Chapter 1: The Making of a Dreamer (1929-55) Summary and Analysis

The "I Have a Dream" speech best categorizes Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of optimism and hope. King believed in the American dream of freedom and equality for all. His views date back far into black history in the United States.

King was born January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, George to a religious, middle-class family. His father was a pastor, along with his grandfather. He grew up participating in a community agitating for equality and justice. The NAACP helped to spread these values, often understood religiously, throughout the black community. Their protests symbolized a desire for equality with whites. The black middle class believed strongly in education, morality and business. Whites would eventually accept blacks, on this view. King's community of middle-class blacks believed in "self-help." King's father taught...