Martin Luther King Jr's I have a dream speech is possibly one of (if not the most) important speech's in history, especially American history. King was an exceptional optimistic and had a perseverance second to none. From openly facing the civil rights movement head on to writing rebuttal speeches in jail, King was an amazing leader. These qualities are reflected in such a speech. King begins his speech by talking about how the African-American community is here with the help of Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation. However, King says that despite this proclamation being issued 100 years ago they are still fighting for the freedoms inscribed on that proclamation. King continues by pointing to the declaration of independence. How is it that all men are created equal yet the African-American people remain segregated and withheld these "inalienable rights"? However, one of my favorite parts of King's speech and what I admire about him is that he addresses the negatives and the setbacks but only to acknowledge them, he does not sit on these setbacks but continues to charge forward with a positive outlook and says to his people do not hold bitterness and do not be discouraged. In the urgency to make our dream a reality we must treat white people as brothers not enemies and that is how we will achieve true equality and freedom. King is incredibly wise and kind in this regard. He knows that racism will not end with African-Americans gaining full freedom but they must defeat the idea of racism in the country. King proclaims that they must be stern but forgiving. They will not rest until civil rights are achieved 100% but they will also not make violence as they go. My favorite dream that King talked about was "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. This one is my clear favorite because I relate this so much to today's society and how we are living in one of the most divided times in American history whether it be in politics or race. King was incredibly ahead of his time and sadly his ideas and his dreams continuously struggle to become a reality today.
Another incredibly famous civil rights speech was deliver by Nelson Mandela while he stood on trial for being charged of sabotage. This quote is a great summary of his speech: "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.
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