A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches - Term Paper Example

A Comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech in August 1963 and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in April 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will forever be remembered as one of the world’s most charismatic speakers and the focal point for the American civil rights movement of the early 1960s. In particular two of his pieces written in 1963, his famous “I Have a Dream” Speech1 and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”2 have been recognized as important historical documents which demonstrate both the main thrust of his ideas, and the style of leadership which he used. Because of his background as the son and grandson of Baptist preachers and his own work in this profession, his writing is heavily influenced by Biblical language and the context of the pulpit, where the pastor preaches and teaches his flock, at times encouraging and at times scolding them, as he lays out the path of righteousness that they should follow. This is where is inspiration derives from. The message of his more political writings, like the two items which are the focus of this paper, is less overtly Christian but the preacherly tone remains. It has been noted that Dr. King was a master of public speaking, and very conscious of the context in which he operated at all times. The unprecedented impact of the “I Have a Dream Speech” was partly due to its location and timing right at the end of a peaceful protest march of some 250,000 people at the heart of American democracy in Washington. The context meant that the speech was the finishing touch to the “dynamic spectacle”3 of the March, and the vision of this peaceful mass crowding around the Washington monument is the backdrop to this dramatic event. Martin Luther King was a leader, like many before him, who used large public gatherings and theatrical shows of strength to build consensus among his followers and to create an impression on those who were against him. He makes this explicit in his speech when he says “So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.” His role in the rallies was as the public face of a mass movement, and the mouthpiece for generations of people whose protest had been crushed. The first feature of Dr. King’s leadership is therefore his eloquence and rhetorical skill with which he mesemerized his followers and made a tremendous impact on listeners throughout America. The “I Have a Dream” speech is aspirational and emotional, and it shows the style that Dr. King wished to adopt as a leader. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has some of the same style, but it is much more concerned with the substance of his ideas and the detail of his tactics as the leader of a political movement. Critics have remarked on the way this letter represents the core of King’s mission in life, calling it “one of the most profound statements on the origins and goals of the civil rights movement” and “perhaps his greatest written work”4 The letter is addressed to his fellow clergymen of many different denominations who were opposed to Dr. King’s call for direct action to resist oppression, recommending instead a more conciliatory approach based on negociation rather than political gestures. Dr. King’s response is predictably passionate in its absolute rejection of the status quo but also extremely measured in its criticism of opponents, and its careful enunciation of a strategy of peaceful protest. One way of seeing what type of leader that Dr. King himself hoped to be is to be found in an examination of the famous people whom he mentions in the letter. He mentions Socrates three times, the Greek philosopher who taught his students to think and argue for themselves, but was ultimately condemned to death by an uncomprehending establishment. This shows that he wants his followers to use their minds, and not just follow blindly. He mentions examples in history like Adolf Hitler : “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal”…” (p. 5) to make the point that corrupt laws need to be resisted, and explain his position as a prisoner in jail for his activities in speaking up for civil rights. He quotes also a number of Christian theologians: Reinhold Niebuhr, St Augustine and Paul Tillich, as well as the Jewish scholar Martin Buber because he wants to appeal to the particular intellectual background of his audience who in this case are clergymen. At one point he also quotes the poet and dramatist T.S. Eliot, as if to demonstrate that he is an educated man who can understand the culture of university educated white people as well as his own undereducated black followers. In all of these cases he identifies with the acknowledged leading writers and sides against the oppressors, creating common cause with the widest possible audience. The single most effective technique that Dr. King used in advocating peaceful protest was to redefine what the American establishment understood “peace” and “equality” and “justice” to mean. By illustrating the stultifying effect of complacent and racist policies on the children of black citizens he proved that the constitution was invalid for this section of the population. He rejects calls to reason and patience, because in the face of oppression these tactics prolong the injustice: “Even now, the time, timeliness, and timelessness of King’s dream dwells in the urgency of now.”5 Dr. King is careful not to use veiled threats of violence and explains in great detail the efforts he and his colleagues must make to ensure that violence towards them is not returned. His explanation of the concept of “soul force” as opposed to the “physical force” of the police and the Islamic black activists makes sure that his form of protest retains the moral high ground. It has been noted that the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” did much to further the cause of the civil rights movement: “Its reception was overwhelmingly positive, indeed it legitimated the direct-action movement as no other single piece of writing had done.”6 As a result of this reasoned and logical, yet passionate letter, the civil rights protesters had a blueprint for passive resistance which they largely followed, in contrast to the police: “King’s letter, influential throughout much of the nation, made no difference to “Bull” Connor and his police, who lost all restraint when confronted with larger demonstrations and more cameras.” 7 Over time it was the stark contrast between the violence of the oppressors and the dignified, reasonable resistance of the protestors, under exemplary leadership from Dr. Martin Luther King, which convinced the American authorities to change the unjust laws of segregation in the South. References Levy, P.B (ed.) (1992). Let Freedom Ring: A Documentary History of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Westport, CT : Praeger. Luther King Jr., M. (1963) “I Have A Dream.” Retrieved from: http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html Luther King Jr., M. (1963) “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Retrieved from: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King//frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf Salmond, J.A. (1997 ). My Mind Set on Freedom. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee Publisher. Vail, M. (2006). The “integrative” Rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” Speech.” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 9 (1) 51-78. Read More