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Erin Fields
ENC1102
Professor R. Ehrlich
16 February 2016
The Dream of a King
“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” (King). This
quotation is one of the most well-known lines of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”
speech. On August 28, 1963, in the presence of 200,000 Americans, and in the heat of the civil
rights movement, King recited his speech at the March on Washington rally. That day, leaders of
the black community gathered to demand economic equality and advocate for the Civil Rights
Act. The Civil Rights Act would end segregation of public places and ban employment
discrimination (A&E Television Networks). That period of time was filled with endless
hardships for African Americans. Besides segregation and discrimination, blacks were frequently
denied the right to vote, whites could commit crimes as far as murder against blacks with little or
no punishment, and the government did nothing to enforce the 14th and 15th amendments which
under the constitution, protected these rights (Miller).
Likewise, in his “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. briefly outlined the types
of oppression shown against blacks to underline why there was great need of change. However,
he also encouraged simple ways in which racial injustice could be eliminated. Several portions of
his dream persuaded blacks and whites to love one another and work together cohesively and
peacefully. He demanded that African Americans finally “cash the check” of freedom that was
given to them in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Emancipation
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Proclamation which all seemed to be written checks of “insufficient funds.” He challenged
America to stand for the principles that it is said to stand for. Finally, Martin Luther King
demanded this freedom and equality now and not through “the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
which makes everything seem although it is calm and just happening slowly, but really puts
those that believe in it in a slumber full of dreams. King’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos aided
him in effectively carrying these points across and made a successful and timeless speech.
Throughout the entire speech King develops a certain trust with the African American
audience and makes them view him as one of them and one who understands their struggles. His
repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” makes the audience wonder why he dreams of these
things. They are then lead to believe that, just like them, his negative life experiences must have
