Purpose

 **Purpose**



Throughout history, there has been countless attempts to obtain equality for all races and social classes. Many specific groups of people have been targeted in the past by a more powerful demographic or social class. In each instance, there has been somebody like Martin Luther King Jr., a man who put his own needs last and focused on the needs of his people. He was a leader who orchestrated one of the greatest freedom movements in history. In Martin Luther King's speech, he acknowledges that a pattern has become evident with the types of issues that he and his people are facing. Revolts and revolutions have been silenced through violence and other methods of terror. King successflly harnesses the emotion and anger built up through countless failed attempts at liberation and inspires his people to fight for what they believe. Unlike all past revolutions, violence would not be practiced in any way. King was the leader of a peaceful revolution, one that would make a huge impact on history forever.

//Quote Number One// "...One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free."

He is referring to a promise that society made to the injusticed population, the Emancipation Proclamation, that freed the slaves from the existing slave states after the civil war. One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed, the promise had never really been accepted within society, and black people were still regarded with less respect than white people. The day he gave his speech for the public, he was set on changing the pattern that society had been falling back into over and over again for all of its existance. After he had contributed his thoughts on the matter, he pressed for equality until changes finally were being made.

//Quote Number Two// "...we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt."

The white supremacist society had been taking all kinds of action to prevent African-Americans from feeling equal or superior to them. This made them believe that their desire for submission was beginning to take effect and the black people had begun to give up on their freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. set out to let those ignorant citizens know that their preventative action will have no affect whatsoever on the will power and strength o his people. He was the voice of hope for their generation, and his voice would be heard for generations to come as well.

//Quote Number Three// "It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment."

If much more time had passed before a speech of this calliber or another demonstration like this had occurred, there would be no turning back. Efforts to halt the reconstruction of America had become so intense and powerful, that soon there would be no help. Martin Luther King Jr. was urging the African Americans to act before it was too late. He devoted several lines in his speech to the urgency of the movement that was about to occur. He was the kickstart that the people needed to fight for their freedom.


 * If any more time had passed, do you think that efforts to reconstruct America could have been permamently halted?**