The idea of equality in Martin Luther King Junior’s

speech “I have a dream”

The idea that we are all born free, with equal worth, has its roots far back in history. Slavery
was a part of society in the American South, and discrimination against African-Americans
persisted until the middle of the 20th century. Martin Luther King’s struggle was about
making the idea of equal rights for all a reality. One of the ways this was expressed was in his
most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” delivered in 1963.

Brief Biography
Martin Luther King Jr. (born January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.—died April 4, 1968,
Memphis, Tennessee) was an american baptist minister and activist who became the most
visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his death by
assassination in 1968. He was a driving force in the push for racial equality. He led non-
violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped
that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact
a person's civil rights. He is considered one of the greatest orators of modern times, and his
speeches still inspire many to this day. [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-
Luther-King-Jr]

Background information
In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was
far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against
in many ways.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped to organize the famous "March on
Washington". Over 250,000 people attended this march in an effort to show the importance
of civil rights legislation. Some of the issues the march hoped to accomplish included: an end
to segregation in public schools, protection from police abuse, to get laws passed that would
prevent discrimination in employment and of course, freedom for all races. It was at this
march, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin gave his "I Have a Dream"
speech that was carried live on major television networks. This speech has become one of
the most famous speeches in history. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. [https://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html]

”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.” [Martin Luther King Junior’s
speech, ”I have a dream”]
Speech analysis
The key message in the speech is that all people are created equal and, although not the
case in America at the time, Martin Luther King felt it must be the case for the future. He
argued passionately and powerfully. So what were his compositional strategies and
techniques?

In his opening paragraphs, Dr. King eloquently references the Gettysburg Address as well as
the Emancipation Proclamation, the Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. These
intellectual references give his words weight and credibility; they ground his speech in
significant historical context. In the latter part of the speech, Dr. King turns his attention to
his listeners’ emotions as he quotes passages from the Bible. [Vail, Mark (2006). "The
"Integrative" Rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" Speech". Rhetoric and
Public Affairs]

“Five score years ago…” [paragraph 2, Martin Luther King Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”]
refers to Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address speech which began “Four score and seven
years ago…”. This allusion is important given that King was speaking in front of the Lincoln
Memorial. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” [and the rest of paragraph 4] is a
reference to the United States Declaration of Independence. “It came as a joyous daybreak
to end the long night of their captivity.” [paragraph 2] alludes to Psalms 30:5 “For his anger
is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy
comes with the morning.“ [https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/i-
have-dream-address-delivered-march-washington-jobs-and-freedom]

Martin Luther King ephasizes phrases and the main idea of equality with the use of
anaphora1. ”I have a dream” is repeated in eight succesive sentences, and is one of eight
occurrences of anaphora in this speech. By order of introduction, here are the key phrases:
”One hundred years later” [paragraph 3], ”Now is the time” [paragraph 6], ”We must”
[paragraph 8], ”We can never (cannot) be satisfied” [paragraph 13], ”Go back to...”
[paragraph 14], ”I have a dream...” [paragraphs 16 through 24], ”With this faith...”
[paragraph 26], ”Let freedom ring” [paragraphs 27 through 41]. [Martin Luther King Junior’s
speech, ”I have a dream”]

How the idea of equality is presented throughout the speech

The first half of the speech portrays not an idealised American dream but a picture of an
American nightmare of racial injustice. It calls for action in a series of themed phrases: ”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 quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is
the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.” [Martin Luther King Junior’s
speech, ”I have a dream”]

1
Anaphora = repeating words at the beginning of neighbouring clauses.
[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/anaphora]
King is treating his diverse audience as a whole, as if they are one body that must help each
other and making everybody feel equal. Not only does this symbolizes brotherhood, but also
gives King a reliable reputation as he develops a degree of trust from his audience by using
the all inclusive “we” and ”us”: ”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.” [Martin Luther King Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”]

At the time of his speech African Americans were not free, while the Declaration of
Independence states that all men are created equal.

The second half of the speech paints the dream of a better future of racial harmony, equality
and integration. The most famous paragraphs carry the theme “I have a dream” and the
phrase is repeated constantly to show King’s inspirational concepts: ” 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.”
[Martin Luther King Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”]

King traverses intense emotional territory, from the “flames of withering injustice” to those
“battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.” But
he closes by filling his listeners’ hearts with a hopeful, aspirational message. He paints a
picture of how things can be: “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.”
[Martin Luther King Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”]

Another example of this, is the lovely passage that came to characterize his entire speech: “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.” [Martin Luther King
Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”]

Conclusion
While most of us will never give a speech as rousing or historically important as Martin
Luther King’s, we can all be inspired by his masterful craft and delivery, and try some of
these techniques to make our words more stirring and our messages more powerful. King’s
movement showed that there is an American dream. The idea that everybody is born equal
and this is how things should stay in our society. This idea is still relevant now in America.
Americans pursue their dream everyday by having the opportunity to attend college, and
work, no matter what race they are.
Works cited:

- Martin Luther King Junior’s speech, ”I have a dream”

- Vail, Mark (2006). "The "Integrative" Rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream"
Speech". Rhetoric and Public Affairs.
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther-King-Jr
- https://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html
- https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/i-have-dream-address-
delivered-march-washington-jobs-and-freedom