Two Famous Speeches: Martin Luther King Junior and Barack Obama - Case Study Example

King’s claim to fame and notoriety comes from his tireless work as a civil rights leader, while Obama became a Center Stage featured speaker after the Democratic Party Convention in 2004. Both are known for the way they could and can captivate and move audiences. Perhaps, that is why King’s legacy lives on today, and, perhaps, so will Obama’s.

Trying to forge peace between all races, King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech was written during a time of great civil unrest in the United States. Races were fighting against one another, and African Americans seemed to be struggling for their rights everywhere they turned. It was a different time in America than today, and King’s speech reflected that. Similarly, Obama's speech in Cairo was given with the same hopes and dreams that are still topical in our time. Even today, the world is divided by religious strife and tension. Obama’s hope when delivering this speech in Egypt was to express his sincere desire to eliminate this ugly period from the world’s history and to have all religions and people live in peace with one another. This is a call to action and one that was heeded by millions across the country.

Obama’s speech had a similar tone to King’s. He stated the problem directly with his quote, “We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world” (“Remarks by the President on a New Beginning”). He was genuine in his desire to set the record straight and to work on ways that the two parts of the world could begin to live more peacefully together. Another significant quote in this speech is when Obama states that“[t]here must be a sustained effort to listen to each other and to seek common ground” (“Remarks by the President on a New Beginning”). He desires not to only work behind closed doors but air our differences in the open. This is a shift in policy and one that this speech started to bring about. Finally, Obama reminds everyone: “All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time” (“Remarks by the President on a New Beginning”). The word ‘share’ is significant. He is hopeful that all parties involved can begin to work and live together in a more peaceful environment and world.