Here are some detailed explanations from the speech ‘I Have a Dream’ by Martin Luther King Jr. Some of the most important lines are discussed.
1. 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.
Exp. This is the opening sentence of Luther’s “I Have a Dream”. He refers here to the gathering of the Civil Rights activists whom Luther is speaking to. He tells the crowd that this gathering for Negro freedom will be a landmark in American history.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 to over 200,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during “the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. It was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. In the speech, King called for racial equality and an end to segregation and discrimination faced by the blacks in American society. The Constitution of America said that all men are created equal. American Declaration of Independence also promised to ensure liberty and equality for all Americans. But what happened subsequently in America went against the blacks. The blacks found that they have no “human” position in American society. They were “bondaged slaves” before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, now they are “free slaves” without the rights the citizens of a country should be provided with. The Civil Rights activists were demanding the equal rights for the blacks. Luther was their most prominent leader.
The demonstration for “Jobs and Freedom” became a hit event not only for the nature of the demonstration but also for the epoch making speech that Luther delivered to the demonstrators. It is the occasion of his delivering the “I Have a Dream” speech that has been the most historic event in the history of the United States.
2. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
Exp. This extract has been taken from Martin Luther’s historic speech “I Have a Dream.” Here he refers to the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. He tells the demonstrators that the Proclamation was a great event in the history. of Negro freedom.
Abraham Lincoln was a great American President who was a friend of the Negro slaves. His main vision was to give freedom to the blacks from the shackles of the slavery system. Hence, he signed the “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1863 while Americans were engaged in a Civil War on the issue whether slavery system will exist is America or not. By issuing the Proclamation, Lincoln declared the slaves free in America (barring some states) from the bondage of slavery. It was a great event for the blacks. It gave them freedom from slave bondage. They had been fighting for this freedom since the time when America obtained independence. From this perspective, the Proclamation was a symbol of bright daylight for the blacks in America. The blacks found themselves burning in the flames of withering injustice”, now they saw in the Proclamation deliverance from the curse of the flames. They lived in darkness, now they saw light dawning on them in their life. The declaration was there to put an end to “the long night of captivity that the Negroes lived with in America.
In fact, Lincoln’s the Emancipation Proclamation was a foundation for a new beginning of life for the Negroes in America.
3. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
Exp. This line appears in Luther’s celebrated speech “I Have a Dream.” He tells here the crowd that though Lincoln delivered the Negroes free from the bondage of slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation a century ago, they were still leading a life of segregation and discrimination in American society.
Lincoln signed the “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1863 during American Civil War which were being fought on the issue whether slavery system will exist in America or not. By issuing the Proclamation, Lincoln declared the slaves free in America (barring some states) from the bondage of slavery. It was a great event for the blacks. It gave them freedom from slave bondage. They had been fighting for this freedom since the time when America obtained independence. From this perspective, the Proclamation was a symbol of bright daylight for the blacks in America. They lived in darkness. now they saw light of free life dawning on them. The declaration was there to put an end to “the long night of captivity” that the Negroes lived with in America. But Luther also sadly says that it did not bear fruit that it should have been. Though the Proclamation declared the blacks free, it failed to give them actual freedom.
In fact, the Emancipation Proclamation made the Negroes partially free from the bondage of slavery, but they were not free to have a free life with access to the basic opportunities of life.
4. So we have come to cash this check-a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
Exp. This line has been taken from Luther’s great speech “I Have a Dream.” Here Luther talks about cashing the rights of freedom and equality for the blacks from the bank of justice.
The prospect of a new life remained an illusion for the blacks throughout the period from 1776 to 1963. Though the Constitution of America and the Declaration of Independence promised to achieve freedom and equality for all Americans, there was no significant change in the life of the blacks. Even after Lincoln’s the famous Emancipation Proclamation, the situation changed little. On this ground, America has been a defaulter. The architects of America had a promise for the nation. In a sense, while they were writing “the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence”, they were signing, in fact, a “promissory note” with the pledge that “all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But the Negro people rather were given a bad check that they failed to cash because of “insufficient funds” in the bank, meaning that America as a “bank” denied them the rights of freedom and equality written as a “check” issued by the founders of America to its citizens.
But the Americans attending this congregation whom King was speaking to refused to “believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.” So they now want to cash that check-“a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”
5. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
Exp. This extract has been taken from Luther’s historic speech “I Have a Dream”. Luther here urges the Civil Rights activists to wage their movement for Negro freedom in a non-violent way.
Luther knows that the Negroes are living a life of segregation and discrimination in. can society. They are demanding the rights of freedom and equality. In this case, King shoulders the protesters with greater responsibility than those to whom their demand is to be made. He tells them, “In gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.” He urges his followers not to do any such thing that might stand for satisfying “our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” Luther’s way of conducting the struggle purely rests “on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” The protesters must not mix their “creative protest” with “physical violence”. “Again and again”, he rather tells them, “we mus rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force Luther clearly tells his people to abstain from any kind of aggressive and destructive activities if they are to have their dream come true In fact, violence cannot be the weapon to press home a Violence leads only to further violence and ultimately it produces no result. So King urges his people to wage their struggle in a peaceful and non-violent way. This is his recipe to his black community. demand.
6 …in spite of the difficulties and frustration of the moment I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
Exp. This extract appears in Luther’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Here Luther talks about his dream of an America where the blacks will no longer face racial segregation and discrimination, rather he hopes that the blacks and the whites will live together side by side in American society contributing to the making of America a great nation on earth.
The fathers of America’s independence had a noble vision in their mind. They wanted to have an America with no conflicts among its citizens. So they declared all men being equal in America. This basic state principle was promoted by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. But what happened subsequently went against the national harmony envisioned by America’s fathers. The blacks and the whites became two well-marked classes of citizens in the country. The blacks became the slaves with subject to heinous racial discrimination and prejudice. Luther dreams that there will one day be no such thing in American society and that it will learn to respect the roots out of which it came into being. He dreams of a country where racial discrimination and prejudice will not be the merits to judge the position of an individual in society. What Luther dreams of is closely connected with the American Dream in the sense that it also aimed at creating an America with equal rights secured for all its citizens and thus establishing the Americans as a great nation on earth.
Luther believes America has the potential to be a great nation. To make real this national Dream, America must eliminate the colour barriers that put a stigma on its national prestige. An aspiring great nation cannot patronize the evil forces in its society.
7. We cannot walk alone.
Exp. This sentence has been taken from Luther’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Here Luther urges his black followers to make their demand for freedom and equality in cooperation with the whites. He tells the black community to maintain a relationship with the whites as their brothers and sisters.
The blacks in America are waging a just struggle for equal citizenship rights. Luther tells them make their demand in a non violent way. At the same time King tells his black community not to show militancy that might lead them “to a distrust of all white people. They should not show hatred to the whites; rather they should build up good rapport with them. King refers to the presence of many white Civil Rights activists at the Lincoln Memorial congregation. King tells his black community to consider it as a case in point how many white people feel for the blacks and how they support the just demand of the blacks.
Surely, King talks here at the Lincoln Memorial just like a national leader that he was. He could have easily incited his people to be violent in attaining their freedom and equality. Rather he urges them to be peaceful and non-violent in their endeavour and tells them that this will be the best way to gain their rightful place in “the palace of justice.”
8. Nineteen Sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.
Exp. This line appears in Luther’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Here Luther refers to the continuing build-up of the black movement for attaining their due rights of freedom, equality and justice.
Lincoln urged the Americans in his famous “Gettysburg Address”, delivered in 1863, to welcome “a new birth of freedom” that was at the point of emerging out of the ashes of the Civil War. He envisioned an America where freedom and equality would be guaranteed for all its citizens. Hence, he signed the “Emancipation Proclamation” in 1863 while Americans were engaged in a Civil War on the issue whether slavery system will exist in America or not. By issuing the Proclamation, Lincoln declared the slaves free in America (barring some states) from the bondage of slavery. Luther says: “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.” Lincoln, in fact, greatly contributed to the beginning of a new life for the blacks in America. But still Luther found no significant change coming into effect in the social fabric of his country.
King urges the nation not to overlook and underestimate the legitimate demand of the Negro and the determination that they the showing through this Civil Rights Movement. He boldly says that this 1963 is going not to be an end rather a beginning. From now on America will be a hot bed of unrest and revolt if the Negro people are not granted their “citizenship rights.”
9. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.
Exp. This extract has been taken from Luther’s “I Have a Dream speech. Luther here urges his nation to stop racial segregation of the blacks from the white community of the country.
America became independent with the promise of ensuring freedom and equality for all its citizens. In this sense, the Americans were issued a check or a promissory note with a promise of freedom, but for black men and women that check has been “a bad check” and it has come back with “insufficient funds” in the “bank”, meaning that America as a bank denied them the rights of freedom and equality written as a “check” issued by the founders of America to its citizens. King demands the rights of the blacks to be offered to them “now”, they demand things to change with a sense of urgency and without procrastination from the oppressor. They do not want to see slow change coming over time; they rather want to see significant change coming into effect immediately. The policy of segregation adopted against the blacks should be eliminated at this very moment. By doing away with this policy, America should establish a society based on racial justice.
The policy of segregation kept the blacks away from having access to the privileges enjoyed by the white community. Lincoln’s the Emancipation Proclamation made the Negroes partially free from the bondage of slavery, but they were not free to associate with the whites, to sit with the whites, to play with the whites and to walk together with their white brothers and sisters. This policy is heavily damaging for a democratic country.
10. 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.
Exp. This extract has been taken from Martin Luther’s celebrated speech “I Have a Dream.” Luther’s dream here is to see an America where racial justice will be established without any discrimination to the blacks.
The fathers of America’s independence declared all men being equal in America. This basic state principle was promoted by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. But what happened subsequently went against the national harmony envisioned by America’s fathers. The blacks and the whites became two well-marked classes of citizens in the country. The blacks became the slaves with subject to heinous racial discrimination and prejudice. Luther dreams that there will one day be no such thing in American society and that it will learn to respect the roots out of which it came into being. He dreams that America will be a free country for his children and they will be judged by the content of their character not by their skin colour.
Luther, in fact, is not a man submerged in frustration. He has a dream that one day his country will be an abode where the blacks and the whites will enjoy equal rights as the citizens of the country. There will be time, Luther dreams, when the blacks and the whites will sit together at the table of brotherhood and will walk through the same roads of life.
11. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
Exp. This sentence appears in Luther’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Here Luther refers to his dream and says that the days of hope are not very far from this moment of despair.
The life that the blacks are living in America is full of despair. There is no meaning in their life. But Luther is very hopeful of a bright day dawning on the blacks. He urges them to return to their home with faith in hope. And he dreams that “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” He pleads the blacks to remain united in all situations to really be “free” one day. The blacks must show patience for welcoming a better day in their life. It is also their country and they must live here with dignity. So Luther hopes, that time is around the corner when all Americans will sing the popular rhyme with a new meaning: “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
Luther is very optimistic here. Though the blacks now live in a country of racial segregation and discrimination, that time is not afar when the blacks will live with dignity and honour in their motherland.
