Why Is Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech Effective

August 29, 1963, stands as one of the most iconic days due to one of the most referenced speeches in History given. Orated by one of the most acclaimed African- American leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. presented what would be a pivotal documentation during the Civil Rights Movement. Born into a Christian family, King held strong beliefs towards nonviolence and civil disobedience. These assets were his foundation for his persuasive movements allowing for an emergence of more leaders and organizations during the Civil Rights Movement. According to Biography.com, under “Martin Luther King Jr.,” his policy is quoted, "nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community, which has constantly refused
King’s activism helped end segregation of African American citizens around the nation, especially in the South. After he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and founded Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington. Referring to Info Please.com, the speech “builds momentum for civil rights legislation,” and soon after “Congress passes Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment.” Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” is an effective presentation due to the chronological build up, repetition of phrases, and metaphorical relations. He also addresses his minority on how to approach the route to righteousness while providing a thorough glimpse into his hopes and visions for the
For example, King explains how the words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in which applied to all Americans, white or black, has dodged their promise of “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He further denotes, “In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check,” (American Rhetoric.com). Because of the overlook on rights for blacks, King claims, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds. But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. This metaphor referring to their freedom and rights can be seen as a check, suggesting something valuable and worth a larger amount than is given. When one cashes a check it makes them wealthier and their account bigger. In this case, the black community wants to become wealthy with justice. King is assured the “bank of justice” is not “bankrupt.” In other words, he believes the “vaults” or the power holders have much more to give before they run out. The justice in which can be provided will then make blacks or prosperous and