Beyond "I Have a Dream:" Understanding Dr. King Through His Speeches

Dr. King is well known for his "I Have a Dream" speech, but clearly, there was much more to him than the one speech.  In this class, we will try to get to know the individual who spearheaded the Black Civil Rights Movement by analyzing a number of his speeches and writings.  In doing so, students will understand his philosophy of non-violence, his thoughts about life as a black person in America, and how his views change over time.  

Each week students will be responsible for doing a first read-through of the text and answer a few thought-provoking questions.  Then in class, we will discuss the speeches/writings to dig deeper into the meaning.  Students will be expected to come with their own questions to discuss in class.  We will also provide some background knowledge that will help the students understand the speeches/writings in their context.  

Day 1:  "The Power of Nonviolence"  (Please have this speech read before the first class, it will be attached to the "Welcome" email.
Day 2:  "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
****This is quite long, so give yourself time to read it!
Day 3: "Eulogy for the Martyred Children"(Excerpts) and "Our God is Marching on"
Day 4: "Where do we go from here?" and "Mountaintop/Promised Land" (Excerpts)

I purposefully left the "I Have a Dream Speech" out because I feel most have read, heard and/or analyzed it already.  If that is not the case, we can discuss it in week 3 if the participants want to.  

****Please keep in mind that Dr. King was a religious leader of the Christian faith so his speeches and writings often have a religious tone and reference Biblical stories.  We will not use these to promote his religion, but to help us understand him and his perspectives.  

Dr. King uses figurative language masterfully, so an understanding of figurative language would be very helpful.