How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph.Sentence), not including audience responses.
Quote #1
And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men in some strange way are responding. Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up.
And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee, the cry is always the same: "We want to be free." (10.5–8)
Dr. King attributes the 20th-century global human rights push to the influence of God. If God is "working" in the world, will the world inevitably turn out how God wants, or can people foil his plans by not "responding"? Of course, plenty of segregationists thought that they were doing God's will, too. After all, if God wanted everyone to drink from the same water fountains, then why did he make them look so different?
Quote #2
We mean business now and we are determined to gain our rightful place in God's world. And that's all this whole thing is about. […] We are determined to be people. We are saying, we are saying that we are God's children. And if we are God's children, we don't have to live like we are forced to live. (13.3–4, 7–9)
Here Dr. K leans on the Declaration's declaration that "all men are created equal," and are given by their "Creator" some inalienable rights to life, liberty, and…you know the rest. Being a child of God, according to King, makes you worthy of respect and dignity. Appealing to his listeners' sincere belief in God was a powerful motivator for them to be active in seeking the dignity and equality they deserve.
Quote #3
Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somewhere the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones, and whenever injustice is around he must tell it. […] It's all right to talk about long white robes over yonder, in all of its symbolism, but ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk about streets flowing with milk and honey, but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here and His children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. (20.3–4, 21.6–8)
While the afterlife is great and all, says Dr. K, religious leaders have a responsibility to assist people with material concerns in this world right here. He's almost dismissive of the spiritual realm, calling it "over yonder," as if it's an afterthought.
This passage exemplifies MLK's commitment to a set of ideas called the "Social Gospel." In contrast to traditional Christianity, which holds that human beings are "fallen" and unable redeem themselves, the Social Gospel says humans can be a force for good in the world. By following Jesus' example—especially loving one another and caring for the poor—people can bring about a kind of heaven on Earth.
No word on how many ice cream flavors there are in heaven on Earth, but we're betting it's a lot more than 31.
Quote #4
Jesus ended up saying this was the good man, this was the great man because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother. (27.10)
Why do you suppose King tells the Good Samaritan story? Does he think his audience won't help the sanitation workers unless they're reminded that God is watching them?
Btw, King is referencing Martin Buber, a Jewish theologian who wrote about "I-Thou" relationships vs. "I-It relationships." The former acknowledges the other person as a whole and unique person, the latter is a detached, one-sided type of encounter. It's about empathy, acknowledging the other's humanity. That's a gross over-simplification as you can see here, but that's the gist of it, plus it's all Shmoop can understand.
Quote #5
I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. […] Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. (45.6–10, 12)
In light of our discussion of the Social Gospel above, it becomes clear that the Promised Land is possibly less metaphorical than we might have thought. Maybe it's not a Promised Land as in just a really nice place to live, but an actual, God-ordained Promised Land on Earth, where true equality is found, brought about by doing the kinds of things King suggests in this speech.