Category: I Have a Dream

Introduction

In the course of human history there have been a lot of people whose contribution to the development of society could hardly be exaggerated. These people were not concentrated on their own interests and aspirations. They had wider outlook and their goals and aspirations concerned their fellow citizens or even the whole humanity. Due to their kind and active souls that knew no rest, these people have managed to change society and this was the reason why their contribution has been appreciated greatly. It is a noble thing: to do something for your people, not for your own sake, to do something for the whole humanity is even nobler. This desire to make all people equal and happy can be traced in two seemingly different literary sources by Martin Luther King and Greg Mortenson. Thus, the main task of the present work is to compare the most outstanding speech in American History, I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King and the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson on the basis of their relation to education and success.

Main Body

A few words about the authors and their motivation

In the first place, it is necessary to present a few words about the authors and their motivation that led them in their creation of the works. The life and work of Martin Luther King has always been treated as the example of an active, just, and inimitable man of genius and courage. He is called a heroic figure, a leader who developed his ability to address injustice and a person prepared to face the price of unpopularity (Ling 5). Martin Luther King was trying to reach the top of the mountain of racial prejudices in order to make all American citizens equal, and this ascend is similar to Mortensons ascend. Greg Mortenson had tried to reach the top of mountain literary in honor of his sister (Boerema 14) and later he tried to conquer the mountain of illiteracy and cultural stagnation in Pakistan. Thus, both authors were trying to improve living conditions of people, King was struggling against oppression of black people, Mortenson was trying to help people who were not his fellow-countrymen at all, he was driven by compassion of human beings on the whole. Thus, the authors shared the goals of one nature. However, there are several important differences between their works.

The factor of education

The role of Education in Three Cups Of Tea

Analyzing the attitude of the authors to education, it is necessary to state that in Three Cups of Tea education is the core of the book. Mortenson implied that the third cup of tea in Korphe made the village dwellers his family according to the saying we drink the cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything  even die (Kauffman 34).

The importance of education for Martin Luther King

It is natural to mean well by your family, to make everything in order that your family could become happy. It is especially necessary if your family lives in a village that has the scent of juniper woodsmoke and unwashed humanity (Mortenson and Relin 24). It is especially necessary if your family lives in the country that is oppressed and suffers from terrorist groups. Mortenson experienced genuine kind human nature of the Pakistanis and the fact that he wanted to pay them back with the help of education a very bright fact. It means that he attributed the greatest role to education in human society. It was the starting point of everything for him. Education as presented in Three Cups of Tea is the secret of happiness; it is powerful enough to struggle against terrorism, because the enemy is ignorance (Mortenson and Relin 297). Education can establish equality and friendly relationship among people; this is the main message of the book.

Success as presented in the analyzed works

In fact, equality and friendly relationship among people is the goal of Martin Luther King as well but he does not mention education in his speech I Have a Dream. The reason for this is that he does not want to suggest the ways how to establish equality; his main aim is to awaken people and to show them that it is necessary to act. The plan of action will be his next step. However, to prove the importance of education for King, it is possible to quote the following idea of his: Though education we seek to change attitudes & Through education we seek to break down the spiritual barriers to integration (King 40).

The key to success in I Have a Dream

As for the key to success in I Have a Dream, it should be stated that the whole American nation will become successful as soon as all citizens become equal. This is the essence of democracy. In order to become successful and harmonious, America should eliminate such signs as For Whites Only (King unpaged). The key to success is in the Dream. The most important thing is that Kings dream is deeply rooted in the American dream (King unpaged). As soon as the dream of America and black people coincide, everyone will become happy.

The key to success in Three Cups of Tea

In comparison with Kings speech, in which the ideas are presented directly and in concise form, Mortensons book is much more longer, but it also narrates about success. It also concerns American people who suffer from terrorism. It also tries to awaken them just as King does several decades ago. The book inspires Americans to act because action is the key to success. The example is set by Mortenson already, and if Americans understand that they can become successful if they help other people, the dream of equality will come true.

Conclusion

Drawing a conclusion, it is possible to state that no matter how large is the gap between the speech and the book that are analyzed, both of them present the same idea: the necessity of equality of people. The authors offer their ideas of success that coincide. However, while King is trying to awaken and motivate people, Mortinson suggests concrete actions, the struggle against ignorance.

Works Cited

Boerema, Amy. We Have to Live in Hope Author Promotes Peace, Tolerance through Education in Pakistan, Afghanistan. Daily Herald. 2007: 14.

Kauffman, Richard A. Three Cups of Tea: One Mans Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations& One School at a Time. The Christian Century. 125.15. (2008): 35.

King, Coretta Scott. The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: Newmarket Press, 2008.

King, Martin Luther Jr. I Have a Dream. 1963.

Ling, Peter John. Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: Routledge, 2002.

Mortenson, Greg, and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea: One Mans Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations& One School at a Time. USA: Viking Penguin, 2006.

Concluding thoughts are essential, as they are the final impression a reader receives from a speech or a piece of written communication. Garner (2017) emphasizes that the primary purpose of concluding thoughts is to prompt readers to take action. He further states that the last words should not be perfunctory (Garner, 2017). From my perspective, conclusions should be engaging to attract readers attention and leave an impression.

Functions of Conclusion

Conclusions perform several functions:

• summarizing;
• persuasive;
• emotional.

In the conclusion of academic or scientific papers, an author should underline the main ideas cohesively and concisely. With fiction or speeches, persuasive and, subsequently, emotional functions are brought forward, as an author should win their audience over so that it will accept their ideas and, if necessary, takes actions. Garner (2017) suggests using unique and catchy phrases to add a new perspective to the opinions expressed and bring a little emotion. Consequently, the purpose of the conclusion is to show a unique perspective to a delivered speech (a written paper), so the ideas will be ingrained in the audiences memory.

Analysis of I Have A Dream Conclusion

Martin Luther Kings conclusion is effective and powerful, as it presents his ideas from the best angle. King (2021) catches his audiences attention with parallel construction: when this happens & when we allow& when we let. With appropriate gradation, he creates a perfect buildup for his final words that are short phrases, which he further repeats. King (2021) artistically alternates the length of the sentences, so his narration will not be monotonous. The final words represent the main idea, a catchphrase engraved in his listeners memory, short, emotional, and persuasive. For this reason, I believe that the concluding thoughts of the I Have a Dream speech are an example of a perfect conclusion.

References

Garner, B. (2017). In Conclusion&: The power of finishing strong. ABA Journal, 103(5), 24-25.

Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream. Web.

I have a dream is a short utterance in which Martin Luther King believes that blacks and whites will be equal and can get rid of prejudices. Ford and Lockett (2018) assert that this address is regarded as one of the most successful speeches in history and has been admitted as the most influential speech of the last century. The power of the reasoning lies in the fact that it helped improve racial relations in America. Kings words, in part, assured President Kennedy to launch a massive campaign for historic human rights legislation that ended state-sanctioned racial segregation in the U. S. According to Salter (2019), many famous statesmen have browsed it repeatedly to improve their rhetorical skills. Emotional and persuasive interaction with the audience, a wide range of stylistic devices, including metaphors, epithets, and quotes, as well as the relative simplicity of language, made this speech one of the most powerful in history.

A striking feature of I have a dream speech is Kings emotional and convincing interaction with the people, which also contributed to the power of the words. Since Kings action is a public speech, it is distinguished by some peculiarities: it should be understandable for the audience, expressive, and should hold the attention of the public throughout the utterance. Martin Luther begins his public address with an appeal to the men, praising all those present: I am happy to join with you today (King, 2003). The most vital aspect in his reasoning is the spirit with which he opines his ideas and how he appeals literally everyone. According to Ford and Lockett (2018), King masterfully tries to give each person in the square a split second with his gaze on the audience. Because of this, everyone will feel that the speech is being delivered specifically for him. Martin sincerely believed in his words because each of his words is saturated with faith in a happy future and positive changes. Thus, the author tries to inspirit the audience, and add strength to struggle further for the exemption of blacks, which also provides power to the address.

Martin Luther King uses a variety of colorful techniques to attract the public to the issue of racial discrimination. The author strives to create vivid images; therefore, he uses many epithets: symbolic shadow of America, joyous daybreak, marvelous new militancy, and a beautiful symphony of brotherhood (King, 2003). Moreover, Kings speech is characterized by an expanded metaphor: joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice (King, 2003). The author constantly repeated the phrase I have a dream, which sounded like a trigger for people every time, hinting at a personal story and revealing the speakers deep feelings and desires. Therefore, the plenty of metaphors, the application of unsuspected words, comparisons, and concepts, giving rise to vivid and unforgettable images made Kings performance successful.

The use of quotes also made this speech memorable. Kings address is crowded with citations to the Old and New Testaments, the U. S. Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Manifesto, and the U. S. Constitution. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, my countrys of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing& (King, 2003). The use of quotations made Kings idea clearer and brighter, gave his theses the emotive shades of an absolute dream, and carried them to the depths of the minds and hearts of listeners. Salter (2019) notes that the author advisedly uses quotations from such sources which are admitted both among his proponents and opponents. Thus, addressing his speech to each of these parties, King increased his chances of impacting the audience, resulting in a performance that was one of the most successful in history.

An equally significant advantage of the speech, which also influenced its strength, is the style and format of the address, which lies in its simplicity. King didnt try to quickly pronounce the sentence and move on to the next one. He paused strategically perfectly to get a standing ovation or get people thinking about his idea. According to Ford and Lockett (2018), King, being a proficient preacher, matched his speech tempo perfectly with his singing timbre. The manner of the utterance was primarily caused by the authors refusal of common political calls and a turning to such a personal tale about his dream. Joseph (2020) claims that this reasoning was not spontaneous; Martin Luther King was preparing for his speech consciously because, without thoughtful preparation, it would have been impossible to transmit such brilliant words. His voice resounded so natural, confident, and at the same time simple that this reliance was instantly transmitted to everyone present, and the performance became one of the most successful in history.

Martin Luther Kings speech is an acclaimed masterwork of oratory. According to Salter (2019), this performance has all four qualities intrinsic to the great works of public speaking. One of them is eloquence; the other is enthusiasm. Each piece of address comes from the depths of the soul, from the very heart: Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred (King, 2003). The third property of Kings words Salter (2019) considers its deep content, an abundance of historical references, and examples. Finally, its fourth quality is persuasiveness, which became evident after Martin Luther King pronounced it. Thus, after many years, Kings speech does not lose its significance and strength and is still recognized as an example of oratory.

Martin Luther Kings speeches have become critical moments in American history in the struggle for racial justice. His unique utterance I have a dream is a real rhetorical masterpiece, hearing the reader can learn a lot. Emotional connection with the audience, vivid imagery, a clear structure of address that meets the primary purpose of the reasoning, and the relative simplicity of language made this Kings speech one of the most powerful in the history of oratory. In addition to the meaning of the words, which found a response and support among most American fighters for equality, the speech also has an unusual manner of storytelling and many metaphors and quotes. Thanks to the clear style of speech, every Kings word is clearly imprinted in the minds of the listeners. The address has a fantastic musicality and resembles more a prayer than an official public performance. Martin Luther Kings insistence on unity and nonviolent action in response to oppression and brutality are worthy of deep respect and long memory.

Works Cited

Ford, Will and Lockett, Matt. The Dream King: How the Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. Is Being Fulfilled to Heal Racism in America. Newtype, 2018

Joseph, Peniel. The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Basic Books, 2020

King, Martin Luther. I Have A Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed the World: Special 75th Anniversary Edition. HarperOne, 2003

Salter, Colin. 100 Speeches That Changed the World. Universe Publishing, 2019

“…I have a dream. A dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character…” This piece is from Reverend Martin Luther King’s iconic I Have a Dream speech, where on August 28th, 1963, the year marking a hundred years since President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation and freed thousands of slaves, Dr. King delivered one of the most influential talks in history. But Reverend King was not just a man with a speech. As the title conveyed, Dr. King was a man with a dream, and a plan. A plan to make sure his dream and goal would ring in the ears of all of America’s youth for the rest of history, and sure enough, through years of persisting, resisting hate and discouragement from everyone around him, he succeeded. This essay will tell the story of Martin Luther King and why he succeeded more than anyone else in his field, what inspired him, and obstacles he faced.

Starting off, others before Reverend King and after him have stood for the same reason, but why hasn’t anyone else has ever gone to such great heights? Well, Dr. King understood the power of words. Instead of physically fighting against the unethical laws in action back then, he arranged and spoke at speeches, rallies, and other peaceful events. His form of protest was a way to stand up without harming anyone. He also found that there were people all around that knew they were being treated unfairly and wanted to fight back; all that really needed to be done was to bring them all together. Of course, King understood that tasks like changing centuries old ways of thinking were almost Herculean, and also required huge risks. Learning from Henry David Thoreau, an American essayist and author, King believed and made sure his followers knew that the true American Dream could not be achieved when such conspicuous injustices were commonly accepted in society and like Thoreau, willingly went to jail in order to further push his movement’s progress. In fact, King’s 1963 Letter From Birmingham Jail, which he wrote while in confinement responding to criticism from several clergymen that argued that social injustices should be fought solely in court and not on the streets through protests or marches is now considered one of the most powerful open letters in history.

Speaking of Thoreau, the essayist was one of the many people Dr. King drew inspiration from. Although both of the figures’ intentions were poles apart, King was introduced to Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, an essay where he vehemently argues why and how conscience can be a higher authority than government, later heavily affected King’s ideas on reform. Thoreau was also the base for another one of Reverend King’s idols, Mohandas K. Gandhi. Gandhi was strongly influenced by Civil Disobedience but also by Thoreau’s other essay, “Life without Principle” where he eloquently writes how excessive devotion to business and money has negatively affected society. Using his knowledge from these works, Gandhi employed another form of civil disobedience halfway around the world by, instead of being a one-man operation, gathering a group of people with similar ideas as him combining their forces together. These two previous men impacted M.L.K from afar, through their speeches and literary works, but two other people that personally knew him and made a difference in his life were his father, Martin Luther King, Sr. and Mordecai Wyatt Johnson. MLK Sr., who was pastor at the King family’s church in Atlanta, instilled Christian beliefs in the civil rights activist from childhood, and supported King throughout his life, was the first one to originally teach King about society’s corrupt morals and attitude towards people of African American descent. Mordecai Johnson, who King first encountered upon hearing him preach at the Fellowship House of Philadelphia in 1950, closely knew King and was one of the people to first to present Gandhi’s ideas to him. Johnson was also known as the first black president of Howard University and one of the most prominent African-American pastors of the twentieth century. According to Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute, also known as The King Institute, Johnson’s “command and conviction captivated King when he first heard Johnson speak”, and after meeting him and sharing ideas, Johnson and King stayed in contact for the rest of King’s life; Johnson even ended up awarding King an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Howard University. The four men mentioned made a tremendous difference in Dr. King’s life and work, but it was not limited to them. As Gandhi, Mark Twain and even Bill Nye have said something similar to, everyone you will ever meet has something you can learn. King was a definite believer in this theory and learned from everyone he met, accumulating experiences and facts throughout his journey and using them to his advantage.

Lastly, although all three people discussed in the previous paragraph achieved monumental things and are figures held in high esteem, all of them encountered bumps on their path to greatness, and King was no exception. It had been a century since slavery had been abolished, but racial segregation still tormented the very same people who had been promised a land of freedom a century ago. It was made legal by Jim Crow laws, which were named after an African-American fictional minstrel show character of the same name played by caucasian entertainer Thomas Dartmouth Rice, who amused much of the white population in the 30s and 40s with racist skits about a dim-witted slave. The fight to put an end to the cruel confines society had built for the black population was long and hard. Since the laws were put in place by the government themselves, police forces and authorities were never on King’s side. During 1965’s Bloody Sunday, peaceful demonstrations in Selma, Alabama and surrounding communities resulted in the arrests of thousands, including King, who wrote to the New York Times following his release that, “This is Selma, Alabama. There are more people of color (People of color has been inserted in place of an offensive word. Note that this is nothing against Dr. King; the fact is simply that vocabulary of that sort was socially acceptable back then and now is considered politically incorrect.) in jail with me than there were on the voting rolls.” The march had been arranged in order to combat black voting laws and later mobilized Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but nonetheless caused many avertable and unnecessary deaths. Another one of Dr. King’s adversaries were the infamous Ku Klux Klan, who bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, an African-American church which promoted non-violence and Dr. King’s movement often. The bombing caused the death of four young girls and non-fatally injured many more. Third, although the public had less significant impacts on King’s movement, leaders such as himself only make a difference because of their followers, and certain decisions lost and gained them. Taking Bloody Sunday as an example once more, after the first almost-massacre, King attempted to try again despite bribes from the government to stay silent. This time, though in hopes of avoiding police action, King only stopped at a point, knelt down with his fellow protestors, prayed, and changed directions, heading back. This incident caused many people to believe that King had, in fact, accepted the money and that the leader was straying from his original beliefs. Many people still believe that King betrayed the civil rights movement with that action, and some believe he simply wanted to keep casualties at zero, but King’s overall efforts to change segregation laws and gain black rights is the main focus and what he is remembered for, so letting one controversial topic overshadow all his greater impacts is foolish.

In conclusion, Dr. King is clearly an impressive historical figure and has made irreversible changes on the way society thinks. He was familiar with the saying “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” and led the entire race that made up this figurative “wheel” to squeak, and after almost fifteen years of withstanding prejudice and bigotry, Jim Crow laws were eradicated, freeing people of color from the cage they had been imprisoned in. Today, although the civil rights leader was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 at a conference he had attended, his story and goal are being taught in almost every school in the United States, his followers and people who believe in his ways keep growing, and racial prejudice even closer to being extirpated than before. Notice, unfortunately, that we are closer to eliminating this and not completely there. People of African American descent have been and sometimes still are at the receiving end of so much morally corrupt behavior that no matter how many things we change, it will still be difficult to serve them utter and full compensation, but that does not change the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is like the first domino in a chain, making one movement that results in thousands of others after him. People like him keep society stay true to America’s true values and Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness….”

‘I Have a Dream’, a famous phrase stated by Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963. In front of 250 000 people of all ethnicities near the National Mall in “Washington DC” standing on the white granite steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand justice and equality for all people. Furthermore, he declared his dream to the whole United States of ending racism and segregation. Not just standing up and giving a speech to America about what he wanted for the civilization, he was fearless moreover did everything humanly possible to prove his point. This momentous era came together as a beacon light of hope to countless people.

Martin Luther King was born in a world where segregation was the law. Martin was born on Tuesday, January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. His family was known to be a middle-class family, they receive a better education than others of their race. He lived with both of his parents as well as his grandparents and two siblings. Both of his parents were college-educated. To include his father and maternal grandfather were both Baptist preachers. The family lived on a street named Auburn Avenue, otherwise known as “Black Wall Street” home to the largest black businesses and black churches in the years before the civil rights movement. From the time Martin Luther King was born he knew there was a segregation between races (black and white). Sadly, the blacks were not able to eat at a white restaurant, had to sit at the back of busses and movie theatres and use separate restroom facilities. Even Though his family was middle class and receive better education, he once experiences prejudice which was very common in South Atlanta. The unprivileged six years old once experienced one of his white friend’s parents cogent him, by telling him he can’t play with their kid because they were attending a segregated school. Furthermore, the most important and dearest person in King’s life was his maternal grandmother who had a heart attack in 1941. The outcome of that significant event leads to Martin trying to commit suicide by jumping out of a second-story building.

In 1944, at the age of 15, Martin Luther King made it to Morehouse college which was located in North of Atlanta. Before King began college he spends his summer in a tobacco field in Canneticite; it was the first time he stayed away from his home and one of the first experiences of segregation outside of south Atlanta. King was astonished due to the fact it wasn’t a big issue regarding your race because the negros and the whites go to the same churches as well as anyone can eat wherever they wish in upper Atlanta. Due to this experience, Martin now is a growing hatred of racial segregation.

As three years went by he moved to Pennsylvania. During that time he was greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of stopping violence and the logic of contemporary Protestant theologians. In the time of 1951 King received a bachelor’s degree. After receiving the bachelor’s degree he was accepted to be the professor of Crozer he spoke about racism. From the Cozer, Martin went to Boston University to find a firm foundation of god and his own man.

While living in Boston, Martin met Coretta Scott, an Alabamian who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. As 1953 came Coretta Scott got married to King and they had four children. Once Rosa Parks was arrested just because she didn’t give up her seat for a white man he joined the Montgomery bus boycott. unnoticeably, King got stabbed as he was signing his newly published book (Stride Toward Freedom) in Harlem. Regrettably, while Martin Luther King Jr was trying to help his fellow man by protesting in Birmingham, Alabama, the court had ordered Martin that he could not hold any protests in Birmingham. To include, due to King’s action he was sent to prison in Birmingham, Alabama for eleven days. As well, during his eleven days in jail, he wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. Once again King got arrested in Selma, Alabama during 1965 because he was demonstrating voting rights.

As a result of Martin Luther King’s action, he gave a speech “I Have a Dream” to over 200 000 people in Washington regarding civil rights for all citizens in America. The given speech had lead to the Civil Rights Act 1964, which prohibited segregation. For his rightful movement, King received the Nobel Peace Prize; the youngest person to receive an extraordinary honour.

Astonishedly, Martin Luther King’s death was near. On the fourth day of the fourth month of the year of 1986 King was shot dead outside the second-floor of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. On March 10, 1969, the accused assassin was discovered, a white man named James Earl Ray who was sentenced to jail for 99 years.

Martin Luther King is and was a very significant human being who had one of the most important voices in the Civil Rights Movement Act. Additionally, providing leadership in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, giving his famous speech “I Have a Dream” to more than 200 000 people, nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice and the fact he didn’t give up ending segregation.

In August 1963, an African American man, who was murdered told us,” I have a dream”. His ideas and speech gained an almost universal acceptance and saw laws changed in the United States of America. In August 2020, we have the continuing reaction to the murder of a Black man, creating the message that “Black lives Matter.”

Both these messages are connected. Both these messages are about validating people, all people, as having the unalienable right to freedom, the right to life, the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So, as we watch history repeat itself the obvious question emerges, why aren’t we having the same outcomes and success?

The March on Washington was an economic and political protest conducted in Washington during the August of 1963. It was the combined protest of Martin Luther King’s (SCLC) Freedom protest and A. Phillip Randolph’s Jobs protest. The purpose of the protest was to demolish discrimination and to achieve equality, as promised in the Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution of the United States. The March on Washington occurred due to the rising violence and discrimination of the Black community. The Kennedy Administration was hesitant about the protest saying that the March was perhaps “ill-timed,” as “We want success in the Congress, not just a big show at the Capitol.” This was stated in concern of the reputation of the Black community, for if the protest were to end in violence the negative perceptions could undo the Civil Rights Bill making its way through Congress. That was 1963. It is history, but history goes on.

Today we are seeing the Black Lives Matter protests eventuate out of a multi-national cry for justice for George Floyd and for previous victims of police brutality. The protests started on May 26th, 2020, the day after George Floyd was murdered. By June 6th, an estimated half a million people protested in 550 places across the United States. The nation-wide protests, although aggravated by the death of George Floyd, are targeted at systemic racism (racism captured in everyday society, not just one on one interactions) and the lack of consequences for police brutality. The Black community has been negatively scrutinized over the riots and looting that occurred out of repulsion of the government and rebellion against the police, who in some cases started the violence. The Trump Administration has consistently attempted to demonize these protests.

A major difference in these two events is where the Government stands, and how it has directed the movements. The Kennedy Administration supported the Civil Right Movement, this was made extremely clear in Kennedy’s Civil Rights Address. Kennedy speaks to the nation enforcing that “It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his colour.” He continues to point out that “nor is this a partisan issue. In a time of domestic crisis, men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics.” Trump completely opposes this idea by stating that Radical Left political and Anarchist groups are responsible for the protest outbreaks and that the “Dems are controlled by the Radical Left.” Kennedy displayed concern for his nation whereas Trump only displays concern for himself by pushing the blame onto others to preserve his reputation. Kennedy was living out the call of his Inauguration Address, reminding citizens to ‘ask what you can do for your country”, challenging every American to contribute in some way to the public good.

Martin Luther King arguably paved the way for Black communities to get to where they are today. He and those who followed after him, including President Lyndon Baines Johnson, achieved countless acts that gave the Black communities a sense of equality. With what was accomplished in the 60’s, we can wonder, “What if Dr. King were still here today?”

King first brought to attention that the police in the US were no longer protecting civilians and that they were attacking them, however his message became lost or almost forgotten.

It has taken the broadcasted death of George Floyd for people other than only African Americans to remember the call to the Dream.

King was an evident supporter of non-violent action and civil disobedience to achieve his dream of equality, something we are seeing a lot of today. Martin Luther King has said that “A riot is the language of the unheard,” a quote that’s volume is still astronomical. The message that Martin Luther King was conveying in the 60s is one the Government should consider.

The compelling scene of the Black Lives Matter protests, grasping the continuous and evolving outcomes that the March on Washington started will only become less confronting, and cease to be the language of the unheard, when the United States’ Government stops opposing this movement, and ensures the necessary changes to the nation that the civil rights movement cause demanded, to fulfill the Founding Fathers’ promise to all citizens.

Only then will the United States become a nation that another President in another time of great calamity reminded all citizens is, “a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Only then will the dream become a reality, and only then will the unalienable things that really matter exist in more than in an ideal form.

During the 1960s era racial tension was at its boiling point. On August 28, 1963 American civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, performed a historic speech titled: I have a Dream. His speech was vigorous, dominant and also compelling throughout due to his hallucinatory use of rhetoric persuasion. Rhetoric persuasion is abundant throughout his eminent speech which helped convince a congregation to take in the message he was propelling. Martin Luther King was very successful with the deliverance of his famous speech I have a Dream. This was due to the fact that he had addressed his audience very distinctly when explaining how he has involved civil and economic rights and had further put an end to racism in the United States. Martin Luther King succeeded in doing this with the aid of the rhetorical appeals of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos.

Greek philosopher Aristotle introduced the three means of persuasion; these are Logos, Ethos, Pathos. These rhetorical techniques are used to prompt an audience. Firstly, Logos is the appeal to the reasoning and logic. Secondly, Ethos which is the authority to the appeal or the credibility. Lastly, Pathos which is the appeal of emotion.

Martin Luther King was born January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of the Baptist minister. King was an American Christian minister and activist who later became one among the foremost conspicuous spokesmen and also leader of the Civil Rights Movement in 1955 until his assasination in 1968. He arranged a variety of peaceful protests as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, including the famous March on Washington where the I have a Dream speech was executed.

Martin Luther King’s use of Logos is noted to make the audience see that they haven’t been given equal opportunities, equal rights, and also the respect that the white people get. King dreamed of perfect equality, unity and brotherhood. In addition, King’s many followers also shared this dream, he wanted his dream to be known by his audience abruptly. He wanted this mainly due to the losses the Black community is bearing. King says “five score years ago”, therefore meaning that it has already been too late. As he repeats “one hundred years later”, King is telling the audience that the miseries imposed on the Black community are too many to count as well as, waiting any longer would be utterly distressing meaning that it could be painful for them.

”America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds” the use of logos in this example presents how King is telling his audience what happens in his society and other peoples soceity.

Martin Luther King Jr. wanted life to be fair, enjoyable, memorable, equal, and loving, he wanted to make the world a better place. He went out to people of all nationalities, backgrounds, and ethnicity to make sure that they knew his message because he wanted to spread the word of love and equality. King’s passage in “I Have a Dream” speech, personally connects with every African American out there because he experiences everything that they go through. For example, the bombings, the shootings, and the hatred that they get just walking out of the house and/or walking into the store. The segregation at the time was so unbearable that it tore African Americans to think they are way different than any other average white citizen in the United States. It took time for many white people to understand what black people go through, they ended up joining his team of African Americans and stating, “we need to all be equal, and stop being segregated”. After a while, his message became so clear to the black people, yet so vague to the white people that he becomes a threat to the White Americans in the United States. For him to do these things, he had to go around and use all these different techniques to get the attention of different people because everybody responds to everything differently. Particularly he used ethos, pathos, and logos because those three techniques can get his point across in so little time but has a major impact on the message.

His movement impacted so many future African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and any person with a descendant that is not of the race of white. It has become a day of age where some accept his movement that even though little segregation still happens. We try to ignore it he has impacted everybody’s lives with just a simple speech that starts with “I Have a Dream”. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful rhetoric in his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech continues to resonate across generations, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of not only African Americans but also Native Americans, Hispanics, and individuals from diverse racial backgrounds, reminding us of the ongoing fight against segregation and the pursuit of equality.

Ethos was part of the speech to get the point across. King started his speech with the lines, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” King’s initial words call for unity and to take a united stand against discrimination. With these words, he sets the background and foundation of his speech and his vision for the future which includes freedom, non-discrimination, and long-lasting happiness. In his speech, MLK frequently looks back at moments in American history and refers to the hardships African Americans had to go through. “One hundred years later the life of the Negro is badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” This adds an ethical appeal to his speech because his ancestors had to go through this. However, King’s speech is also rich in imagery and his phrases frequently paint the picture of a beautiful dream-like nation where unity and peace abound. King dreams of a cohesive society that would not easily fall prey to discrimination or stay divided along lines of color. King’s biggest disgust is that the promises made during the time of Lincoln never became reality and instead African Americans have gotten fed only fake promises. His reference to the Emancipation Proclamation and its promises also adds ethical appeal to the speech. “ This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.”

The emotional appeal or the pathos in his speech grows stronger when King speaks about the freedom, and rights African Americans have always getting denied put debt on the nation and this debt has kept growing larger – those promises made earlier act like bad checks or hollow spheres. However, hope could not be dead, and justice and equality will have to prevail. King speaks with passion and energy but in an urgent tone. His plentiful use of imagery evokes pictures that are strong and meaningful. Phrases like “seared in the flames of withering injustice,” “quicksands of racial injustice,” and “sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent”, bring alive the tragedy that repeats in black people’s daily lives. King presents two pictures; one is the everyday reality of African American lives and the other is his dream. His dreams do not leave out the white people but care for the joys and emotions of all races. His motive is to inspire energy and life into the relationships between the two races. He seeks to bring together the black and white communities and help them live as equals. The emotional element in his speech grows stronger as he speaks of the various forms of torture the black community has gone through in its struggle for equality and freedom.

King’s dream was the dream of perfect equality, union, and brotherhood which pathos helped with. Millions of hearts of his followers shared this dream. He uses facts from American history to support his logic. If a peaceful method of ending the misery in people’s lives then, it is the path of nonviolence. When he says, ‘five score years ago, he means it has already been way too late. As he repeats one hundred years later, he means that the miseries inflicted on the black community happens too many times to count, and waiting any longer would be utterly painful. King urges the crowd that the solution can be found if they adopt peaceful and nonviolent methods. “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence.” His focus on nonviolence strengthens his logic. As King explains in the later parts of his speech that the Black community can gain control using nonviolent and peaceful methods and not through recklessness or violence. King also connects his dream with the American Dream so people can see that peace and prosperity for Black people can it could happen through nonviolent struggle.

While the “ I Have a Dream” speech is splendid in terms of its use of imagery and thought-provoking phrases, the speech is highly emotional in tone. King did not want the African American people to lose sight of the dream of complete freedom which was possible only when granted the same rights as the whites in American society. However, he was also cautious the protest must not degenerate into physical violence or adopt methods that lack dignity. Years have passed since King spoke but the passion in his words gives the African Americans hope and energy to continue their struggle until they have achieved the same position as white people and can live a life of equal dignity in American society.

Work Cited

1. King, Martin L Jr. ‘I Have a Dream.’ American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches, American Rhetoric, 28 Aug. 1963. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm. Accessed on 7 Nov. 2019.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Who did won the Noble Peace Price in 1964 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. The speech “I have a dream” was made on August 28, 1963. He was a major political leader fighting for political rights for blacks in the USA. All Americans of Faith, creeds and races joined him and more other civil rights tried to persuade in this demonstration of solidarity. By making this speech, King tried to persuade the audience, the blacks to carry on their struggle by non- violent. The purpose of “I have a dream “is to expose the American public to the injustice of racial inequality and to persuade them to stop discrimination on the basis of race. King makes his speech a remarkable delivery and how the style of the speech addresses his intentions. King uses also rhetorical devices; biblical background .This speech was a public speech. In this speech we will analyse the speech more in detail.

By introduce this passage in the beginning of the speech; Luther feeling stressed about the importance of the moment. Luther makes the audience aware that they are witnessing a monumental moment in time. Luther also put his feelings in this speech, saying “happy to join with you today.” By express an emotion as using the word join. Linguistic devices including: parallelism in lines 5-7 “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from quicksand of racial injustice to the rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” King is once again able to create a common thread among his listeners by saying that we are “all God’s children”. King’s positive use of language creates a sense of importance: “Now is the time.” This quote also creates a sense of the here and now. The word “now” also creates a powerful emphasis, which refer to a repetition in (stanza 9). The writer also does not refer to years, but use words to makes the speech more urgent. King did not use passive word choices like “will” or “may”. His word was motivating, active and forceful. King also has an emotional appeal where he warned us from “tranquilizing drug of gradualism “ ( DE Laure and Duffy 265). The following device that King uses is allusion in lines 19-20 “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: a dream deeply truths to be self-evident, that all men created equal. He also uses repetition in lines 9-10 “I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest.” Also in lines 13-14 “Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Louisiana, and go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities.”

According to (Zhang, 2004) in King’s speech, many common or popular words, which are connected with the ordinary things or activities. Examples of this are: “promise, freedom and brotherhood. These words are quite familiar to the audience from different classes with different backgrounds, helping them easily understand King’s speech. These words can also create an atmosphere of friendliness and closeness. Pronouns use in King’s speech such as ‘I’, has been used six times and the word ‘we’ has been used three times

And also ‘you’ has been used five times. By using this words King brings himself closer to the audience, making them have more empathy with him.

In King’s speech we can hear his inspiring voice, by the rhythmic speech. Examples of this are “some of you have “in lines 9 and 10. King believes that his speech will influence the audience to rise up and be free. In the text we can see that King uses a lot of words that express the audience feelings like “It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream “. Luther is so convinced that his country will be free from apartheid if they stand together. King achieves his purpose of persuading and calling on the people to fight for equal rights for the blacks. King’s speech was a motivation for all of them in America to stand for them and believe that anything is possible, if you believe in yourself. Luther did have the courage to be brave and intelligent to stand-up for him and his people around him. The speaker is clearly very much interesting in the speech he did deliver for the black nation. The speaker did a good job in making use of different words for the audience. King did have a strong desire to change the condition for the blacks.

I believe that Martin Luther King Jr. had many aspects that contributed to the success of the speech. King hoped to make his dreams a reality but most of all through the new America. King did use skilful words which did add much interest and beauty to his speech. King helps to creates atmosphere to attract the audience to him. The different linguistic devices that were used in the speech did attract the audience. Luther believes that his emotions he did use in his speech were meaningful. King makes his speech a remarkable delivery and the style of the speech addresses his attention.

The tone of the speaker is very much determined, because of the repetition of the word “now”. The speaker’s goal is to just be free and have rights. The mood of the writer makes the readers feel liberated and empowered, it creates belief despites everything that happened.

This speech of Martin was successful by persuading the audience, which refer to the black communities to fight for equal rights. He did make use of the different linguistic devices. To make use of styles, repetitions, emotions and metaphors. To attract the audience attention to stand by his side.

REFERENCE

1. King, M. L., 1963. I have a dream. p. 7.
2. Zheng, S., 2014. A Stylistic Analysis. Studies in Social Science, 9,number 1(2201-4624), pp. 123-134.

Nelson Mandela once said, “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest” (8 Powerful Quotes from Mandela’s ‘Make Poverty History’ Speech). Inequality around the world has been a huge problem for many people. Not many voices have been heard, but the people who had the courage to speak up about it like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did in his “I Have a Dream” speech given to congress on August 28th, 1963. Like Dr. King, Malala Yousafzai spoke against inequality and injustice in her “Nobel Lecture” speech given December 10th, 2014 at the Oslo City Hall in Norway. Both Martin Luther King’s and Malala Yousafzai’s speeches are similar because they use Pathos, Ethos, and repetition to try and eliminate inequalities in the world.

In Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and in Malala Yousafzai’s “Nobel Lecture” speech, both speakers use the rhetorical device, pathos, to strengthen the severity of their points that they are trying to get across to the world. In Dr. King’s speech he says “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character” (King). He says this to appeal to his audience’s emotions, specifically parents and older generations. He is a father, and wants more for his children. He does not want his children or any child to experience what he had to during his life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s utilization of pathos was effective by starting a feeling of blame in his audience, who displayed carelessness to the reason for the Civil Rights Movement and showed the lack of authorization of the protected rights that had a place with African Americans. Dr. King attempts to make his dissatisfaction with the fact that the years of ignorance has caused the world to go to pieces obvious. While listening to the speech, the audience can feel King’s anger in it. His firm confidence in solidarity and kind heartedness are apparent at every part of his speech. There is an unmistakable sense of outrage in his speech at the limits that have shielded African Americans from discovering pleasure in their lives and he wants the listeners to feel it. As well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Malala Yousafzai effectively uses pathos to appeal to her audience’s emotions. Malala Yousafzai utilizes pathos often in her speech by talking with conviction, using clear language and shifting her manner of speaking. In addition, she likewise explains numerous stories to the crowd, both from her own life and from other individuals who have encountered comparable things as herself. A case of how Malala Yousafzai attempts to allow the audience to feel her words is when she says “I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and be killed. I chose the second one. I decided to speak up” (Yousafzai). This was to show that Yousafzai has been through alot of things in her life and she wants to bring awareness to the circumstances of which she, along with millions of people around the world, have had to live through. This illustrates a sense of passion in her speech because she firmly believes that there needs to be a change in the world regarding inequalities and injustices. The audience can feel her pain through her words and feel pity towards the situation. The speeches are similar in terms of pathos because both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai successfully use pathos to appeal to their audience’s emotions, making them all have sympathy towards both situations. Dr. Martin Luther King looks to unite the different races and help them live as equivalents. The passionate component in his speech becomes more grounded as he talks about the different types of torment the African American society has experienced in its battle for equity and opportunity. This is intended to make the listeners feel a way. When Malala Yousafzai uses pathos, she also strives to make the audience feel a way when she mentions her personal experiences of injustice. Both speakers effectively used the appeal to the crowd’s emotion to strengthen their points to the world of people listening to them.

In Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and in Malala Yousafzai’s “Nobel Lecture” speech, both speakers use the rhetorical device, ethos, also to emphasize the severity of their points that they are trying to get across to the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mentions Abraham Lincoln when he says “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation proclamation” (King). His utilization of Lincoln brought authority into his discourse. Lincoln was an incredible and extraordinary president who empowered the American individuals all through the civil war. He picked up the trust of America and built up another feeling of opportunity. Dr. Martin Luther King is bringing forth the authority of Lincoln and his view on social liberties. This shows a president that each American knows about, fought for the equality of African Americans as well. Abraham Lincoln was a president everybody turns upward to as a good example and by utilizing him in his speech, the crowd should feel like they are battling for a similar reason. This is giving a solid ethos appeal and building up validity with his group of listeners. Dr. King also refers to the Declaration of Independence when he says that it “was a promise that all men…would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (King). This displays that the founding fathers of our nation also desired everybody to have equivalent rights. Because most Americans express admiration for the Declaration of Independence, this makes it more likely for Americans to feel like its an ethical obligation to uphold the promises written in the popular document. Along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Malala Yousafzai uses the rhetorical device, ethos, as well. When she says “some people call me the girl who was shot by the Taliban. And some, the girl who fought for her rights. Some people, call me a ‘Nobel Laureate’ now'(Yousafzai). Malala Yousafzai expands on her own personal experiences from the Taliban assassination attempt and her title as a ‘Nobel Laureate’ to present herself as a reliable and dependable individual. This was an effective use of ethos as is gives the speaker credibility in her speech. In comparison to each other, both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Malala Yousafzai’s “Nobel Lecture” speech productively used ethos to provide more reasons on why the world should listen to them. Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned Abraham Lincoln which strengthened his point because Lincoln is a well known president and shares the same belief as Dr. King and Malala Yousafzai mentions how she is credible by revealing to her audience the title that she was given as a “Nobel Laureate”. Both speeches were successful in their uses of ethos.

Lastly, both Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Malala Yousafzai’s “Nobel Lecture” speech, use repetition to emphasize the importance of their topics.