EDST 391-083
Color-Blind Nation: Worthy or Worthless Ideal?

Topic

In his "I Have a Dream" (1963 March on Washington) speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.'"

What conception of equality does King's speech reflect?

Grading criteria

• Develops a clear thesis.
• Provides evidence for it, quoting from the speech itself.
• Writes in well organized, coherent, concise manner.
• Also deals with the following issues.
  • Clarifies how, for King, freedom relates to equality. This is a very important part of the question because he speaks of freedom much more often than equality.
  • Compares his conception of equality to others we have talked or read about. (Such comparisons make it clear what you--and he--really meant.) To the extent you can discern what King did not mean by equality, it would be helpful to discuss that too.

Helpful hint

I am not looking for one particular answer to the question of what King means by equality (although some answers may be easier to defend that others). What I am looking for is a clear argument with persuasive evidence presented in an organized, coherent manner. Please note, too, that you cannot ignore evidence in the article that would seem to contradict your thesis.