"I have a dream today 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.' "
On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered those words from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of roughly 200,000 people. The speech, "I Have a Dream," was one of King's most famous speeches, according to David Pellow, assistant professor of sociology and ethnic studies at CU-Boulder, and is credited with galvanizing the civil rights movement and offering hope that one day his dream would be realized by African-Americans throughout the country.
"For African-Americans today, in addition to being the leader of the civil rights movement, I think that Dr. King represented hope," said Pellow. "King's actions showed that someone from any walk of life could achieve upward mobility, could achieve status, could achieve their dreams."
What Pellow believes people should know about King, but probably don't, is that he was more than just a great orator and charismatic figurehead. King also was an astute strategist and organizer who was able to attack the very core of racism in America and used the "I Have a Dream" speech to challenge 1960s America to honor the founding principles of democracy, said Pellow.
"In many cases King had to throw those principles in people's faces and have people look in the mirror and ask, 'Are you really living by the foundations of the United States, its founding principles of freedom, democracy, equality for all? This was all part of King's strategy in the battle for racial equality," said Pellow. "It is clear from historical documents that Dr. King was actually at the forefront of the strategic planning, the tactical maneuvers, the development of strategy and implementation throughout the movement's history."
It is important to note that King attacked more than just racism, said Pellow. He also raised awareness about human rights and came out against the war in Vietnam, something that Pellow believes may have cost King his life.
"Something that seems to be forgotten about Dr. King is that in the late 60s he really made a shift toward campaigning for human rights and he opposed the war in Vietnam," said Pellow. "That's when many scholars and many activists think that he shifted from being a kind of harmless activist to really dealing with U.S. foreign policy, dealing with the slaughter of innocent people and dealing with the military-industrial complex. These are much more sensitive and dangerous questions and issues to be addressing and so many folks think that's really when he became a threat and perhaps that's why he was assassinated."
On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated by a sniper's bullet as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis after delivering a speech in support of striking sanitation workers.
For more information about King and the civil rights movement contact Pellow at (303) 492-1016 or e-mail him at david.pellow@colorado.edu.