that “The Negro still is not free”. Pointing to the harsh fact that African Americans have been subject to chattel slavery for almost a century. He pinpoints that these restraints are both literal and metaphorical in the real world. Literal in the sense where protestors end up getting physically imprisoned for their actions of civil disobedience. Metaphorical in the sense that, African Americans could not purchase real estate in certain neighborhoods.
Another figurative hindrance was the presence of a hostile police force, which made African-Americans feel uncomfortable in general. There were other policies that made it difficult for African Americans to find work. King goes on to say that just because they are metaphorical chains doesn’t mean they aren’t real.
Finally, by using terms like shackles and chains, King is ingeniously connecting the civil rights movement of his day to the harrowing days of slavery. In fact, this connection may be traced all the way back to the Babylonian captivity, which is mentioned in the Bible. In doing so, he portrays the civil rights movement as a long-running fight rather than something that arose out of nothing.
In his lecture, King also discusses the concept of American brotherhood. He’s basically advocating for a more racially integrated America. Despite the fact that many at the time did not believe this was possible, King stood firm in his beliefs and did not back down. He even goes so far as to say that he wanted people to not just tolerate one another, but to gladly coexist.
Martin Luther King, Jr. also emphasizes the importance of his supporters engaging in “creative” kinds of protest. Rather than resorting to more aggressive means of protest and then facing strong opponent violence, He begs that his fans keep their dignity and protest as calmly as possible.
The key phrase “I have a dream” is repeated throughout the speech to cement the idea of a better society that Martin Luther King has envisioned for America. An America where there is no racial prejudice. He dreams of a nation where people would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character and virtues.
The protestors at the march at Washington are also cashing a metaphorical “check.” He addresses this by referring to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. He does this so that his supporters, those fighting for equality, will be able to follow in the footsteps of a great American leader.
Another intriguing similarity between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement is drawn by him. Lincoln’s address was set against the backdrop of the Civil War. In the same way that the war generated a very contentious battle in the country, both of these events challenged core freedoms. Both of these conflicts involved the country’s most fundamental ideals.
Conclusion
Martin Luther King, Jr’s speech continues to be a highly relevant speech even today because of its content and structure. The speech also serves as an example for public speakers to learn from. The ideas conveyed were absolutely then and now. Racial segregation is an inhuman thing and must be eradicated from the world.
Where was the speech given?
The speech was given at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
What is Martin Luther King, Jr. famous for?
He is well-known for his contributions to the American Civil Rights movement and his “I Have a Dream” speech.
