Introduction:
Martin Luther King fought for the rights and privileges of the Negroes in
America in non-violent manner. In 1963 he addressed a mammoth
gathering of 2, 50,000 people in America of many faiths, races, and creeds. He
stressed the path of non-violence in his address.
The Emancipation Proclamation:
King
begins his speech by mentioning the Emancipation Proclamation that was signed
by Abraham Lincoln one hundred years ago. No doubt, the proclamation was a
beacon of light to the Negro slaves during that time. The proclamation brought
hope to millions of black people. But King complains that things have never
changed, because Negroes are still suffering. Negroes are still languishing in
the corners of the American society. They are treated as exiles in their own
land.
The Promise of Equality by the Constitution:
The
constitution and the Declaration of Independence granted the Negroes an equal
status. King compares this to a bank cheque. But according to King, the
cheque or 'right to life' given to them is only on the paper level, because
even after hundred years, the life of Negroes in America is still the same.
Hence, he compares the freedom offered to them as a 'tranquilizer', a
pharmaceutical image. He cautions that the 'freedom' offered to them would slow
down their spirit, like the tranquilizer. So, he asks them not to rest until
they are granted all their 'Citizen Rights'.
Means and Ends:
In
the second part of his address King stresses that Negroes should not practice
'wrongful deeds' to gain their 'rightful place'. They should oppose the
physical force of the government with their 'soul force' or 'spiritual force'.
They should regard the Whites as their brothers. At the same time, they should
not be satisfied with their marginal success. They should fight for their
voting rights, unlike the Negroes in Mississippi. They must give voice against
the torture given to their men in prison. He advises them to bear in mind that
'suffering is redemptive'.
King' Dream:
Like
the 'American Dream', King also dreams for an equality of all men in
America without bothering their creed and race. He wishes that in Georgia,
their people must be free from racial discrimination, at least in the next
generation. King also dreams for a change in the socio-political life of Mississippi,
then it would become an "oasis of freedom and justice" in future. In
Alabama, the black children must play with the white children is also King's
dream. Thus, he dreams for a removal of social and economic discriminations
from America. Here, the music image 'harmonious symphony' is apt to describe
the equality of the White and Black in America.
Conclusion:
Thus, King in this address dreams for a society of Universal brotherhood
to be flowered in future.
