50 years ago, on
a hot and sweltering August day in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered
one of the most memorable and significant speeches to millions of people
present and watching on televisions all over the world. His call was selfless and peaceful. He wanted to ensure the rights of all
Americans were protected and recognized, regardless of the color of your skin
or social circumstances. His
non-violent, rational approached inspired countless people in all generations
to examine their conscience and sparked a societal change long overdue.
Below is the
transcript from the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered in Washington, DC on
August 28, 1963:
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.
Five score years ago, a great
American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation
Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to
millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering
injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their
captivity.
But one hundred years later, the
Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is
still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination. 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 languished in the corners of American society and
finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to
dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our
nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they
were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This
note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be
guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on
this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead
of honoring this sacred obligation, 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.
We have also come to this hallowed
spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage
in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise
from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial
justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial
injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a
reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to
overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's
legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of
freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And
those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content
will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And
there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is
granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake
the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must
say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace
of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty
of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our
struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our
creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must
rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which
has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white
people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here
today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And
they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our
freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the
pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the
devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never
be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of
police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with
the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and
the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility
is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as
our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by
signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a
Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has
nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be
satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a
mighty stream."¹
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 -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and
staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of
creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is
redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South
Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and
ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and
will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of
despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the
difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply
rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this
nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the
red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave
owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the
state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering
with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
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 by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in
Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping
with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" --
one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able
to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every
valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the
rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight;
"and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it
together."2
This is our hope, and this is the
faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to
hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be
able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony
of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray
together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom
together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this
will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new
meaning:
My
country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land
where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From
every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great
nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious
hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty
mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the
heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the
snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous
slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain
of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout
Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and
molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom
ring.
And when this happens, when we allow
freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from
every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and
white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join
hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!3
What was the purpose of the speech and who was the intended
audience? Did the speech accomplish its
purpose? How do you know? Do we still feel the effects of this speech
today?
The purpose of this speech was to tell people that you shouldn't be judged by your skin color and your rights shouldn't be different because your skin is darker. Martin Luther King Jr. was talking to the white people to tell them what it would be like when everyone got along. He wanted the racism to stop. I think the speech really did accomplish its purpose. I know this because people still talk about his speech today. Earlier today, President Obama spoke about Martin Luther King Jr. and his inspiring speech. The fact that we are still talking about it today means that it has inspired many. Yes we still feel the effects of his speech today. What he said really changed peoples lives and still does today.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech was to tell people that there is a future when there is no discrimination, hatred, or inequality of opportunities. It is also about how he sees a bright future, if we can just all work together. I think, though, that it is mainly about how great a day it will be when all racism is gone. The intended audience, isn't only to those who are racist, but more to the officials who are not letting the whole thing be possible. It is to those road blocks on the road to freedom.I think that the speech accomplished part of its purpose, because it got the discriminated people to rise up against the racist hicks, and some of the racist people finally got some sense into them, and started to be less of what they use to be. We no doubt still feel the effects of the speech today. President Obama just gave a speech earlier in memory of the historic gathering. Not only that, but there still might be more racism today if that speech didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteThe propose of this speech was to tell people that we need to look past the color of a persons skin. As well as someones race, religion,beliefs and many other things that a person different form any one else. He was talking to people of all different races and telling them that we need to accept people no matter what. I did this because he wanted all kinds of racism and all forms of hatred to stop. I know this because of the way he acted through his life and also he was determined to be on the road of freedom. Also he wanted for his people to become free on day so that they could be treated equal. Just like any other white person. Yes i think that we still do feel the effects but I don't think any one could feel them as much as the people that were involved in it 50 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of his speech was to inform people that just because they have darker skin than the rest they are still all the same on the insid. Just like there ar brown eggs and white eggs but when you crack them open and look inside the are the same,I think his intended audienc were the people who were racist against blacks wich also included police officials who just saw blacks as just another piece of trash on the streets and wouldnt think twice about calling him a bad name or insulting him/her. What people didnt realize was that they had feeling too just like the rest of us.I do think that his speech did accomplish its perpose because we are not arrsting black people left and right anymore because they are sitting in the front of a bus, or using the "white only" bathrooms or drinking fountains. PLus the racism has decreased a great amount. Sure there is still racism here and there but its definatley not as bad as it was.I think we do feel the effects of his speech today because ihave seen people on multiple occasions correct people who say something offensive about black people.
ReplyDeletei think that the intended audience was for white, black, and every other race. also for young and old people. to me, the purpose of the speech was to start a change in a segregated society. yes, i think the speech got its purpose, even if it took awhile. i know because black people don't go to a different school than me. i know because if it was still like that, i would speak up against it. yes we do still see the effects of that speech today.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech was to let everyone discriminating black people know that they would never stop fighting until their freedom was granted and to let the government, police departments, and any other institutions know that they were not following what they said they would: equal rights for all men. I think the intended audience was everyone. It was for colored people to encourage them to never stop fighting. It was for white people and any other discriminators to try to make them realize the terrible things they were doing, and that the victims of segregation would persevere in their fight for equal rights. It was also for everyone else who listened, to inspire them to stand up for what they believe in and deserve. The speech definitely accomplished its goal. Without Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech our country would not be what it is today. He changed how people of a different skin color were treated and was granted equal rights for ALL people. Of course we still feel the effects today. If we din't we wouldn't even be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the speech or writing this blog.
ReplyDeleteThe intended audience was all the racist whites people out there who were oppressing the rights of the (not being racist) black people. I think it did, because today blacks are a lot less discriminated against than they were back then. Not saying that everyone thinks the same way, but we are definitely a lot better then when Martin Luther King was alive. I think we still do feel the effects of the I Have A Dream speech today. For example, this entire blog is about the 50th anniversary of the speech, and even the President went and spoke at the place that Martin Luther King did when he gave his speech. This speech is definitely still reminding us today that we shouldn't discriminate people by their skin color, but by their character.
ReplyDeleteNate- I think that the speech's purpose was to remind America that it was violating it's ow constitution, and that blacks should not tolerate this. The intended audience, in my opinion, was all of America. I believe that the speech did accomplish what it set out for, because the protest eventually lead to the desegregation of colored people. Yes. The fact that blacks are still free today means that we still feel the effect of this speech.
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose of the speech was to stand up against segregation and allow people of all races to be equal to one another. I think the intended audience was not limited to just one race, but all of America. I believe that the speech did accomplish its purpose because we still remember it today, and there no longer is segregation. We still feel this effect everyday because everyday people go to work with people of different races and people marry others from different races.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech was to tell everyone who supported segregation how fed up they were, and that they wanted change so that every man was equal no matter what their color of their skin or what their race was. The speech was very successful because segregation soon ended after he made the speech. I know this because I don't see any segregated drinking fountains, I play football with African-Americans, and the President of the United States is black, which I doubt that they would allow that if there was still segregation in the United States. Many are still greatly affected by this speech today because they still look back on it and celebrate the end of segregation to this day.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of his speech was to say no matter what color of skin you are all that matters is what's on the inside. When you look at different colors of dogs, nobody stops and stares and makes racist jokes. He wanted people to see and know that we are all the same no matter what color we are, black or white. I think the intended audience was to the people who did not understand equality. Also the matter that God made all of us the same, God did not want us to judge people by there color, but by there personality. I definitely believe that Martin's speech accomplished its purpose. Now days blacks have rights just like all the rest of us, just like it should be. Blacks also aren't getting arrested just for sitting in the front of a bus or getting an education with whites. We are all equal as one. There will always be people who do not agree with the rights given to blacks, but it is much better now than it was back then. We definitely still feel the effects of his speech today in many ways. One way is that people from different races all go to school together and nothing is never said about it.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech is to let everyone know that weather you are black, white, gay, straight, woman, man, child, adult, we are all the same. WE may not look alike or think alike, but we are all the same. We walk on the same Earth, we all breathe the same air, we are all equal. I believe that we all, every single person, should stand up. We need to realize that just because there is some things about a person that you don't like, you need to accept them. Isn't that the principal that America was founded on? That all people are created equal. Isn't that why so many people died? That is what the purpose of the speech is. The target audience was anyone willing to listen. Not just hear the words, but understand them. Martin said "Free at last, free at last. Thank the Lord I am free at last." You could listen to them and just say "Oh yep, that's deep." and walk away. Or you can listen to them and think about them. I don't think that there was a specific audience. I think he just wanted people to listen. I think that the speech really did it's purpose. I know because of the crowd. The crowd went wild. They all understood it and it's purpose. Even today, you will see at least one person cry if they are watching this speech.I think that we still feel the effects of the speech as if it were yesterday. I see the effects in the store. Where the man smiles at the woman even though she isn't white. Or in the schools, where children of every race sit together and learn. Most of all I see it in other people. I think that if you are kind to others even though they aren't the same race or gender as you, you helped prove that the speech is still doing it's job. You help equality by showing kindness. This kindness proves that you can be nice, or at least civil, with someone different then you. It proves that this speech has fulfilled it's purpose by proving that anyone can be treating people with equally.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to make it so everyone had the same right no matter what color skin you have. To stop having buses and restaurants be based on what color of skin you have. He wanted equal rights for all not just whites but everyone. The audience of this speech was to all black and white. It was to all people the people hurting them and the people who wanted change. His speech definitely worked. It doesn't matter today what color your skin is or what race you are. We don't have different schools depending on the color of our skin. We also have an African American president. His speech definitely did the desired effect that he wanted.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech is to try to get people to understand that no matter what your race is, we are all the same. He wants to tell us about his dream that one day we won't judge people on the color of their skin. The intended audience was everyone to everyone, black and white. He says at the end of his speech that he wants everyone to be at peace with each other. We definitely feel the effects of his speech today. Obama just gave a speech about the I Have a Dream speech. We all know what someone's talking about if they say "I Have a Dream". It really kind of jolted everyone and it really got the ball rolling. And now most of Martin Luther King's dream came true, so yes, I think it definitely impacted us.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to get people to treat each other equally and fairly no matter what race or color of skin. I think the intended audience was anyone who was bigoted. I do think the speech accomplished its purpose because there is a lot less racist people now than there were then. Yes the speech still affects us today.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to get people to treat each other equally. The speech did do its purpose because a lot of people treated each other different after that. We still do feel the effects of his speech because we are talking about it right now and the president talked about it too.
ReplyDeleteI think the speech's purpose was to inspire all people (no matter what color) to look at themselves and at there country, and look at the progress they have made as a nation, but also to tell people that there was along road ahead of them to change our country. It was definably told to give hope to people and inspire them to make a difference. It did do its purpose because now we have racial equality for the most part. We may have not totally rid our country of racism, but we sure have gotten better. We still feel the effects today. For example, we refer to it at school, in news, and even the president talks about it decades later.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech is to spread the idea of equality. It was intended that one day, like today, al people no matter what color would be able to live together in peace. The speech did accomplish its purpose because people started to open up to the idea of integration and we are all equal today. We use this speech a lot in the present day. We still have racism but it has gotten a lot better. You can find his speech in a lot of places like at school.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to get people to have a sense of quality and to try and learn from what he was saying. I know this because, in the speech it states,"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 by the content of their character." Yes, the speech is still involved in a lot of modern days things. Unfortunately, we still have racism, but thanks to Martin, we don't have nearly as extreme acts.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to leave an impression on people around the country that African-American were being mistreated in the south by both fellow citizens and those of authority. The purpose was to make an impact against racism in a peaceful way. This speech would soon show that it did make an impact, the south was made a better place, and movements were made to provide the south with non-racist authority. The citizens of the south were not changed significantly, for they continued to think that whites were superior to blacks. The south as well as the rest of America continues to carry hate against African-Americans, so the speech still has its power against those people and continues to influence us to treat others as we would ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose of this speech was to get peoples attention of people to tell them that all people, no matter what race or color are all equal and deserve the same treatment. Dr. King crushed the speech and i think the purpose of the speech made its point and helped the decision of what today is. I no this because his speech is still talked about today and in the speech he said things that happened in the modern day. I definitely fell the power of the speech. I watched the video and it was very inspiring to me and i hope that we will never forget what he did for our country today.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the speech was to tell everyone that the blacks wouldn't give up till they got what they came for. It didn't matter how long it took, or what they would have to go through, they still would fight for their freedom. It was telling people that it didn't matter if you had a different skin color, race, ethnicity, or religion. Together we are all united as one. His speech had a considerable affect. Today the world has changed its views on race a lot. Still there is a lot of work to be done. There are many places where segregation still exists. In some states there are unspoken rules on race that everyone there understands. We still greatly feel the effects of his speech. Even after 50 years we are talking about it. The world has changed a lot because of him. The road to complete equality has not been completed, but with more people like Martin Luther King Jr., it may be complete very soon…
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of Martin Luther king's speech was to tell the citizens of the U.S.A. that everyone should be treated equally. He wanted all boys and girls, no matter the color of their skin, to join hands and be able to play together. I believe that he accomplished his speech because African-Americans are treated equally to this day. 50 years later we are still feeling the effects of this speech and every year we are reminded of Martin Luther Kings dream of equality.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this speech was to speak out against the injustices done to all African-Americans and unite all people no matter their color. this speech was directed to everyone. It was directed to whites that believed they were above blacks. It was directed to people who didn't see all people as equal. It was directed to people who believed that America needed changing. This speech accomplished it's purpose. The shock of this speech is still being felt today. All people are aware of this speech and the power it had. This speech changed everything.We know this because laws have been passed against profiling and unlawful searches due to "suspicion". Blacks are granted every right that they were deprived of before. There are no restrictions on where they can sit or which drinking fountain they can use. People have learned that the color of one's skin does not matter, it's what is inside that really counts.
ReplyDeleteThe main purpose of this great powerful speech was to get Dr. King's message and belief across. He wouldn't stand anymore for all these injustices towards the pigment in his skin. The intended audience for the speech wasn't just for African Americans to hear and agree on but for all who were being discriminated for religion or for whatever it was. I do believe that this speech completed its purpose because it opened up the eyes of people who were blinded by hatred towards people who were different from them. The speech gave the people their rights back.This speech is still leaves us with the effects it did that day. We are remembered that because of this speech everyone is treated equally no matter the complexion of their skin. It's freedom rights for everyone, there is no difference
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose of this speech was to show that freedom should not be based off of something they can't change. He was saying that someone should not be based off of what they look like. I don't think we have reached this speeches full purpose because we are not all equal yet. We still discriminate against people based on things they can't change. People still don't have the same rights as other based on something that should matter. I think his speech still affects us today because we are still to changing we are still developing as a country we are still trying to give people the rights they need. If MLK didn't say anything I feel like we would not be a "free country" but more of a "free person in this country if..."
ReplyDeleteI think that this speech had changed the view to different people. i think the purpose was to tell the racist people how they should view a person. Not by the color of their skin but by the persons personality. I think that the speech was not intended for only whites, but for all men and women, black or whites. I think it did accomplish its purpose a little bit, because there still racist people out there, but the speech did make a big difference. We always remember this speech every year, and the quality always refreshes, so it is always in effect.
ReplyDeleteJohn-The purpose of the speech was to show that everyone one deserves to be treated equally know matter what color skin you are. MLK is also telling us that we need to come together as a country, so that we can be proud as one and not having to deal with higher levels and lower levels we are all equal once again. I think the speech did accomplish it's purpose because it made people realize how stupid and wrong racism was and still is. It also makes you realize that if your country comes together then it makes the world so much better. Yes, a lot of people do because they know how much better the world is today and appreciate MLK for writing a speech that reflected on a lot of people's lives that were going through struggles and made people so proud.
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose of this speech, in my opinion, is meant to show what would it be like if someone of different color was acting normal to someone of a different color. And as a result, this speech sort of accomplished its purpose in a way. It helped since discrimination of skin and race towards others have been reduced, but it has not stopped the fact of that there is still racism today. But in the end it has been able to keep ourselves aware and help us remember this speech up to today and longer.
ReplyDeleteTo show why he wanted to be equal ant to really let everyone know how strongly he felt about all of this. It was intended for blacks and some parts for both black and white. Yes I think it did. I think that when people heard that speech that it changed their mindset of the whole situation. Because People started to accept others and the blacks felt more accepted I think at least. Yes of course when we hear this speech we are moved by what he said all me wanted to do was to show how he felt about it and he did.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose was to show that black people and white people are alike and that we are brothers. Yes, I feel that the speech did help because today we are not as discriminatory as we were back then, and we treat everyone equal. I do feel the effects of the speech today for many reasons, when he was reading this speech and he was enthusiastic I could feel like he was reaching out to us all.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose was to show people that life was not how you wanted it, that there was stuff you won't like, and instead of complaining about it and killing others over it you should just accept it and move on, we have improved with the small quarrel of africans versus caucasians, but even still we are a LONG long way from being perfect, via the war on terrorism, the Korean war, Vietnam, religious hate, prejudice, assumption, my various array of friends, humanity, and so forth. Also this speech is presently having aftershocks of humanity from this, from people being inspired from an epiphany of "Woa, Martin was right. You know what? I should be better towards people and try to understand them." and the coexistence of most races and people. And this speech was intended for everyone, wether they were religious, racist, just pure jerks, nice people, everyone.
ReplyDeleteThere is one purpose of the speech and that is everyone should be treated equal and to tell people not to judge someone by the color of their skin , but by the content of their character . The intended audience was the people who where racist and who believed that everyone should be treated differently depending on the color of their skin. I think that for the most part the purpose of the speech was accomplished .I think this because we have come a long way since this speech was said ,one example would be that we have a black president .In other countries there is still a lot of racism ,but here in America there is still a little racism not really skin color but with people who are gay and such things like that . I think that we still feel the effects of the speech today because we are still working on treating everyone equal.
ReplyDelete