Obviously race is the name of the game here. If white leaders had given due rights to African Americans from the start, there might have been no need for a March on Washington, a Civil Rights Movement, or the "I Have a Dream" speech. Nope, nope, and nope.
From day one of American history, race has been the huge ketchup stain on America's cashmere sweater. It's a stain that hasn't totally come out, even with multiple washings.
MLK's idea of race is a progressive one. Instead of trying to wash out the stains, he imagined knitting a new sweater—moving slowly toward something new and better, namely a society without racism. In this speech, the end of discrimination is described as America's IOU to African Americans. It's not a potential improvement, but a necessary overhaul.
Questions About Race
- Did Martin Luther King, Jr. think America should be post-racial, or colorblind?
- Is it possible to ignore race in contemporary America in order to try to create equality? Would this be a good idea?
- How were African Americans still not treated equally in the 1950s and '60s, long after the end of slavery?
- What are some likely reasons that slavery didn't end during or directly after the American Revolution?
Chew on This
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" links the history of early America to the racism of modern times, in order to show that African Americans are still not free.
MLK's "dream" is of a race-equal society, rather than a race-free society.