Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech powerfully advocates for racial equality in America. King highlights the unfulfilled promise of the Emancipation Proclamation, emphasizing the ongoing struggle for civil rights a century later. He uses the metaphor of a check marked “insufficient funds” to represent America’s failure to deliver on its promise of freedom and justice for Black Americans. The speech calls for immediate action, rejecting gradualism and urging listeners to continue the fight for equality. Finally, King paints a hopeful vision of a future where racial harmony and justice prevail, inspiring his audience with the powerful imagery of freedom ringing across the nation.