Martinl.King Speech Evalution

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color, blacks, Hispanics, Orientals, 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.

The following is X - Factor opinion of Dr. Martin Luther King's...

"I Have A Dream Speech"

Use of support

The art of public speaking has the power to influence and also motivate. This is never more evident than the speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King. King's eloquent mastery of voice inflection and use of support were powerful in his famous I have a dream speech. One of the profound statements in the speech is when Dr King states "those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual", reflects kings use of support because he uses the violent racial tension of the 1960 to support his speech. The country was in constant turmoil because of racial tension and Dr King's statement was to influence his audience with a constant reality to support it.

Knowledge of Subject

Knowledge of any subject is instrumental in giving a good speech. Knowledge of the subject matter is the cornerstone in delivering or presenting facts or insight. When Dr King gave the "I have a Dream Speech" he was in a unique position. He was not an outsider who researches a topic and speaks about the subject matter. Dr King lived the subject matter daily which enabled him to deliver the speech with passion and emotion. His knowledge of the subject is clear when he states in the speech "we can never be satisfied as our bodies, heavy from fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities". This statement alone is a clear indication that his experience with lodging gave him insight into this subject.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. begins by giving his listeners great anticipation of the reason they were witnessing his speech. He did this by stating that this particular demonstration for freedom would go down in history. This was a great attention-getter for the millions of listeners that either heard the speech live at Lincoln Memorial, saw it on television, or heard it on the radio. He spoke on injustices of the past and injustices that still continued the day Dr. King delivered his speech. The points he opened his speech with definitely grabbed his audience's attention and kept it until the end of his speech.

During the conclusion of the speech Dr. King leaves his audience filled with hope for a brighter future. He draws his audience in by sharing a dream which he has. This dream involves seeing unity between all ethnicities and religions or as Dr. King mentioned all of God's children. The dream he speaks of makes his listeners break out in cheer and praises which fill the air. The cheering is due to the audience's agreement to Dr. King's dream and the hope that fills their heart and soul. The last words that ring in the air are the words written by J. W. Work, to a song titled "Free at Last".

Delivery of Speech

Wow, what an incredible speech that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made in 1963. I actually never saw the whole speech that he made in the past; I only saw parts of it. But I viewed the speech and it was very strong. His voice was steady and courageous from the things that he was bold to say. It is obvious that he is no novice at public speaking; I mean he was known as a reverend, so he must have had a great deal of speeches. But I have been told by accomplished speakers that even they still get nervous up on stage, even if they make it seem that they are not nervous.

Regarding the gestures of his speech, he had real good face gestures and facial expressions, but I feel that he should have used more hand gestures. He did use hand gestures real good at the