English Audio Request

The photo shows a man standing in front of many people. The presence of the American flag indicates that the scene takes place in the USA.
The scene is set in a big park. I can see a gigantic pond and a very tall monument in the background. I think the scene takes place in Washington: it is the Washington Monument.
The man is seen from the back, so that we can see the huge crowd of people standing opposite him. He is probably delivering a speech since he is standing at a pulpit, above everyone else, (except for some VIPs, journalists and photographers) which gives an impression of power. He is addressing the crowd.
Although we can’t see his face, we realise he is an important figure, someone who is able to draw attention and persuade masses. Therefore all these people are his audience. They are listening to him. The man seems to be black. He is dressed in black, he is wearing a gown, like a priest. His arms are open, and his gesture suggests he is inviting people to do something, to act/ he is welcoming them.
There are three vertical lines: the man who is standing, the monument and the flagpole: the two vertical lines on the right convey ideas of strength, dignity and stability. Indeed, the Washington Monument and the flag are powerful symbols of American institutions and the values of the USA. As a result, we are made to think that the speaker also stands for these values and that he is strong and reliable. The viewer is made to associate the orator with these ideas.
Moreover, George Washington was the first American President and the Washington Monument is situated on the Mall, with The White House just a few hundred metres behind it. This place is the heart of the nation and the seat of power. The flag on the right stands for the republic and its values: life, liberty and justice for all. The photographer chose to include the flag in the picture, that’s why the orator is not in the middle of the photo! The black man chose to deliver his speech in this symbolic place to remind everyone that all Americans are equal and that he believes in American values. His “dream is deeply rooted in” these values.
You can guess that this is one of the most famous/iconic photos of Martin Luther King. in Washington. We can’t see the statue of Abraham Lincoln behind him, but the artist probably made other shots with this highly symbolic figure a few years later, on the day Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech! (August 28th, 1963)
Not only is MLK addressing the crowd, but he is also addressing Congress and the President of the USA “give us the ballot” = the right to vote. Therefore it is logical that the Washington Monument should appear in the background at the far end of the Reflecting Pool.
The 1957 civil rights demonstration, Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, at the Lincoln Memorial, drew 27,000 people to mark the third anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling and to protest the slow progress in School desegregation. On theis phot, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is shown as he delivers his "Give Us the Ballot" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Dr. King, the last speaker, gave his first national address on that day.
There is a photographer kneeling on the right. He is capturing the moment just as the artist who took this photo did, but from another angle and point of view... Can you imagine the result of the other photographer’s work?...