The speech was given by Martin Luther King in August, 1963. In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. Not white people — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.
Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King organized a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Friday, August 8, 2008
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3 comments:
good job~ you find lots of information,aha? wow...you really study hard,Tsogo!
bye the way, i learn some new vacabularies from your essay. thank for sharing your information and your respond.
:)
Tsogo "i didn't see ur opinion O_o?
anyway, ur summary i understand Martin Luther King Jr.. he is such a great person.. who fight for every negro.. and now his dream already come true =]
Good Work !! Keep moving =D
Cheers!!
y lot of people chose this speech. i have read 2 or 3 summary about this before i read ur. ur essay is good not too short and not too long. and i have learned that everyone have rights.
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