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I Have A Dream Speech Thesis

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Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is remembered as one of the most significant speeches in American History. In the speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a catalyst for social change in the 1950s and 1960s, emphasizes that there needs to be equality for all. It expresses the American ideal that each citizen is free and treated the same as any other citizen, despite their differences. Claims communicated in the text were, “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free,” “America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned,” and, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most effective and convincing in presenting his claims. One of Dr. King’s claims in his speech is, “But one hundred years later, the Negro is still not free.” King …show more content…

Martin Luther King’s “will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” King supports his claim by demonstrating freedom. For example, he says “I have a dream that one day […], sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” He also says, “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi […], will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” A rhetorical method used for the claim is repetition. King repeats the phrase “I have a dream,” to emphasize the significance of justice and freedom not only to Negro Americans, but also to all Americans. A possible counterclaim for this claim is, “Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech was not great and did not demonstrate freedom.” The claim that Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech “will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” is effectively communicated to the

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