LAD/Blog #27: MLK, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

 August 28, 1963

Civil Rights Act of 1963:

• the people joined together to "cash a check," in other words make sure that they were given the same rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (as promised by the Constitution)
• MLK Jr.'s speech was made one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, yet black men were still not treated the same as white
• this law and the expected result had been long anticipated by many people, both black and white
• MLK Jr. discusses how they will not be silenced or satisfied with the way blacks have been treated in the past, further showing how the act was long overdue

Favorite Dreams:

• "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 a table of brotherhood." I really like this particular dream because I think it is important to not let the past define the future, and this dream shows how the change could be possible with former enemies (and the generations to come) becoming friends.
• "I have a dream that my four 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 think that this dream is really important because racism is still such a strong topic today, so the importance is still very relevant, and in addition it can be debated how much this dream has come true over the years.
• "I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers." Lastly, I really agree with and like this dream because it brings up the idea that racism and discrimination are things that are taught, not naturally developed.  If children can play together despite their differences in appearances, why can't adults do the same, as they were once children themselves?

Frederick Douglass and MLK Jr. were two very similar men.  They shared the same beliefs against slavery and towards equal rights for all.  In addition, Douglass is well known for his Fourth of July speech while MLK Jr. is remembered for his "I Have a Dream" Speech.