Tuesday, 31 March 2009

What is Martin Luther King's view of the "American Dream" as seen in his "I Have a Dream" speech?

The
American Dream is that anyone from any walk of life can make it big and find happiness so long
as they work hard. This dream assumes that society allows people to achieve this success,
regardless of class, race, gender, or any other such demographic classification.


Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the American Dream (he even says his specific dream
is embedded within the American Dream itself), but he also knew that it was not a reality for
everyone, especially black Americans. Even after slavery was abolished in the United States,
black Americans were still repeatedly denied human rights and opportunities that white Americans
enjoyed.

In the "I Have a Dream" speech, King believes that the
American Dream can only become a reality when all people in the United States view one another
as brothers and equals, regardless of racial differences. In this way, King does not deny the
validity of the ideals behind the American Dream; however, he does criticize the United States's
inability...

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