The anniversary of the speech that changed America.
By Arya Hanumara/President/Social Effects Head/Co-Editor In Chief
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On a hot summer August day, 57 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and watched the glistening pool of water below. Surrounding King’s podium was a sea of thousands– black, white, young, old– exhausted from marching for hours but eager to hear his thoughts about the racism rooted deep in our nation. King’s first line, “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,” rings true, as the “I Have a Dream” speech acted as a turning point for activists, forming one of the largest social movements to this date.
This particular speech would soon shake our nation, prompting millions of Americans to list their dreams for both the country and their children, much like Dr. King. The “I Have a Dream” speech is still regarded as one of the most prominent speeches in our nation’s history, joining the likes of President Lincoln’s address after signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and Elenor Roosevelt’s “Struggle for Human Rights.” Throughout the speech, King emphasizes that although much time had passed since abolishing slavery, America was nowhere near granting Black people equality. Since the original delivery in 1963, we have not yet made enough progress towards achieving this goal. Instead of allyship, people claim that “they do not see color.” Instead of speaking out, Black voices are silenced. And when Black voices are finally heard, most listeners racially gaslight the community as a whole.
Dr. King’s dreams are not as complicated as they are made out to be. In fact, they are quite simple. Dr. King dreamed that “one day [America] [would] rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.” King is commenting on the divide between the goal and its follow-through. America’s values might mean different things to different people; regardless, the core beliefs are not always acted upon. Take, for example, this famous line: “all men are created equal.” Our Declaration of Independence clearly defends anti-racist movements and efforts. Many argue that this line was only written with a socio-economic context; however, as times change, interpretations of our founding documents must change as well.
Another prominent dream that Dr. King talks about is that “...one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” Georgia has one of the largest populations of Black people in the US, which in theory makes it seems like it would be able to combat racism and discrimination quite well. In actuality, out of all the states, Georgia has one of the largest divides between hate crimes and the prosecution for said crimes, meaning that justice is often not served to perpetrators of racial attacks. According to the official hate crime reports for Georgia in 2018, 344 hate crimes were reported to the police, which were validated; however, only 58 were given prison sentences. Based on these instances, it is clear that Georgia is nowhere near achieving full equality for Black people, much less fostering friendships between black and white communities.
King also stated that he dreamed “...that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, [would] be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” Mississippi is still coined as one of the most racially divided states in America. Sources indicate that the state has one of the largest hubs for white supremacist groups, even allowing their members to control the government at both state and local levels. Mississippi also has the largest percentage of hate crimes against the Black community, out of all of the American states. With its primarily white police force, Mississippi hosts the highest rate of police brutality in the United States of America. Mississippi is nowhere near being “...an oasis of freedom and justice,” as Dr. King had hoped it would be.
One of the most significant goals that Martin Luther King Jr. had is that his “four little children [would] one day live in a nation where they [would] not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Unfortunately, this is not the case. Black children still have to grow up in a world where they face injustices in every path they take. Black parents have to teach their kids what to do if a police officer corners them and how to “not look suspicious.” Many Americans are not making enough of an effort to judge Black people by “the content of their character.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. revolutionized the civil rights movement in America. To honor his monumental “I Have A Dream” speech, it is essential not only to recognize the progress we as a nation have made, but also to understand the steps we have yet to take. Fifty-seven years may not seem like such a long time, but it is more than enough to have created significant change. We, as Americans, can do better to make King’s dreams a reality.
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