American Dream By Dr. Martin Luther King
Everyone has a dream. The poor want to be wealthy and the wealthy want to be even wealthier. Success is want these people are striving for so their dreams can come true. The American Dream is that one or many goals one sets for themselves. How do they make it come true? By believing in themselves and working harder than they have ever done before in their life. In order to get it you have to earn it; that is what the American Dream is all about. Throughout this essay I will discuss my American Dream and the American Dream of the motivated African American Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In my eyes the American Dream is something that someone works for to better their future. In order for me to make my future better I have to work on my education. My longtime dream since the start of high school was to get into Michigan State University. I had to do everything I could to get in. When I got my letter I was so happy to finally be able to go. Michigan State has a really good medical program, which goes with me getting into medical school. Hospitals need doctors and surgeons so patients can get the care they need. I am dedicated to my goal and I will do everything I can to get it.
Obstacles may slow me down but in the end I will become a surgeon and do my job to help people in need. My opinion on the American Dream isn’t the only one. Many famous philosophers believe in the American Dream. One person that really believed in the people’s future was Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an African American man who stood up for his community to be treated equally to the white community. Dr. King stated in his “I Have a Dream Speech”: “The substance of the Dream is expressed in some very familiar words found in the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is a dream” (The American Dream 1). During the 60’s, African Americans were free from slavery. They were no longer property to the white man, but their treatment never changed. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for the black community. He believed that all people are created equally and that all people have the same rights. In Dr.
King’s speech: “It does not say some men, it says all men. It does not say all white men, but it says all men which includes black men. It doesn’t say all Protestants, but it says all men which includes Catholics. It doesn’t say all Gentiles; it says all men which includes Jews” (The American Dream –Sweet Speeches). His American Dream is for him and his people to have the same rights and treatment as white people. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man believed in the Declaration of Independence which clearly states that all men are created equal.
Race and color don’t matter everyone is equal. Throughout history racism has been a problem across the United States. People still do believe that black people shouldn’t have the same rights as white people. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s non-violence movements helped the black community fight back against segregation. Martin Luther King Jr. had an American Dream just like me. Mine and his dreams are very different, but each of us had to work hard to make them come true. His dream came true by protesting in the streets so he and his people could have the right to vote.
My dream hasn’t come true yet, but I know it will with all the work I put into it. Our American Dreams are very different, but we both dreamed something big for our future. Works Cited Luther King Jr. : I Have A Dream. N. p. , delivered 28 August 1963. Web. 25 Sep 2012. Luther King Jr. , Reverend Dr. Martin. “The American Dream. ” The American Dream- Drew University. Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, February 5, 1964. Luther King Jr. , Martin. “Martin Luther King Jr. : The American Dream-Sweet Speeches. ” The American Dream. N. P. , July 4, 1965. Web. 26 Sep 2012.
