I Have a Dream
Martin Luther King
I
Have a Dream is one of the best, powerful, and
unforgettable speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr., who is one of the
most influential personalities of the 20th Century and the leader of
the Black Civil Right's Movement. This speech was delivered in the centenary
(100 years) celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation on August 28, 1963 at
Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in front of 200 thousand people, both Black
and Whites. Apparently, the crowd was gathered to celebrate/mark the hundred
years of emancipation of the Blacks. However, in reality they had gathered to
unite and revive the rights of the Blacks stated by the American
Constitution.
The speech creates the significant
light of hope among millions of Blacks. He says that there is racial
discrimination, separation and injustice among the black and white American
people. The blacks are marginalized and dominated by the whites. They are put
in the chain of discrimination segregation. They are considered as second class
people. However, the American Constitution has stated rights to the Black: they
are exiled in their own land.
King Jr. brings the reference of the
past and points out that the Emancipation Proclamation had brought a great hope
for millions of Blacks. It heralded (new beginning) the end of 250 years and
more of Black slavery. But 100 years later, America had failed to keep the
promise and the promissory note turned out to be a bad cheque. It was evident from the conditions of
the Blacks that had remained unchanged. No, just the Emancipation Proclamation,
the American constitution and the Independence Declaration had both failed to
pay the promises of equality, happiness and liberty. Blacks were deprived of
all Civil Rights and opportunities. They have been facing racial discrimination
and injustice everywhere in America. They were still dominated in the different
opportunities by the Whites.
King Jr. uses the analogy of the bad
cheque to describe these two historic documents. King Martin refuses to believe
that the vault of justice in America is bankrupt. He asserts that the blacks
have gathered to cash the cheque (i.e. the emancipation proclamation) that
America had granted them. He further reminds that Blacks would no longer wait
for gradualism (a policy of gradual change in society).
King Jr. emphasizes on the urgency to
achieve to achieve their Civil Rights ‘now’. In order to achieve the Black
Civil Rights, King appeals to his fellowmen to unite for the struggle to revive
the Blacks’ rights. He requested all the people to fight for the rights in a
disciplined way rather than destructive way. He further appeals to the entire
crowd to go back to their states and continue the struggle raising awareness
amongst all and ringing the bell of freedom from every corner of America. At
the end, he shares his dreams, his concrete goals with all fellowmen.
1.
Implementation of constitution
2.
Removal of racial discrimination, developing feelings of brotherhood
3.
Man to be judged by his character and not by color, and abolition of
segregation
4.
Laws and liberty for all the Blacks
Women's Business
Ileme Kantrov
Women's Business is an essay written by Ilene Kantrov. In this essay, the writer presents the entrepreneurship of some women from USA, and their entry into the so-called male world of business. The women were not only the businesswomen. However, they helped the problem facing women by educating them as well as helping them solve their problems. Some of them contributed lavishly to hospitals, schools, and cultural organizations. These women tried to transform the home craft into a thriving business. Women’s business grew out of traditional women’s skill and provided for the needs mostly of women. Lydia E. Pinkham was the pioneer of the women business in USA.
The first women entrepreneurship of USA Lydia E. Pinkham started business to provide support to her family when her husband’s real estate business collapsed. She was a radical feminist and wanted to help the females rather than the males. Within two three years her company earned $200,000. She had launched a home remedy product called ‘Lydia E. Pinkham’s vegetables compound’ for all weakness of women. Her bold marketing strategies made her success in her business. She advertised her product herself creating the image of a gentle and kind woman who appealed to fellow women ‘to feel good’ and to improve the quality of their lives. In her advertisement she claimed that her medicine is the ‘greatest remedy of the world’. Thus, her customers were convinced that she was selling more than a product. Her ‘Department of Advise’ dispensed suggestions for all kinds of feminine problems (about diet, exercise and hygiene) along with prescribing her own remedies. She proclaimed herself as the “Savior of her sex.” Thus, she created history in America’s business. Many women later followed in her footsteps.
Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden were the rivals. They sold cosmetics. They were also married to rich and famous aristocrats from Europe. Margaret Rudkin began to sell additive-free wheat bread (healthy foods) that she first used to help her asthmatic son. Similarly, Jennie Grossinger owned a successful resort hotel that began serving 150,000 guests a year. Gertrude Muller, on the other hand, sold things to help people look after their babies, such as ‘toidey seats’. She put small books explaining her ideas about child raising in the packages of the things she sold. In the field of business, black women also showed their entrepreneurship. Annie Turnbo-Malone was a black American. She established a school for training for hairdressing, named it ‘Poro College’, and advertised it as a vehicle for the uplift of her race (blacks) and a passport to economic independence for women.
Thus, the thesis of this essay is that business women in the USA, from the later part of nineteenth century, tried to help women as well as to make money by selling things to them. Often, their methods of helping women, for example, through giving advices, helped them to sell more products. Sometimes, when feminine ideals collided with the realities of the market place, however, the businesswomen often bested the lady.
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