Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech
Martin Luther King Jr. starts off his speech by referencing Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, happening a century before. He said it acted as a beacon of hope to the slaves that they would finally get their freedom, but points out that after 100 years, black people still did not have their freedom or equality that they desired. They were subjected to discrimination and segregation, living in poverty while the rest of the country was wealthy in comparison. MLK Jr. continues by saying that this denial of equal treatment violated the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the two documents the country was built on, by not upholding the promises of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." He states that everyone has gone to Washington to ensure that they get justice, that America will quickly rise up out of segregation and stay true to itself to give people racial equality, and further emphasizes that "now" is the most important time to act as well as the most urgent. MLK Jr. also says how the black people protesting will not rest until they get equality, though he says they have to be careful not to let bitterness and violence taint the growing movement. He says they will not rest or "be satisfied" until they stop being discriminated against, by the police, legislation, or businesses. He dreams that the nation will go by its own words, that "all men are created equal", and that his children will be judged by who they are as people, not their skin color, and that white and black people will be able to be at peace with each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment