Comments and discussion

In your analysis of “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Dr. Martin Luther King, you should consider commenting on or discussing claims by the speaker that are particularly interesting or controversial. Here are some examples you can use as inspiration.

At one point in the speech, King mentions: “We don't have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don't need any bricks and bottles. We don't need any Molotov cocktails.” (ll. 231-234). This statement is in line with the speaker’s non-violent approach during the Civil Rights Movement. However, it targets members of the movement that did not exclude using violence as a means to an end (to obtain equal treatment).

Because of another Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, the movement was also joined by black nationalists in 1964 —segments of the African-American population who supported the idea that they should preserve their racial identity by refusing integration in mainstream American culture. Furthermore, they supported using violence as an answer to a violent behavior or discrimination. Consequently, King wants to moderate these ...