In his "I Have a Dream" speech, King refers to African Americans coming to the nation's capital to "cash a check" as a metaphor for demanding the rights promised to them by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These documents guaranteed all men, including black men, unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which had not been fulfilled due to segregation and racial discrimination.

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. cites specific acts of injustice against African Americans such as racism, segregation, lack of rights, police brutality, inequality in accessing motels and hotels, relegation of black people to ghettos, signs that specify whites only, and the inability of African Americans to vote.

Dr. King dreamed of a future where Civil Rights is a continuous journey, symbolized by the "walk" towards equality. He also envisioned Civil Rights as a natural entitlement, using natural imagery like "justice rolls down like waters." Lastly, he dreamed of unity, represented by the "table of brotherhood" where former slaves and slave owners' descendants sit together.

In his speech, King supports the claim that "the Negro is still not free" by highlighting ongoing segregation, discrimination, poverty, and social marginalization of African Americans. He describes segregation as "manacles" and discrimination as "chains," illustrating legal and societal barriers. King also notes the economic disparity, where African Americans live in poverty amid national prosperity, and emphasizes their exclusion from mainstream society, likening their status to "exiles" within their own country.

The metaphors "manacles of segregation" and "chains of discrimination" signify the severe oppression and denial of rights experienced by African-Americans. Dr. King uses these images to link the Civil Rights struggle to the broader American identity and to awaken the conscience of White Americans. These metaphors highlight the daily limitations and bondage faced by African-Americans, aiming to garner broader support for the Civil Rights movement.

Dr. King's references to Mississippi in his "I Have a Dream" speech highlight the state's embodiment of extreme segregation and racism, symbolizing the broader struggle for civil rights. By contrasting Mississippi's oppressive "nightmare" with his vision of racial harmony, King emphasizes his dream of transforming such places into "oases of freedom and justice." This underscores his commitment to nonviolent protest and moral transformation, aligning with Gandhian principles.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is a plea for freedom and equality for African Americans in that it shows that freedom is lacking, illustrates this concept through the metaphor of the bad check, encourages the audience to never give up their work for these rights, proclaims his dream for a better future, and declares, "Let freedom ring."

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. inferred that African American progress could be accelerated through dedicated effort towards integration and desegregation. He emphasized that the destinies of African Americans and white Americans are intertwined, advocating for racial harmony and equality. King believed that achieving civil rights for African Americans would benefit all, envisioning a future where children of all races could live together as equals.

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. highlights that a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans still face segregation, discrimination, and poverty. He describes them as living on an "island of poverty" amid widespread prosperity, marginalized, and feeling like exiles in their own land. King uses these examples to illustrate that despite legal freedom, true equality and economic justice remain unfulfilled for African Americans.

Dr. King finds the Emancipation Proclamation tragic because, despite its promise of freedom, African Americans remained unfree a century later. He describes it as a "great beacon of light" that symbolized the end of slavery, yet notes that segregation and discrimination persisted. This unfulfilled promise of true freedom and equality highlights the tragedy, as African Americans continued to face subjugation and injustice long after the Proclamation was issued.