Critique of the Speech of Martin Luther King Jr - Research Paper Example

?Reflective preface It is said that when something is observed from a distance, the that is being observed transforms into mythical proportion that everything about seems to be perfect that is beyond our reach. The individuals do not seem to belong here on earth with all its shortcomings but from somewhere else and to some extent, they can be likened to a deity. This was my experience in writing the research paper about Martin Luther King. Before writing the paper, I already have an idea that he was the leader of the civil rights movement that President Obama alludes to with deference. I found out in my initial research why he was great and understood his “I Have a Dream Speech” and why it was considered as one of the best speeches written and delivered both in its composition and substance. Knowing these accomplishments of Martin Luther King, I was awed by him more especially when I knew that he was a pious man, being a Christian pastor. Further research however revealed that Martin Luther King is also a man just like everyone else except of course that he has lofty ideals. The speech “I Have a Dream” whom we consider as a masterpiece was even written with uncertainty for two reasons; first, King was advised by his aides not to use it anymore because he had been delivering it and it may sound like a cliche. Second, it was not a prepared speech but was only written the night before and up to the delivery of the speech, it underwent rigorous editing that its delivery may have been the first that the final version was completed. These information were of course not immediately associated with the speech of King but it was a good idea that Martin Luther King is also man, subject to its own insecurities but managed to overcome it by his lofty ideals that is revered by generations after him. I. Picture and description of historical event (Source: Historywired) This is a picture Martin Luther King delivering the legendary “I have a dream speech” from the steps of Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Looking at the picture alone, it looked like everything went perfect for the organizers of the march as well as the crowd. King was on a stage delivering his speech as intended while the audiences as shown in the background were intently listening as expected. The outcome was so successful that we are tempted to think that there were no issues during the preparation of this speech. Until of course when we dig deeper that we realize that such event was just like any other event where the organizers were jittery and unsure of what will be the outcome. For instance, attempting to stage a march of a projected number of 100,000 people (around 250,000 showed up) is unprecedented and they were not sure if they can reach that number (Younge). Just when we thought that the “I Have a Dream” speech itself was a perfectly prepared speech as depicted in the picture that was customized for the occasion, it was actually the opposite. Readers may be blown away with the fact that the “I Have a Dream Speech” was nearly not delivered because Martin Luther King was discouraged by aides for delivering a speech that has that theme cautioning him that it may already be an overuse and already a cliche. Younge narrated that “the night before the March on Washington, on 28 August 1963, Martin Luther King asked his aides for advice about the next day's speech. "Don't use the lines about 'I have a dream', his adviser Wyatt Walker told him. "It's trite, it's cliche. You've used it too many times already." This meant that up to the last moment of the march, King did not even have a speech yet. The night before when his aide checked him in his room, he was still writing it and the paper had many erasures. Even the final speech itself had many corrections indicating that up to the last moment, King had been editing his speech and the delivered speech may be the first recitation of the repeatedly edited speech. This apparent cramming in preparation of the speech was not apparent in the picture. In the picture, everything looked so well and prepared and the speech seemed to have been masterfully written long before the event. Martin Luther King pointed a finger in the picture and strongly asserted to end the discrimination against the Negroes as contained in the “I have a dream speech” as if he had the speech prepared for a long time. His look was very confident and fierce as if he feared no one nor had he experienced any glitch in the preparation of the speech and event. Research however showed otherwise that this speech was written in the last moment of the event and the speech itself may have been the first time that the final version of the “I Have a Dream” speech had been written. But perhaps this can be attributed to King’s genius that he can easily adapt to a new speech to get his message across to deliver one of the finest speeches of all time. The “I have a dream speech” contains lofty ideals such “brotherhood, equality and freedom,” but it cannot be denied that the speech was combative not in the physical sense but in a political sense as shown in the picutre; it was even opened with the statement that he came to the capital “to cash a check” indicating the speech will be forceful in its assertion of claiming an unfulfilled promise of freedom and equality. II. Research question: Why was the speech so important today? It is important for present generation to understand the significance of this speech because it has been instrumental to the civil rights that black Americans enjoy and the greater tolerance that permeate in society today. III. Martin Luther King, his speech and legacy The “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at Lincoln Memorial during the March in Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963 will become a part of the country’s heritage and the idea of equality advocated by the speech will be remembered and cherished by generations after King’s death (he was assassinated). To put the speech in proper perspective, it is important to state that discrimination was widespread during Martin Luther King’s time that he had to create and lead a civil rights movement to end it. The culmination of this civil rights movement was during the delivery of King’s speech at Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963 as seen in the picture whereby the words in his speech became immortal that succeeding generations still go back to that speech to inspire them in their quest for equality. His fierce assertion for equal treatment for black Americans is evident in the picture. The formal announcement that King’s speech is already a part of national legacy which materialized in 1998, when Atlanta Federal District Court ruled that King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is part of national history and that CBS need not seek permission to air it which included a segment on the civil rights movement. This set the precedence for the speech to be used without permission because the speech was deemed to be part of the country’s history and in particular, the civil rights movement (Duffy 184). Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was also highly regarded not only for the cause it advocated, but also for the substance, the way it was written and the manner it was delivered that students until today are required to study his speech as one of the greatest speech written and delivered for all times that it comparable to President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We could see in the picture that he exuded with confidence in delivering the speech even without hearing the speech itself moreso when the speech is heard along with the picture, it must be a very moving speech to witness. Despite the immemorial reception of King’s speech, the details surrounding its preparation showed that King was like everyone else. This article of Gary Younge provided a detailed narrative of what transpired before and during the delivery of the “I Have a Dream Speech”. The details revealed that King was just like everyone else that he was even doubtful about his speech. He asked his aide for the speech and was even advised against using it because it could be a cliche already. Until the night before, the speech was not prepared until the very moment of its delivery and perhaps, the speech itself may have been the very first time that the final version of the speech was delivered. But this is not obvious in the picture. The picture depicts that the speech was well prepared because King was very confident and fierce in delivering it. Today, we marveled at the 250,000 attendees of the march but the organizers were unsure if they could even hit their projected number of 100,000 when the march was organized. The people only sweltered during the final moment of the event but hours before that, the police outnumbered the demonstrators that the media even quizzed King’s group about their capacity to stage a protest. King nevertheless overcame and surpassed the challenges he faced during the march to deliver one of the greatest speeches written and delivered of all time. He may have been killed (he was assassinated) but his memory and contribution to the civil rights movement is cherished continue to live on as attested by the reflection of people who benefited for his call of equality, freedom and brotherhood. His message was profound that even children of generation after him understood and valued what he fought for. There are many documented account of children Nia Jones, Brian Hill, Gabrielle Jeri-Greene and others who were in unison that King wanted equality and peace and that they appreciate what he has done (Peabody). IV. Conclusion Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” and his civil rights movement have been instrumental in elevating the dignity of Black Americans equal to any other race. Without it, Black Americans may still be discriminated as second class citizens today. The reverence that people accorded today to Martin Luther King is a well- deserved respect. In the process of this research, it was found out that King is just a man subjected to all insecurities that afflict us all such as anxiety, uncertainty and even nervousness. But what made him great is that despite these odds that includes the discrimination and threats he had been receiving, he did not only managed to overcome these challenges but delivered his message across that still reverberates up to this generation. Works Cited Duffy, Bernard K., and Richard D. Besel. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" and the Politics of Cultural Memory: An Apostil. ANQ 23.3 (2010): 184-91. ProQuest. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. "I Have A Dream Speech (TEXT)." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. . Martin Luther King: the story behind his 'I have a dream' speech | World news | The Guardian ." Latest news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | theguardian.com | The Guardian . N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. . Peabody, Alvin|Reflections On The Life Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.|Washington Informer [Washington, D.C] 20 Jan 1993: 14. ProQuest. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/367477240/fulltext/1400BD3B89A3733D2B9/4?accountid=35812 Read More