The Best Political Speech Of The Last Century

Politicians give speeches to rally support from voters.sons of former slave owners will they be able to sit
Some have a gift for oratory. Many politicians do not. Indown together at a table of brotherhood."
2008, it's election season in America and the speechesLater in the speech his analogy of a "promissory note"
come at us from every side of the political spectrum.was perfect for our capitalist society. King said, "In a
We can see excerpts from candidates' speeches onsense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a
television commercials, in debates and, on the nightlycheck. When the architects of our republic wrote the
news.magnificent words of the Constitution and the
The fact is that there are many different types ofDeclaration of Independence, they were signing a
political speeches. There is the standard candidatepromissory note to which every American was to fall
"stump" speech, a speech used in every venue that aheir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black
candidate visits in the course of his campaign day.men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the
There is the convention speech where a candidate willunalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
give a major address at a party's political convention.happiness. It is obvious today that America has
There is the inaugural address that a newly electeddefaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her
President gives to begin his/her term in office. There iscitizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this
the State of the Union address that a President givessacred obligation, America has given the Negro people
to Congress each year. There are speeches aftera bad check, a check which has come back marked
surprise events like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. There are'insufficient funds.'"
speeches after world events and natural disasters.Indeed, his speech now seems like a long time ago, but
Indeed there have been hundreds of thousands ofonly less than five decades have passed into history.
political speeches given by countless politicians overThe transformation of American society in that short
the last hundred years in America.span of time has been remarkable. The America of
The reality is that of all these political speeches there1963 was certainly a much different place than it is
are very few that we can remember. There are stillnow. Racial discrimination and segregation were the
fewer that made a difference and had any meaningfulorder of the day. Voting rights for black Americans
impact. That is why given our perspective of historicalwas compromised at every turn. In fact, Martin Luther
hindsight that we must acknowledge a truly greatKing was arrested about twenty times and assaulted
political speech, a speech that was given withat least four times prior to 1963.
remarkable courage at the time, a speech withSociety would begin to change after that speech on
historical significance delivered with passion, moralthe steps of the Lincoln Memorial. One year later, the
conscience, and delivered with perfect cadence and aCivil Rights Act of 1964 would outlaw segregation in
speech that would mark a significant turning point inUnited States schools and public places. It would
American society. The " I Have a Dream" speech ofprohibit discrimination in schools, hiring ,and housing. In
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the speech which fills all this1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act which
criteria and more.effectively eliminated various states' practices of
Dr. Martin Luther King gave the famous speech ondisenfranchising black voters.
August 28, 1963. The speech was delivered to overDr. King would be named Time Man of the Year in
two hundred thousand civil rights supporters during the1963. He would be awarded five honorary degrees. In
March on Washington on the steps of the Lincoln1964, at the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Memorial. It would be a defining moment for the civilwould become the youngest man to receive the Nobel
rights movement, a movement which represented anPeace Prize.
American cultural revolution with ammunition thatThere certainly have been great political speeches in
consisted only of extraordinary words.America in the last one hundred years. Franklin
King's address was given to advocate racial harmony.Roosevelt delivered two with his First Inaugural
It referenced the Bible, Lincoln's Gettysburg AddressAddress and his Pearl Harbor Address. John
and the Declaration of Independence. It was a call toKennedy's Inaugural Address and Ronald Reagan's
history, moral conscience, and justice. In Dr. King'sShuttle Disaster speech were a couple of more great
words in 1963, "I have a dream that one day this nationspeeches. I am sure you can think of others, that I may
will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:have not mentioned here.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all menHowever, when one considers the history of the time
are created equal. I have a dream that my four littleand the political change that would follow, the (Dr.
children will one day live in a nation where they will notMartin Luther King) "I Have a Dream" speech would be
be judged by the color of their skin but by the contentmy choice for best political speech of the last century
of their character. I have a dream that one day on thein America. If your choice lies elsewhere, then we can
red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and theagree to disagree.