LAD #26 I Have a Dream Speech

This day is set aside to honor the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and all his efforts in the Civil Rights Movement. Some of his most famous words are in his "I have a dream" speech. Speaking in front of thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial, King makes an allusion to the Emancipation Proclamation--a document that ensured the freedom of black slaves. King says that despite this proclamation made by a long dead president, the "Negro is not free." King feels like an exile in his own land. He and his followers gathered in Washington D.C. to "cash their check," to gain protection of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. King hopes that justice will soon be at hand, and King urges his supporters to not be violent in achieving this, but affirming their ownership of justice with patience and discipline. King is hopeful for the future, and dreams for the day when his children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. People must dedicate themselves to freedom, and give new respect for the phrase "let freedom ring." Freedom must ring through the lands of the country both free of hatred and in the hotspots of racial discrimination. When this happens, the people of the nation can move forward together and realize King's dreams.