Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his hope for a final march on Memphis. After a violent protest, he felt ashamed as to how it turned out, and planned to remain non violent. King delievered this speech the evening before his assassination, which is about the hope for Blacks as they near the "promised land". He interprets America as the promised land. He said, "He's allowed me to to go up to the mountain, and I've looked over. And I've seen the promsied land. As a people will get to the promised land." King invisioned this land for his people. He knows it is possible not only because God has told him so, but because he is hopeful that their long fight has finally come to the place were they belong. Blacks have been climbing their mountain, peak by peak, fighting each battle to look over and see their beautfiul land. King assures the people that this will come if they remain nonviolent and comply with the First Amendment (freedom of speech, protest, religion etc).
4. What did the "promised land" stand for in his speech? What do you think King meant when he said he had seen "the promised land"?
As I said above, the promised land is a sanctuary of peace. It is a place were people can be who they wish to be and a place that terminates any exclusion. This land is the opportunity to the people that have made it thus far, the one's who fought when others didn't. It is also a symbol of older generations who paved the way for younger generations. The promised land is not only a home, but a permanent reminder of all of past brutality that had finally come to an end.
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