Jordan Rose

ENG 1201 Online

7 June 2014
Obama, Barack. "Te !i"#ie# $nni%ersar& o" #e 'arc on (asin)." *incoln memorial. 2+
$u)us# 201,. -.eec.
Barack Obama/s "Te !i"#ie# $nni%ersar& o" #e 'arc on (asin)#on" s.eec a# #e
*incoln 'emorial, be)ins b& im )i%in) a..recia#ion #o 'ar#in *u#er 0in) Jr./s "amil& and a
"e1 o#ers res.onsible "or #e endin) o" se)re)a#ion. 2e #en con#inues on #alkin) abou# o1
#1o3undred .eo.le, black and 1i#e, so1ed u. on $u)us# 2+#, 145, #o lis#en #o '*0/s "6
2a%e a 7ream" s.eec. Te& #ra%eled b& air.lanes, busses, and some e%en i#ciked #o so1
#eir su..or#.
Barack Obama #alks abou# some o" #e s#ru))les and #rials .eo.le ad #o su""er durin)
se)re)a#ion. $bou# o1 blacks couldn/# %o#e, ad #o si# in #e back o" #e bus, 1en# #o se)re)a#ed
scools, and "ou)# in 1ars "or $merican/s. 2e s.eaks abou# o1 a"#er 7r. 0in)/s s.eec .eo.le
brou)# o.e back #o #eir ci#ies. 2o.e #a# all o" #e a#red and %iolence 1ould soon end and
8us#ice 1ould .re%ail.
2e #en .a&s #ribu#e #o #e "our li##le )irls in Birmin)am, Edmund 9e##us Brid)e, and
o#ers 1o los# #eir li%es 1ile marcin) "or "reedom. Obama sa&s because o" #a# marcin)
and .ersis#ence $merican can)ed and ci%il ri)#s la1s 1ere .assed. Barack Obama #en
ca.#ures #e audience b& sa&in), "Because they marched, doors of opportunity and education
swung open so their daughters and sons could finally imagine a life for themselves beyond
washing somebody else's laundry or shining somebody else's shoes". The president then
talks about how the marching didn't just change right for AfricanAmericans, but also for
other subcultures.
Jordan 1
Barack then begins to describe how some people forget about all the fighting and
marching. About how some people take this for granted, and !edgar "vers, #ames $haney,
Andrew %oodman, !ichael &chwerner, and !artin 'uther (ing #r. did not die without a
purpose. )e says that to keep these rights they worked so hard to get re*uires vigilance and
that we all must continue to work forward for our country.
+bama then e,plains that even after fifty years the black unemployment is twice as
high as white unemployment. And that all working Americans have seen their incomes
decline. )e states this has become harder for American's to rise in the world of working
e*uality. )e talks about poverty schools, healthcare, and violence the effects many
Americans of every race. The president then talks about how it is now harder to get in the
middleclass because of technology and economic competition.
Barack +bama ends his speech by claiming that we as Americans are currently on a
path in which we need to change. )e says we are now ok with lower e,pectations and a
democracy that is failing. The change is up to us as Americans. )e claims that he can see it
everybody's face that we all want to help each other and to make this country a better place
to live. A country where everybody has the right to health care, where there are rights for
every child, where no one is homeless or hungry, and where there is a better education
system. )e states because he sees this in everybody, that everybody will be marching to
change America.
Jordan 2