Perspectives

This part of the study guide is designed to give you a broader perspective on the speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by looking at historical perspective, relevance today, and similar speech…

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Historical perspective

“I Have a Dream” was delivered during an important moment in US history, at a high point in the Civil Rights Movement (protests and activist campaigns for granting African Americans equal civil rights). Because of the circumstances, the speech received a lot of visibility – it was broadcast by national and international media and discussed in various newspapers. Furthermore, it is said that President J.…

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Relevance today

The speech remains relevant today, particularly the parts regarding economic inequality and discrimination in US society which continues to affect African Americans. For example, African Americans living in poor areas who were affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were among the last ones to receive help. There have also been many recent examples of police violence agains…

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Thematic and textual perspective

Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech is often compared to the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet", which was delivered by Malcolm X in 1964, less than a year after "I Have a Dream". Malcolm X was also a civil right's activist at the time, but in contrast to King he was in favor of using much more dramatic, even violent, methods in the fight for civil rights.

Though their end goals are similar, their means to get there are not. Malcolm X's speech is for example much more aggressive in its language, especial…