History and Inequality: Martin Luther King’s Speech and Social Inequality
The speech that Dr. Martin Luther King gave on August 23, 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial addressed different issues on the problem of social inequalities between the different races in America. One of the issues Martin Luther highlighted in his speech is the need for equal rights for all the races. The other issue that he addressed in his speech was the hope that the American dream where racial segregation and mistreatment of the blacks would end. Luther, however, was concerned that the nation was moving slowly towards the realization of the American dream where no race would perceive or judge another race as inferior. The researcher quotes the declarative statements that Luther gave in his speech, analyzes what he meant by his statements, and discusses if the inequalities that he addressed in his speech have changed in the current American society.
The physical freedom of the Negro because of the limitation of equal rights to the black man is an idea that Luther articulated in his speech. Luther said, “We are here, by our presence, saying that we have the will and the determination to do this so that in the one hundredth and one year of the physical freedom of the Negro, we will not be beset by the nagging knowledge that this nation owes an apology to Lincoln.” Luther was referring to the need for racial equality in the American society. He was agitating for a society where the black man (Negro) would be free from the oppression of the white man. The struggle for the physical freedom of the Negro from the oppression by the white man is an issue Luther considered to have taken too long to end. He urged the society to show the will and determination to end racial segregation. The problem was serious in the Southern America where the black was a slave to the white man.
Fifty years after Luther’s speech, a lot of development has taken place towards the achievement of racial equality in terms of equal rights for all. The American society moves towards the idea social equality (Convyers, 2013). The African American race is no longer in the position of a white man’s slave. The slavery in Southern America ended because the nation rose with the will and determination to end it as Luther stated (Conyers, 2013).
Secondly, Luther expressed the concern that the American society perceived the children of the African Americans as inferior. Racial prejudice is an issue Luther articulated in his speech using the following words: “I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the content of their character, not the color of their skin.” Luther foresaw an American society where the African Americans would have equal opportunities as the White Americans. Racial prejudice was an issue when Luther grew up. In his speech, however, he agitated for a social change so that the society would change its way judging people by the color of their skin, and instead judge them on the content of their character.
The current American society has achieved Luther’s dream where the blacks would have equal opportunities as the whites. The current society has created equal opportunities for all the races, and the African Americans have risen to powerful political positions. The election of an African American president in 2008, Barrack Obama shows how the American society has moved to achieve Luther’s dream (Conyers, 2013).
In conclusion, Luther’s speech highlighted important statements that urged the American society to promote social equality. Luther addressed the problem of the Whites oppressing the Blacks physically, and the need for the freedom of the Blacks from the oppression. The problem was common in the south of America due to slavery. Today, however, the blacks are free from slavery and physical harassment. The perception towards the Blacks as inferior people has also ended. The fact that they have advanced to powerful political leadership positions shows that the current American society judges people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
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