Genine Murray

English Summary
March 23, 2014
50
th
Anniversary of the ! "ave a #ream S$eech
%resi&ent 'arac( )*ama recently commemorate& the 50th anniversary of Martin +uther
,ing -r./s infamous ! "ave A #ream s$eech. S$ea(ing a*out the history of this s$eech, the
%resi&ent remin&e& the au&ience that the march on 0ashington in 1123 3as not 4ust a stan& for
the in4ustices of a fe3, *ut for the many. %eo$le came from all over the country on August 25
th
,
1123 to 0ashington #.6., to fight for the e7uality of all. Many $eo$le came 3ith little to no
money in their $oc(ets for *us tic(ets, an& others hitchhi(e& *ecause of having no money at all.
8his march 3as le& *y #r. ,ing, 3ho $rovi&e& ho$e for those in &es$air, in a time 3hen 4ustice
for all $eo$le &i& not e9ist. 8his fight 3as not only le& *y #r. ,ing, *ut gaine& the $artici$ation
of or&inary $eo$le 3ho e9$erience& segregation every &ay, an& *elieve& in this cause so much
that they 3ere 3illing to go to 4ail for its success. 8he $eo$le 3ere ho$ing on that &ay to
a3a(en the government to the in4ustice an& ine7uality in the 3orl&. 8he %resi&ent 3ent on to
tal( a*out #r. ,ing an& ho3 he 3as an instrument, using himself to give voice to those 3ho
3ere o$$resse& an& ha& ho$es of gaining a *etter $ath than the one they 3ere on. "e s$o(e
of ho3 #r. ,ing:s 3or&s 3ere $o3erful an& still une7ualle& in this 3orl& to&ay.
%resi&ent )*ama recogni;e& those unhear& of on television *ecause they are 4ust
regular $eo$le, *ut 3ho contri*ute& to this cause as 3ell. 8hese 3ere $eo$le 3ho 3ere
accustome& to segregation in school an& other situations< 3ho ha& no voting rights< 3ho 3ere
sol&iers 3ho fought for free&om in the 3ar, *ut una*le to have that free&om in their o3n country.
8he %resi&ent $ointe& out that, not only &i& this movement ins$ire change for 6ivil rights, *ut it
le& to voting rights, 3hich then le& to e&ucational an& economic o$$ortunities for sons an&
&aughters. 6hange &i& not sto$ then, *ut continue& from state legislation to the 0hite "ouse.
8he s$eech then referre& to those 3ho $ave& the 3ay 3ith their courage from mai&s to
la*orers, an& those 3ho $ut themselves in &anger for millions of Americans 3ho are living
to&ay. 8hose 3ho fought for the rights 3e have to&ay, are ta(en for grante& *y the young
$eo$le of to&ay. %resi&ent )*ama recogni;e& that 3e have ma&e $rogress u$ to to&ay an& to
say that 3e have not 3oul& *e a &ishonor to the memory of #r. ,ing an& others 3ho fought for
this free&om. 8he free&om that #r. ,ing s$o(e of for all $eo$le, 3as not 3on *y com$lacency,
*ut *y the courage of the $eo$le to stan& u$ for 3hat 3as right. !f 3e are to continue this fight
an& ma(e it even *etter, 3e too 3ill have to have that same courage. 8he 6ivil =ights
movement 3as *orn *ecause of that march in 1123, affor&ing many $eo$le o$$ortunities that
they 3oul& not other3ise have to&ay.
%resi&ent )*ama/s s$eech ac(no3le&ges that there has *een &efinite change in
America not only for *lac(s *ut for all other $eo$le as 3ell, inclu&ing those that are gay, straight,
*lac(, 3hite, men an& 3omen. 6hange has come all the 3ay u$ to the 0hite "ouse *ecause of
the en&urance of those 3ho 3ere 3illing to fight an& struggle for our free&om. 0e have ma&e
much $rogress from *ac( then to here 3ith the fighters li(e Me&gar Evers, Martin +uther ,ing
an& others. 8he %resi&ent stresse& that, although 3e have ma&e great stri&es in this country
an& many *arriers have *een torn &o3n, it 3oul& *e a mista(e to thin( that 3e &o not have
further to go.
8he s$eech continues to stress that 3e cannot affor& to *e com$lacent *ut have to
continue the fight in or&er to ma(e sure in4ustices continue to *e change&. Economic
o$$ortunities an& &ecent $ay shoul& *e affor&e& to all $eo$le so they can have affor&a*le
housing an& a goo& e&ucation. 8he &ream that #r. ,ing ha& 3as not 4ust a vision for *lac(
$eo$le, *ut all $eo$le. American 4o*s have *een stam$e& out, leaving a high unem$loyment
rate for 'lac(s an& +atinos. E&ucation nee&s to *e a focus in or&er for young $eo$le to *e a*le
to get *etter 4o*s, an& have *etter health care. 8here is still a ga$ *et3een the 3ealthy an& the
mi&&le class, 3hich nee&s to *e *ri&ge&.
Accor&ing to %resi&ent )*ama, 3e nee& to learn to hol& each other u$ an& $ull each
other along to continue this struggle together until 3e have achieve& e7uality for all $eo$le.
"e s$o(e on the fact if 3e can stan& together an& not a$art that 3e can continue the 4ourney
that #r. ,ing &reame& a*out. 0e have to fin& courage an& 3is&om in or&er to continue to ma(e
this a *etter America. After all, accor&ing to the #eclaration of !n&e$en&ence, all men are
create& e7ual, an& in or&er to continue the struggle, this country must have the courage to
continue the change.