Urgent 2

I have a Dream

Student’s Name: Nandebwa Gipanga

Instructor Name: Bob Wingate

Western Political Rhetoric: Speech Selection and Outline

Western political and activist leaders have continually transformed the Western societies through their powerful speeches. One powerful speaker during the 20th century was Martin Luther King, Jr.

Speech Title

I have a dream

Speaker

· I have a dream speech was made by Martin Luther King Jr.

· He was an activist who advocated for the rights of African-Americans at the period when the US was hugely divided racially.

· He led activists movements and campaigned for equal rights. He was not formally affiliated to any political party during his lifetime.

Occasion of the speech and audience

· The speech was made on August 28, 1963 at Lincoln memorial in Washington DC.

· The speech was addressed to a crowd of civil rights protesters who wanted for an equal society.

· His speech was an inspiration to the discriminated minorities that a time would come when they would have equal rights to the US. It also intended to rally civil activists against the abuse of the minority racial groups in the US.

Main Idea of the Speaker

· The main idea of Luther King was freedom and equality (Ball, 2005).

· He wanted the audience to believe that it was possible for freedom to be achieved…I have a dream that one day our children will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character.

Reasons/Evidence/Arguments

The evidence presented in the speech was about the Negro people…the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (Robert, 2010)

Western Values

He appealed to the values of liberty, and self-determination…would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Robert, 2010).

Speaker’s Virtue Appeal

Luther’s virtue appeal was:

· Justice - This note was a promise that all men - yes, black men as well as white men

· Temperance - Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check (Robert, 2010)

Evaluation

The speech by Luther was exemplary in calling upon the US government to remember the promissory note the founding fathers made during the drafting of the constitution; a freer and fair America.

References

Ball, J. A. (2005). Martin Luther King, Jr: I have a dream! Bearport Publishing.

Roberts, R. (2010, January 18). 'I have a dream' speech, in its entirety. NPR.org.  https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety