Martin Luther King: March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Junior, a respected civil rights activist, gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech, simply written and only 17 minutes long, revealed the egregious nature of American racism and removed the veil of ignorance many whites had willingly worn to avoid responsibility for the horrors they had caused. The message of his speech was clear. America needed to change, and this change was possible. Through his use of rhetorical strategies, such as imagery and anaphora, Martin Luther King, Jr. achieves his goal of dramatizing the racial inequality in American society, inspiring the supporters of his cause, and fostering a sense of hope in the future. To

Furthermore, to give himself more credibility and create a sense of trust, King alludes to Amos 5:24 saying “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Amos verse 5:24 shows how God wants His people to live justly and stop their hypocrisy. When pairing this sentence with the allusion to the Declaration of Independence, it becomes evident King is holding the American people accountable for being hypocrites who do not follow God’s word. It illustrates how Americans are betraying their Constitution and their Judeo-Christian values, and how they should be ashamed of themselves. Without the hope of something better to result from a long, strenuous struggle, no one would fight for anything. To inspire people to fight, King provides people with a glimpse of the possible future. King states the words ‘I have a dream’ every time he illustrates how America can change for the better. These words, becoming a phrase of anaphora, are so profound that they will be remembered forever in American

King’s dream of racial equality reflects the biblical vision of a just and inclusive society where love and brotherhood go beyond racial divisions. Moreover, he uses metaphors to convey more emotion than simple words could ever describe and foster a sense of hope. He states “We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” and the nation will transform into “a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” (Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream”). The first metaphor, breaking out of the mountain of despair, highlights the weighty and oppressive feeling of segregation and discrimination. They feel they are stuck in a rock, never making any progress or breaking free. Breaking out of the rock is a liberating feeling, and his metaphor illustrates that perfectly. The Symphony of Brotherhood shows how if all races were equal, the world could work smoothly together in peace and produce a melodic song that is nothing but joyous. The hope King describes makes people want to fight against discrimination and the oppressive society. It gives people a goal to strive