What is the reason Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist preacher who gave many sermons and speeches. His "I Have A Dream" speech is probably his most famous as it was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Aug. 23, 1963.  The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Sept. 22, 1862. Almost 100 years to the day elapsed between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln and the "I have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Even though black slaves were given their freedom, they were not treated as truly free people in that they were not paid the same, nor were they allowed the same privileges as white persons. Dr. King gave this speech to motivate his followers to continue to boycott, protest, and demonstrate until they were granted full equality and privileges due any citizen of the United States of America.

Things were going well with the civil rights movement, and the people who were marching, demonstrating, and boycotting the inequity between the races were getting the attention of the government officials. This speech served to focus the attention on the need for racial equality NOW, not some time down the road or in a little while.

This speech served to motivate those who were feeling restless and impatient to wait and persevere a while longer using peaceful demonstration techniques rather than resort to violence. Dr. King was an encourager and a motivator.  He new how to speak to the authorities and work a room as well as give motivational speeches to his audience.  He was also not afraid to go into the streets and be involved in the demonstrations and protests himself. He did not ask his followers to do anything that he would not do himself.

We study his speech because he died at the hands of an assassin in the middle of his great work. The essential King speech is his "promised land" speech or the "mountaintop" speech. This was his last speech, and some say, a prophetic speech. Dr. King kept the focus tightly on the injustice of racial inequality throughout the speech while encouraging and motivating those who followed his civil rights movement to persevere and continue the fight even if he himself was not there to lead the way. This is a poignant speech, because Dr. King was assassinated the next day.

Most of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches were designed to persuade or to motivate the listener to act or behave in a particular way.