I Have A Dream (Martin Luther King)

 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.