The unknown hero of MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 popularized the dream metaphor, but the phrase "American dream" was originally coined and popularized by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book "The Epic of America."
- Adams, a Wall Street banker and historian, used the American dream to describe a vision of social order where individuals could reach their fullest potential regardless of birth or status, aiming to inspire hope during the Great Depression.
- While King was influenced by Adams' metaphor, he infused it with emotional power and personal experience as a civil rights leader, transforming it into a rallying cry for racial equality and justice.
- The American dream's meaning has evolved, with many Americans today
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