U.S. Modern History Primary Source Assignment
The selected primary source is “I Have A Dream,” which was made by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington in 1963 as part of the United States and the Civil Rights Movement. The primary motive of the speech was to demonstrate the plight or struggles of the African American people besides expressing his dream of equality. According to Martin Luther King, the U.S. was not committed to ending segregation, discrimination, and poverty that persistently engulfed the African Americans. To him, this lack of obligation was evidenced by the notion that 100 years had passed since the country signed the Emancipation Proclamation (History.com., 2020). Consequently, Luther acknowledged that it was now time to make justice a reality for everyone. Luther emphasized the black people’s citizenship rights, including voting and purported that the blacks and their supporters would not relent until these demands were fulfilled (History.com., 2020).
The speech reveals that the U.S. was a toxic place for the African Americans before 1963 because they were subjected to suppression, which was manifested in the form of being construed to inferior resources (such as schools), denial of voting rights, and violence among others. Making these problems known through the speech was critical because it put pressure on President Kennedy and his administration to advance its civil rights legislation with the passing of the Civil Rights Act proving as the most decisive outcome (History.com., 2020). Furthermore, the speech was pertinent because it brought an even greater consideration and interest in the Civil Rights Movement. It is also notable that the speech by Luther contributed towards the ultimate freedom for the black people.
References
History.com. (2020). ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/i-have-a-dream-speech