Dear Dr. King,

Throughout your efforts to gain racial equality, using religion provides a strong argument in your speech, “I Have a Dream.” Religious allusion allows those of a different belief to relate to your situation, and other Negro’s as well. By doing so, it creates the idea the we are all born equally and should not be distinguished by the color of our skin. In your speech, you also describe how we all share the similarity that we are all born under a creator, referring back to your speech where it states,” We will be to speed up that day when all of God’s children , black men, white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands.”(Pg. 408) Providing this statement, and referring to us people, as “God’s Children,” allows me to realize that if we are supposidely created equally, coming together, or “Joining hands” if you may, will create a stronger message in the fight to end segregation.

On the other hand, in your letter from “Birmingham Jail”, it is quite differently worded in my opinion, although you are still composing the same point which is gaining racial equality. In your letter, I found your language to be much more aggressive and up front, such as providing the point that a Negro is treated with such disrespect for no apparent reason. For example, when you state,” When your first name becomes nigger, and your middle name becomes boy (however old your are) and your last name becomes John.”(Pg. 2) This statement provides the idea that all blacks are not referred to by their own name as a sign of disrepect. Although both the letter from “Birmingham Jail” and the “I Have a Dream” speech consist of the same concept, I believe the Letter was much strongly worded in the reason being that it was meant to be read by eight white religious leaders of the south, whereas the the speech was being read for the people, especially Negros.