In seventeen minutes at the Lincoln Memorial during a march on Washington, on August twenty eighth of nineteen and sixty-three, in front of two hundred thousand of his peers, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered in my opinion what will live on as the most powerful and meaningful speech in the history of mankind. Preceding his speech he was introduced as the “The Moral Leader of Our Nation”. That is powerful. At this time racial segregation was a serious problem on the brink of a resolution. However, change is never easy and some times dangerous. In this moving speech he refers to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as “A promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.... A promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable rights” of “life liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” He then goes on to describe the current situation as “Quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” He explains the solution saying “The sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen and sixty-three is not an end, but the beginning…. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright days of justice emerges.” That gives me goosebumps.
I am a very big fan of rhetoric and the use of particularly placed words to properly paint a vivid, pristine picture. Like unforgotten orators of lore, Dr. King was captivating. Another speaker on this day was U.S. Representative John Lewis. He was quoted saying “Dr. King had the power, the ability and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired he informed not just people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations.” This is a respected white official sticking his neck out to stand up for what he believes in, Dr. King.
At this time racial tension was either going to destroy us or force us to make a change. I have a saying, “to make change you must make waves” and I believe Dr. King was of the same sentiment. I am glad that this speech was so successful because it’s hard to imagine what would have happened if we were forced into another Civil War. Dr. King led by example and is inspiring young men and women of all races, religions and creeds over forty-seven years later. I presume that will not stop anytime soon.
I feel like we have a lot of racial tension in southern Louisiana where I am from. There is a lot of negative media influence and when you mix that with horrific poverty levels and an overall lack of education, you get a state in turmoil. We have come a long way as a union. Hopefully we can do something to educated and inspire these people to fight for a positive change before the government tries to drown them again. That is my dream
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