Chenoa Dickson

English 1101
Cassel
01/28/15

Obama, Barack. 50th Anniversary Speech. The White House. Online. August 28th 2013.

In Barack Obamas speech on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther Kings speech,
President Obama expressed that we must carry on the journey to freedom and equality. The
struggles and barriers of obtaining equality for who you are may not be as harsh, but we as a
country still have a long way to go.
In the beginning of the speech, Obama expresses how people of all different
backgrounds decided to take a stand for those who were treated unfairly. You didnt only see
African Americans fighting for freedom, but you saw different races standing there with them,
including Whites. In the years under the leadership of Dr. King for civil rights, people realized
that our country really did have problems regarding freedom and equality. Obama also states that
as a generation, we owe our thankfulness of our current freedoms to those who decided to pave
the way and lead us to become a better and stronger country. For without the selflessness of those
individuals, this country would not be how it is today.
Even though we have grown tremendously as a country, we still have issues present in
todays generation. We are constantly blaming the police claiming that theyre profiling who they

shoot and kill. He claimed that race cards and the government got in the way of people wanting
the best for each other. All the focus had been placed on politics, and people made excuses for
not doing what they were supposed to in order to make their lives successful. Obama encourages
us to want to make a change in how we think and act.
Towards the end of the speech, President Obama explains that we need to take charge and
finish the path that civil rights leaders paved for us. Not only must it be focused on equality for
African Americans, but for every race and everything that can cause you to be discriminated
against. In order to achieve change and equality, we must work together and not against each
other.
The March on Washington teaches us that we are not trapped by the mistakes of history;
that we are the masters of our fate. But it also teaches us that the promise of this nation will only
be kept when we work together (Obama). We cannot rely on the government to make the
changes for us. We must rely on ourselves. This country must focus on who we are as people that
want to make a change, and will treat each other better than the generations before us.

Works Cited
Obama, Barack. "The Fiftieth Anniversary of the March on Washington." Lincoln Memorial. 28 August
2013. Speech.