

Amazingly, when Luther reached midway reading the scripted text, he posed and then abandoned it. In fact, as days went by, the speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther has become one of the most high-ranking and rousing pieces of oratory in American history. The speech left an indelible imprint in the hearts of many Americans who wanted justice to be their shield and defender. At this time, the civil-rights movement in America was expanding rapidly and it came to pas that the speech meant to galvanize the movement. The speech came at a time when black people in America were facing serious challenges that stretched from racial segregation to slavery to bigotry. In his speech that lasted 17 minutes, Luther called for racial equality and halt to all manner discrimination. Martin Luther King delivered a speech “I Have a Dream” to over 200, 000 civil rights supporters in Washington following a protest march for freedom and jobs. However, critics will always be there to search for the wrongs. It consists of well founded goals which if well addressed will take many countries up the ladder. Martin Luther King’s Speech remains important in the modern society. This was followed by other responses that disagreed with the statement and said that it had nothing to do with his contribution in the civil rights movement (E-notes 1). Others say that some of his work in his doctoral dissertation was plagiarized. Criticism of the SpeechĪlthough the speech is of great significance in our society today critics say that King was excessively rhetorical and that he did not provide a way to solve the many problems he addressed. This is believed to have become the reality of the dream when, black American Barack Obama became the president of America. Martin Luther King said, that he had a dream, that every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low meaning that he hoped for a future with equality. If nations do not put away their differences it may lead to great losses to many people, for instance the mass killings which were witnessed in Rwanda, Yugoslavia and even currently the conflicts in the Middle East are consequences of injustices not being addressed urgently (United Human Rights Council 1). This signifies that it was a matter that needed to be addressed in urgency otherwise it would bring great destruction to the society at large.

Martin Luther King said that, “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment” (Speech 1). However, it is very unfortunate because many people are experiencing injustice in form of labor, race and tribe. Many countries have constitutions made up so as to bring about justice to the people. He regretted that even after the country got a constitution it did not accomplish the purpose it was meant to accomplish: “This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Speech 1). Martin Luther King had spoken about this in his speech. Many are living in poverty in the midst of the rich. Today many people are being exploited because of their race, tribe and even their origin. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely Island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. He saw that the blacks were enslaved by the whites and yet they were helping them. Martin Luther King was enlightened and was tired of seeing blacks being exploited. Since he was a theologian, Martin Luther King addressed many injustices according to the Bible. This is a sign of new life of freedom and equality. He viewed it as an end to all oppression that was continuously being witnessed. This statement as he said has remained in our times and this is what has been happening all over the world. In the course of delivering his speech, Martin Luther King said, “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 speeches 1). Significance of the Speech in the world today However, Martin Luther king left a legacy and is remembered on Martin Luther King Day every year.

Unfortunately, Martin Luther king was assassinated on 4 th of April 1968 when he was thirty nine years old. He was much concerned about the oppression and exploitation of the black Americans at that time and he wished that people would understand that they were all equal. This speech was mainly based on the freedom for the black’s referred to as Negros. There was an audience of about 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington where the speech was given. “I have a dream” speech was given by Martin Luther King on 28 th August 1963.
