Question

What conclusion can be drawn from reading this excerpt from Dr. King's speech?

A) People were very hot that day.
B) The speech was delivered in 1963.
C) Dr. King wanted people to use physical violence.
D) Negroes were not allowed to vote in the United States.

Passage:
I Have a Dream (2)
Martin Luther King, Jr.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Answer 1

The conclusion from Dr. King's speech excerpt is that Negroes were not allowed to vote in the United States at the time, signifying a clear civil rights issue, and that the struggle for equality was to be conducted nonviolently.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct conclusion that can be drawn from reading the excerpt from Dr. King's speech is that Negroes were not allowed to vote in the United States. In his speech, Dr. King refers to the injustices faced by African Americans, including the inability to vote, as part of their struggle for civil rights. He emphasizes the need for persistent action and advocacy for freedom and equality and explicitly states that physical violence is not the path to achieving these goals. Therefore, it is clear that Dr. King was advocating for a peaceful resolution to the systemic barriers preventing African Americans from participating fully in society as equal citizens.

Throughout the civil rights movement, Dr. King maintained a philosophy of nonviolence despite the challenges and opposition the movement faced. He passionately encouraged the audience to continue to struggle with dignity and discipline, highlighting the year 1963 as the beginning of a contiued fight for justice. The passage asserts that societal change was essential and that tranquility would not be achieved until the African American community was granted full citizenship rights, including voting rights. This reflects his broader vision and also responds to the question by indicating that the goal of the movement was not to dissipate energy through protests, but to ensure lasting changes are made.