Essay on “I have a Dream” – Dr King

I see a dream; I see the dream of Martin Luther King as he graphically describes his shared vision. I see that inspiring a vision is not easy to reach. But I can see that a leader with great credibility will be capable of such superiority. Such as influencing their followers or even convince their advocates to pursue in the same dream through encouraging and expressive speeches. Martin Luther King is an example of a great leader who was able to use his credibility as a leader and inspired people to share a common vision for the future. His famous “I have a dream” speech expressed his dream and vision for the African American population of America. The idea of using no violence to restore basic civil rights and equality to African Americans in America was desirable among his people and had not been done before, which made it extra exciting for those who can relate through his aspiration. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech demonstrates how he inspired a vision by appealing to others to share an exciting futuristic dream, he also exemplified the “big picture” of what he aspired to accomplish and he spoke with genuine conviction about the higher meaning and principle of his belief.

In the “I have a dream” speech King was becoming fascinating to his audience because they all desired the same vision as far as the future was concerned. In other words, King’s dream was revolutionary and many people acknowledge that thus they were willing to share this dream. King stated in his speech that “…one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” It is obvious that many African Americans as well as Caucasians had that same vision but did not know how to inspire upon it. King took this idea which he knew that many would die for and added it to his visualization of the nation’s future. King continued on “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” He spoke about the vision of the forefathers of United States; that they too believe that all humans are equal. In addition to the authors and believers of the Constitution, King incorporated “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. The land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!” in his speech. King spoke of the vision of being free. This was something the Americans have fought for in the past, which King used in his speech to address something universally common to everyone. It was a vision for everyone in the audience to share. As a result, the crowd of followers and believers of his revolutionary idea of the future became a shared vision.

To carry out this vision of the future, King delivered a photographic yet emotional speech. He painted the “big picture” so he can capture everyone’s attention and motivated others to follow. The speech addressed his deepest feelings as he described them all throughout his speech. For example, King said, “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” Those who have been wrongly accused and prosecuted would understand what King was mentioning. King allowed his audience to picture his vision emotionally when he said: “…the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” It was a picture of something that was never intended by a lot of people, but it was also a picture that many African Americans dreamed of. In addition, King exemplified his speech on a higher scale of respect when he announced with pride and dignity, “With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” These were brave statements considering the danger he may face with the advocates, but King remained courageous. The speech was motivating and encouraged more participants because the words were emotional. Through his speech, King gave his followers an inspired vision that he imagine and he painted a beautiful dream.

It is obvious that without being credible to their principles, a leader will not be successful in inspiring their vision. King was successful in the delivery of his speech because he spoke with authentic certainty about the principles of his belief and his actions. In his speech, he mentioned what he desired. He understood that his people were being judged and mistreated due to the fact that they have a different skin color. So in his speech, he said, “I have a dream that my four little 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 was the realistic aspiration that his people and King wanted. King was genuinely convicted of his principles. Thus he mentioned that he wanted to live in the nation with equality and respect. Another proof of his genuine confidence used the word faith wisely, “This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with”. King obviously knew that not everyone was a supporter of his principles, but that did not stop his actions as he believed in his own faith and the faith of the majority of the people. Hence, King was able to speak with genuine conviction about the higher meaning and principle of his belief in his “I have a dream” speech.

From this in-depth analysis of Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech, I see the vision that was inspired by King. Years after this great leader’s speech, King’s vision has become a reality. Today he can be considered as a leader who brought his people and followers the dream that they all shared together. His speech was appealing to others because it shared an exciting futuristic dream. I see the vision through King’s words because they were very visual and emotional. And he was clear and supportive of his beliefs; therefore King’s speech is a great example of how to inspire a vision for a team to share.