Question

Through most of the speech, King’s target audience is the government and people in power. Focusing on Paragraph 8 of the speech, his audience changes. Who is it now, and how does he want his audience to work towards racial justice? Using CSET, explain your answer and cite evidence from the text.

A. The audience changes to the general public, and he wants them to actively support racial justice by joining protests and advocating for change.
B. The audience changes to children, and he wants them to be educated about racial justice and its importance.
C. The audience changes to academics, and he wants them to conduct research on racial justice issues.
D. The audience remains the same, and King continues to address the government and people in power.

Answer 1

In paragraph 8 of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, the audience shifts to the general public, whom he encourages to actively support racial justice through peaceful protests and advocacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In paragraph 8 of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the audience shifts to the general public, including those not traditionally involved in politics or civil rights activism. King's message here is inclusive, calling on every individual to become an active participant in the pursuit of racial justice. He aims to inspire the wider community to support racial justice through involvement in peaceful protests and advocacy, reflecting the communal ethos of the Civil Rights Movement. This means focusing not just on academics or children per se, but rather on a broad-based appeal to all spectators and citizens who can contribute to the cause. Given the historical context of the 1963 March on Washington and the subsequent movements, his call to action was to encourage everyone to take part in nonviolent efforts to effect change.