Rhetorical Analysis: I Have A Dream Speech

With all honesty before this day, I have never read Martin Luther King Jr " I have a dream" speech in its entirety, but today after reading it closely it sparked many emotions within me. I noticed that rhetoric is applied in Martin Luther King Jr speech and he does so by using words like "our","together" and "we" which builds a connection with the reader and signifies that the people were not alone and that they would go through any situation together and that collectively they would try to obtain the freedom that they deserved. He repeatedly spoke "we are not satisfied" implying that he and others as well did not only want their freedom but jobs, their right to vote and justice. After reading the CNN article written by Kevin Powell, it dawned

on me that most of the issues discussed by Martin Luther King are still apparent in today's society. Kevin Powell discussed his own personal experience on the matter when he brought up his mother and how she was unable to get the education and treatment she deserved. I believe he did an excellent job grabbing the reader's attention and building a connection that might resonate with him/her forever. Often times people aren't as attentive to such issues and don't realize how it might affect others around them. Personally speaking after reading his article I felt that I should pay closer attention to such matters and try to be as informed as possible. They say ignorance is bliss, however in this particular situation ignorance only leads to insensitivity and inequality and after reading MLK's speech I realize my role in society. My role should be to be a well-informed individual who advocates and promotes equality amongst one another.