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The impact of Martin Luther King’s speech
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Throughout history America has been the arriving place of immigrants searching for a better life. America is perceived as the land were endless opportunities are available. The greatest explanation of the American dream is Martin Luther King, Jr. speech; I Have a Dream. Dr. King speech is more like a testimony of truth, rather than a speech. At the time of his speech African Americans were not free, while the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Dr. King’s movement established the way for the idea that there is an American dream. The idea that somebody can be anything they would like to be. This idea is still relevant now in America. Americans pursue their dream everyday by having the opportunity to attend college, and work. Although America is the land of endless opportunities, Americans take these opportunities for granted, while other parts of the world make it their life time goal to get here. In certain times of history the American dream has not been available to some races. Rather it be the Japanese during World War 1 or the African Americans during the Civil War. The land of opportunity has discriminated people from completing their dreams. Our country has gone through great trials of racism. The great Martin Luther King Jr. worked his whole life to change these things. Dr. King made history when he gave his speech I Have a Dream at the Nation’s Capital in 1963. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal(296). Because Dr. King followed his dream, he made it possible for others to follow theirs. Compared to other countries America is known around the world as a pl... ... middle of paper ... ...f the American dream is still achievable. Receiving a higher education is becoming easier to attain if someone cannot afford an education. Every legal citizen of the United States is required to have an education which furthers them to receiving their dream. Works Cited "American Dream Tracked Down the Hard Way." Weekend Edition Saturday. (16 Feb. 2008): Literature Resource Center. Gale. Chattanooga State Community College. 24 Nov. 2009 . King, Marin Luther Jr. “I Have a Dream.” Writing on the River. Ed. Jessica Portz. 2nd Ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009. 294-297. Print. Warshaurer, Matthew. “Changing Conceptions of the American Dream.” Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. 12 December 2003. Web. 21 November 2009.
“The American Dream: Out of Reach?” America Press 10/3/2011: Pages. Vol. 205 Issue 9, p6-6. 8/9
Martin Luther King's' speech "I have a dream" showed that no matter race, beliefs or gender, people can improve their destiny. Through determination, Martin Luther King and his followers managed to make the American dream more attainable for millions of black Americans. The American dream consists of having equal access to opportunities for economic prosperity through hard work. This belief was incredibly important, during the novel's times Of Mice and Men, as farmers abandoned their land, due to natural disasters in the dust bowl, and moved to California to pursue their dream. This also affects the characters Crooks, Curley's wife and George. In his novel, John Steinbeck
I thought owning expensive cars, multiple houses, and dining at 5 star restaurants in the city were all part of the American dream, but I was wrong. The American Dream is an opportunity for each person to achieve personal fulfillment through success. I enjoyed this powerful speech because he described his vivid dreams in which blacks and whites are able to live together in harmony and peace. Just like the audience, I was deeply touched by these images, and we could all imagine what a new and joyous we should live in society today. King successfully achieved his emotive purpose through these words, and bonded with the hearts of his audience. Dr. King inspired me to help others and try to make a difference in my community and in the world. I would like to listen and watch other speeches by Dr. King because he made the world realize that "all men are created equal." King had hoped, a strong effect on national opinion and resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, authorizing the federal government to enforce desegregation of public accommodations and outlawing discrimination in publicly owned facilities, as well as in the workforce. That eventful year was climaxed by the award to King of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. Martin Luther King’s skillful use of rhetoric in his “I have a Dream” speech was a major turning point in American history and represented
Hargreaves, Steve. "The myth of the American Dream." CNNMoney. CNN, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 April, 2014.
Kamp, David. “Rethinking the American Dream.” Vanity Fair.com. Conde Nast Publications, April 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2010.
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bill without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1). “At the core of the concept is the individual’s responsibility to aim for and achieve the American dream by working hard and taking advantage of the freedom offered to them by the country” (“The American Dream” 1). “A recent nationwide survey from LearnVest found that 43 percent of Americans today feel the dream is attainable for everyone - and about the same percentage feels that it’s within their grasp, personally,” notes Camille Noe Pagan. “For American Dreamers today,” states Nicole, ...
The American Dream is known to be a hope for a better, richer, happier life for all citizens of every class. For almost all Americans, this entails earning a college degree, gaining a good job, buying a house, and starting a family. Although this seems wonderful, a large amount of the American population believes that the Dream has changed immensely because of increased prices in today’s society, the price of tuition being highly unaffordable, as well as the unemployment rate skyrocketing and weaker job growth. While some American citizens believe it has changed, others believe that the American Dream has not changed, but point out it is harder to obtain.
The American Dream has changed; it is no longer the same as it was fifty or even one hundred years ago. Today, people not only search for prosperity and wealth, but they also search for happiness, equality, and determination. The American Dream is for everyone, not just the rich. The term “The American Dream” is a term used to describe the American way of life in general. It is a noun stating “the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” Dreams are not limited to just one social class, everyone has a different version of the American Dream but they all work together in a community to create an organized, working society. A dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or idea that is open to anyone.
Everything changed in August 1963. America was mesmerized with the famous speech “I Have a Dream” delivered by Martin Luther King. People from all over the nation gathered for one single motive, social justice, and with that citizens of the United States yearned hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow in which they could see a breaking dawn to a day full up roaring opportunities for everyone disregarding their ethnic background, gender, sexual preference, or economic standing. This soon led to what is now known as “The American Dream.” America’s reputation for being the land of endless possibilities has captured both foreign attention as well as native patriotism. Success here in America is defined as having a good social position and a plethora of
The question I constantly ask myself is who do the American Dream applies to? What I learn is that the American dream only applies to those who are rich and it doesn’t apply to everyone. I was born in America and I am currently attending college and I still don’t feel like I have chance of actually experiencing the true definition of the American dream. In conclusion the American Dream only applies to certain people. Those certain people are the wealthy rich families. An education can help one move up a level in the social class but not everyone is receiving the opportunity to attend school. The American dream is a myth
Dr. Martin Luther King lived in a time of Racial Segregation. He grew up with people scorning him simply because of the color of his skin. When he began a family of his own, he had the dream that life should be better than he had it. He marched protests and gave speeches, speaking his dream to everyone who would listen. His most famous speech being the “ I have a dream speech… ”. This speech spoke of his dream that all men were equal whether they were white, or black, or any other color of skin. That was his American Dream.
The American dream has always been a talk amongst the American culture. When people speak of it, they often think back to the 19th century. The American Dream can be thought about when learning information on the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness this was written by Thomas Jefferson. Despite this, the American Dream is just as relevant to American culture today as it was in the 19th century and in many ways still attainable.
In modern society, the American Dream has become all about making money and less about doing what makes you happy (Gathright). Although the American Dream was built on the foundations that anyone, no matter who they are or where they came from, could achieve it, the truth is that there are several factors that determine someone 's chances of obtaining the dream, including race, gender, and social status. Your backgrounds play a big role in determining whether you will be able to achieve the "American Dream".
Evensvold, Marty D. "The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation." Library Journal Dec. 2001: 200. General OneFile. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.