Martin Luther King "I have a dream"

Dr. Kings speech " I have a Dream" is well known throughout the world. This speech inspired African Americans to take action for their rights. Laws passed like Jim Crow segregation law, discriminated African American people and stripped them from their rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was the one who took things to another level and really started to change things. In his speech he encouraged people to take a stand for their equal rights and not settle like always. He knew that equality equaled power and that they won't change anything unless they fought for their equality first. After his speech people followed his advice and one year later the U.S. Civil Rights movement took off. Even though the discrimination didn't stop right away, the movement started to change things slowly. If Dr. King had not motivated people to take action, the fight for equal rights would have taken much more time.

Martin Luther King Jr. was able to reach a big audience through his rhetorical appeals. One way to appeal he appealed to people was by patriotism. He used the words, "And if America is a great nation." He also appealed to emotions. In his speech he says,"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair..." Another tactic Dr. King used was history. He mentions how 100 years ago the Emancipation proclamation document had been signed to free "millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering justice." Lastly he used religion beliefs as appeals to church members. He said "when all of gods children.... will be able to join hands ...... and sing.......Thank God Almighty, free at last!" These appeals where able to reach people who saw things in different perspectives. By doing this he was able to support his movement from almost every angle. This allowed for laws to change.

-yasidh