I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a vision of hope and equality for all people, emphasizing the importance of unity and justice.
In this powerful quote, Martin Luther King Jr. articulates his dream of a future where social barriers are dismantled, and everyone, regardless of their background, experiences equal dignity and justice. The imagery of valleys being exalted and mountains made low signifies the transformation of societal inequalities, creating a harmonious world where the divine glory is acknowledged collectively. It serves as a poignant call for civil rights and unity in the face of oppression.
In practice
In a speech about social justice, one might use this quote to illustrate the need for collective action towards equality.
This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
Music is the best consolation for a despaired man
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world
One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
We can still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace. So that’s what I strive to do and pray to do every day.
I'm a dreamer and continue to dream of what can and will be, "Expecting great things from God, Attempting great things for God
As a doctor, when I was minister of health and would go somewhere, little girls would come up to me and say, 'I want to be like you one day, I want to be a doctor.' Now, they tell me, 'I want to be president just like you.' All of us can dream as big as we want.
Every day, women and girls are finding incredible confidence and taking risks. When they change one mind, pretty soon, they have changed one tradition. That changed tradition has changed a village. That one village has changed a country. That new reality means new opportunities for themselves and their daughters.
There are a lot of people who are doing wonderful things, quietly, with no motive of greed, or hostility toward other people, or delusions of superiority.
What's it like finding out Denzel Washington wants you to direct his next movie? It's like getting a phone call from Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan saying they want you to coach them.
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