, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the . This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot 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."
today!
wn in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
today!
of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
in the above transcript.
(rendered precisely in The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible)
:
: Linked directly to: archive.org/details/MLKDream
: Wikimedia.org
:.jfklibrary.org
: Colorized Screenshot
:
: 7/17/24
: or 404-526-8968. here). Image #2 = Public domain. Image #3 = Fair Use.
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‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
By: History.com Editors
Updated: December 19, 2023 | Original: November 30, 2017
The “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. before a crowd of some 250,000 people at the 1963 March on Washington, remains one of the most famous speeches in history. Weaving in references to the country’s Founding Fathers and the Bible , King used universal themes to depict the struggles of African Americans before closing with an improvised riff on his dreams of equality. The eloquent speech was immediately recognized as a highlight of the successful protest, and has endured as one of the signature moments of the civil rights movement .
Civil Rights Movement Before the Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. , a young Baptist minister, rose to prominence in the 1950s as a spiritual leader of the burgeoning civil rights movement and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SLCC).
By the early 1960s, African Americans had seen gains made through organized campaigns that placed its participants in harm’s way but also garnered attention for their plight. One such campaign, the 1961 Freedom Rides , resulted in vicious beatings for many participants, but resulted in the Interstate Commerce Commission ruling that ended the practice of segregation on buses and in stations.
Similarly, the Birmingham Campaign of 1963, designed to challenge the Alabama city’s segregationist policies, produced the searing images of demonstrators being beaten, attacked by dogs and blasted with high-powered water hoses.
Around the time he wrote his famed “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King decided to move forward with the idea for another event that coordinated with Negro American Labor Council (NACL) founder A. Philip Randolph’s plans for a job rights march.
March on Washington
Thanks to the efforts of veteran organizer Bayard Rustin, the logistics of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom came together by the summer of 1963.
Joining Randolph and King were the fellow heads of the “Big Six” civil rights organizations: Roy Wilkins of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Whitney Young of the National Urban League (NUL), James Farmer of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Other influential leaders also came aboard, including Walter Reuther of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Joachim Prinz of the American Jewish Congress (AJC).
Scheduled for August 28, the event was to consist of a mile-long march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, in honor of the president who had signed the Emancipation Proclamation a century earlier, and would feature a series of prominent speakers.
Its stated goals included demands for desegregated public accommodations and public schools, redress of violations of constitutional rights and an expansive federal works program to train employees.
The March on Washington produced a bigger turnout than expected, as an estimated 250,000 people arrived to participate in what was then the largest gathering for an event in the history of the nation’s capital.
Along with notable speeches by Randolph and Lewis, the audience was treated to performances by folk luminaries Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and gospel favorite Mahalia Jackson .
‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Origins
In preparation for his turn at the event, King solicited contributions from colleagues and incorporated successful elements from previous speeches. Although his “I have a dream” segment did not appear in his written text, it had been used to great effect before, most recently during a June 1963 speech to 150,000 supporters in Detroit.
Unlike his fellow speakers in Washington, King didn’t have the text ready for advance distribution by August 27. He didn’t even sit down to write the speech until after arriving at his hotel room later that evening, finishing up a draft after midnight.
‘Free At Last’
As the March on Washington drew to a close, television cameras beamed Martin Luther King’s image to a national audience. He began his speech slowly but soon showed his gift for weaving recognizable references to the Bible, the U.S. Constitution and other universal themes into his oratory.
Pointing out how the country’s founders had signed a “promissory note” that offered great freedom and opportunity, King noted that “Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.'”
At times warning of the potential for revolt, King nevertheless maintained a positive, uplifting tone, imploring the audience to “go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.”
Mahalia Jackson Prompts MLK: 'Tell 'em About the Dream, Martin'
Around the halfway point of the speech, Mahalia Jackson implored him to “Tell ’em about the ‘Dream,’ Martin.” Whether or not King consciously heard, he soon moved away from his prepared text.
Repeating the mantra, “I have a dream,” he offered up hope that “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” and the desire to “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.”
“And when this happens,” he bellowed in his closing remarks, “and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'”
7 Things You May Not Know About MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech ranks among the most famous in history, but there are a few lesser‑known facts about the 1963 moment.
Civil Rights Movement Timeline
The civil rights movement was an organized effort by black Americans to end racial discrimination and gain equal rights under the law. It began in the late 1940s and ended in the late 1960s.
An Intimate View of MLK Through the Lens of a Friend
“Outside of my immediate family, his was the greatest friendship I have ever known or experienced,” photographer Flip Schulke said of Martin Luther King Jr.
‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Text
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence , they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, Black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check—a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
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 a 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 they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.
We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for whites only."
We cannot 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.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, that one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exhalted [sic], every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that; let freedom ring from the Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
MLK Speech Reception
King’s stirring speech was immediately singled out as the highlight of the successful march.
James Reston of The New York Times wrote that the “pilgrimage was merely a great spectacle” until King’s turn, and James Baldwin later described the impact of King’s words as making it seem that “we stood on a height, and could see our inheritance; perhaps we could make the kingdom real.”
Just three weeks after the march, King returned to the difficult realities of the struggle by eulogizing three of the girls killed in the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.
Still, his televised triumph at the feet of Lincoln brought favorable exposure to his movement, and eventually helped secure the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The following year, after the violent Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama, African Americans secured another victory with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 .
Over the final years of his life, King continued to spearhead campaigns for change even as he faced challenges by increasingly radical factions of the movement he helped popularize. Shortly after visiting Memphis, Tennessee, in support of striking sanitation workers, and just hours after delivering another celebrated speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” King was assassinated by shooter James Earl Ray on the balcony of his hotel room on April 4, 1968.
'I Have a Dream' Speech Legacy
Remembered for its powerful imagery and its repetition of a simple and memorable phrase, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech has endured as a signature moment of the civil rights struggle, and a crowning achievement of one of the movement’s most famous faces.
The Library of Congress added the speech to the National Recording Registry in 2002, and the following year the National Park Service dedicated an inscribed marble slab to mark the spot where King stood that day.
In 2016, Time included the speech as one of its 10 greatest orations in history.
HISTORY Vault: Black History
Watch acclaimed Black History documentaries on HISTORY Vault.
“I Have a Dream,” Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute . March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. National Park Service . JFK, A. Philip Randolph and the March on Washington. The White House Historical Association . The Lasting Power of Dr. King’s Dream Speech. The New York Times .
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Video - Watch the full speech here, transcript below.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. 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. And 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 our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. 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. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
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Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech in Its Entirety
Speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King at the “March on Washington” on August 28, 1963:
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later the life of the Negro is still badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. So we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men‚ would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. 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—1963 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 days of justice emerge.
And that is something that I must say to my people who stand on the worn 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 protests 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 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.
They have come to realized that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children ar stripped of their adulthood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whiles Only.”
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and the 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.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulation. Some of you come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream…I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning. “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia,. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountain side. Let freedom ring…
When we allow freedom to ring‚when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Online
I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." – Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote
I Have a Dream Speech Background
Summary: "I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute�public speech�by�Martin Luther King, Jr.�delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for�racial equalityand an end to�discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the�Lincoln Memorial�during the�March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the�American Civil Rights Movement. Delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters,�the speech was ranked the topAmerican�speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.�According to�U.S. Representative�John Lewis, who also spoke that day as the President of the�Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, "Dr. King had the power, the ability, and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations."
Speech Title and Performance : Believe it or not, the "I Have a Dream" speech was originally titled "Normalcy, Never Again." and the first drafts never included the phrase "I have a dream". He had first delivered a speech incorporating some of the same sections in Detroit in June 1963, when he marched on Woodward Avenue with Walter Reuther and the Reverend C. L. Franklin, and had rehearsed other parts.
The popular title "I have a dream," came from the speech's greatly improvised content and delivery. Near the end of the speech, famous African American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted to Dr. King from the crowd, "Tell them about the dream, Martin." Dr. King stopped delivering his prepared speech and started "preaching", punctuating his points with "I have a dream."
: Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. at 1963 March on Washington by USIA (NARA)
Source:
.
Contemporary Reaction: The speech was lauded in the days after the event, and was widely considered the high point of the March by contemporary observers. James Reston, writing for the�New York Times, noted that the event "was better covered by television and the press than any event here since President Kennedy's inauguration," and opined that "it will be a long time before [Washington] forgets the melodious and melancholy voice of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. crying out his dreams to the multitude."[�An article in the�Boston Globe�by�Mary McGrory�reported that King's speech "caught the mood" and "moved the crowd" of the day "as no other" speaker in the event.�Marquis Childs�of�The Washington Post�wrote that King's speech "rose above mere oratory".�An article in the�Los Angeles Times�commented that the "matchless eloquence" displayed by King, "a supreme orator" of "a type so rare as almost to be forgotten in our age," put to shame the advocates of segregation by inspiring the "conscience of America" with the justice of the civil-rights cause.
I Have a Dream Copyright Information
Deposition of Martin Luther King regarding copyright infringement. Case File Number 63 Civ 2889, Civil Case Files; United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Download the full deposition (PDF)
The I Have a Dream Speech Video is no longer available online, as EMI on behalf of The King Center has ordered it's removal. They will sell you or your school a copy for $10 at at , or you can buy the ($8.97)
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.” – Martin Luther King, I Have a Dream Quote
Read in Full: Text and audio of this speech available at: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
Copyright Info: This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "I Have a Dream" , which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 .
Includes the full speech as well as an introduction to the civil right's movement and circumstances leading up to the famous march on Washington.
While Amazon says the reading level is ages 4 and up, this is not an abbreviated version and probably better for older children, adults and teachers reading to students who want illustrations.
(Paperback)
Also includes his Nobel Prize acceptance speech; "My Trip to the Land of Gandhi"; "A Time to Break Silence," and more.
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Martin Luther King's Speech: 'I Have a Dream' - The Full Text
The full text of the famous speech by America's greatest civil rights icon.
Aug. 27, 2013— -- The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech is among the most acclaimed in U.S. history, and the 50th anniversary this week of the March on Washington where he delivered it highlights the speech's staying power.
His soaring close "to let freedom ring" still resonates today and inspires those who are moved by his dream.
He began with: "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
"But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition."
Read the speech in its entirety HERE at the U.S. National Archives.
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Read The Complete Text Of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most iconic speeches in history – the “I Have a Dream” speech. In this powerful address, Dr. King called for an end to racial injustice and for a future of racial harmony and equality. Today, we invite you to read the complete text of this historic speech and to reflect on its enduring message of hope and justice.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures in history for his work in the Civil Rights movement. His impact is still felt today, and his iconic I Have a Dream speech is considered one of his masterpieces. Read on to learn more about this historic speech and why it’s so important.
The I Have A Dream Speech
The impact of the i have a dream speech, read dr. king’s i have a dream full speech in its entirety, the power of martin luther king’s words.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom . His powerful words called for the nation to recognize the civil rights of African Americans and end racial discrimination, and have since become a beacon of hope for generations to come.
The ‘I Have a Dream’ speech had an immediate and lasting impact. It galvanized the nation and was a key factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The speech is also an iconic moment in American history, and it is still referenced and quoted today.
If you’re looking to gain an appreciation for the power and influence of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, there’s no better way than to read it in its entirety. You can find the full speech below.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds. But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. 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. 1963 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 a 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 they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: for whites only. We cannot 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. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring. And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech is a powerful reminder of the importance of equality and justice for all. His words continue to inspire us to fight for a better world and to strive for a society where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. As we continue to strive for a more equitable and just society, let us remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of a better future for all.
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"I Have a Dream"
August 28, 1963
Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the 28 August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom , synthesized portions of his previous sermons and speeches, with selected statements by other prominent public figures.
King had been drawing on material he used in the “I Have a Dream” speech in his other speeches and sermons for many years. The finale of King’s April 1957 address, “A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations,” envisioned a “new world,” quoted the song “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” and proclaimed that he had heard “a powerful orator say not so long ago, that … Freedom must ring from every mountain side…. Yes, let it ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado…. Let it ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let it ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let it ring from every mountain and hill of Alabama. From every mountain side, let freedom ring” ( Papers 4:178–179 ).
In King’s 1959 sermon “Unfulfilled Hopes,” he describes the life of the apostle Paul as one of “unfulfilled hopes and shattered dreams” ( Papers 6:360 ). He notes that suffering as intense as Paul’s “might make you stronger and bring you closer to the Almighty God,” alluding to a concept he later summarized in “I Have a Dream”: “unearned suffering is redemptive” ( Papers 6:366 ; King, “I Have a Dream,” 84).
In September 1960, King began giving speeches referring directly to the American Dream. In a speech given that month at a conference of the North Carolina branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , King referred to the unexecuted clauses of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution and spoke of America as “a dream yet unfulfilled” ( Papers 5:508 ). He advised the crowd that “we must be sure that our struggle is conducted on the highest level of dignity and discipline” and reminded them not to “drink the poisonous wine of hate,” but to use the “way of nonviolence” when taking “direct action” against oppression ( Papers 5:510 ).
King continued to give versions of this speech throughout 1961 and 1962, then calling it “The American Dream.” Two months before the March on Washington, King stood before a throng of 150,000 people at Cobo Hall in Detroit to expound upon making “the American Dream a reality” (King, Address at Freedom Rally, 70). King repeatedly exclaimed, “I have a dream this afternoon” (King, Address at Freedom Rally, 71). He articulated the words of the prophets Amos and Isaiah, declaring that “justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream,” for “every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low” (King, Address at Freedom Rally, 72). As he had done numerous times in the previous two years, King concluded his message imagining the day “when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing with the Negroes in the spiritual of old: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” (King, Address at Freedom Rally , 73).
As King and his advisors prepared his speech for the conclusion of the 1963 march, he solicited suggestions for the text. Clarence Jones offered a metaphor for the unfulfilled promise of constitutional rights for African Americans, which King incorporated into the final text: “America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned” (King, “I Have a Dream,” 82). Several other drafts and suggestions were posed. References to Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation were sustained throughout the countless revisions. King recalled that he did not finish the complete text of the speech until 3:30 A.M. on the morning of 28 August.
Later that day, King stood at the podium overlooking the gathering. Although a typescript version of the speech was made available to the press on the morning of the march, King did not merely read his prepared remarks. He later recalled: “I started out reading the speech, and I read it down to a point … the audience response was wonderful that day…. And all of a sudden this thing came to me that … I’d used many times before.... ‘I have a dream.’ And I just felt that I wanted to use it here … I used it, and at that point I just turned aside from the manuscript altogether. I didn’t come back to it” (King, 29 November 1963).
The following day in the New York Times, James Reston wrote: “Dr. King touched all the themes of the day, only better than anybody else. He was full of the symbolism of Lincoln and Gandhi, and the cadences of the Bible. He was both militant and sad, and he sent the crowd away feeling that the long journey had been worthwhile” (Reston, “‘I Have a Dream …’”).
Carey to King, 7 June 1955, in Papers 2:560–561.
Hansen, The Dream, 2003.
King, Address at the Freedom Rally in Cobo Hall, in A Call to Conscience , ed. Carson and Shepard, 2001.
King, “I Have a Dream,” Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in A Call to Conscience , ed. Carson and Shepard, 2001.
King, Interview by Donald H. Smith, 29 November 1963, DHSTR-WHi .
King, “The Negro and the American Dream,” Excerpt from Address at the Annual Freedom Mass Meeting of the North Carolina State Conference of Branches of the NAACP, 25 September 1960, in Papers 5:508–511.
King, “A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations,” Address Delivered at St. Louis Freedom Rally, 10 April 1957, in Papers 4:167–179.
King, Unfulfilled Hopes, 5 April 1959, in Papers 6:359–367.
James Reston, “‘I Have a Dream…’: Peroration by Dr. King Sums Up a Day the Capital Will Remember,” New York Times , 29 August 1963.
U.S. Constitution.net
The i have a dream speech – the u.s. constitution online – usconstitution.net, the i have a dream speech.
In 1950’s America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950’s were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education ; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.
Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King helped organize a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. His partners in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included other religious leaders, labor leaders, and black organizers. The assembled masses marched down the Washington Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, heard songs from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and heard speeches by actor Charlton Heston, NAACP president Roy Wilkins, and future U.S. Representative from Georgia John Lewis.
King’s appearance was the last of the event; the closing speech was carried live on major television networks. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King evoked the name of Lincoln in his “I Have a Dream” speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
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 a 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. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot 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.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
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I Have a Dream
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I Have a Dream , speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. , that was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington . A call for equality and freedom , it became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.
Some 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , for the March on Washington. The one-day event both protested racial discrimination and encouraged the passage of civil rights legislation; at the time, the Civil Rights Act was being discussed in Congress. The march featured various speeches as well as musical performances before King, a celebrated orator, appeared as the final official speaker; A. Philip Randolph and Benjamin Mays ended the proceedings with a pledge and a benediction , respectively.
Early in his prepared speech, King referenced Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address with “Five score years ago….” He then spoke about the Emancipation Proclamation , which “end[ed] the long night of their [slaves’] captivity.” However, he continued by noting that African Americans were still “not free” and that they were “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.”
According to various observers, however, as King neared the end, the address was failing to achieve the resonance of his more noteworthy speeches. As activist John Lewis noted, King himself could “sense that he was falling short.” Perhaps that compelled singer Mahalia Jackson to call out, imploring him to tell the crowd about “the dream.” It was a theme he had used at earlier events but had been advised not to use in Washington, with one aide calling it “trite.” At Jackson’s urging, however, King abandoned his prepared text and launched into a discussion of his dreams, adopting “the stance of a Baptist preacher.”
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream that…one day right there in Alabama, little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
King’s improvisations seemed to strike a chord with the crowd, many of whom called out words of encouragement. The speech built to its emotional conclusion , which was borrowed from a Black spiritual : “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” Largely based on King’s extemporizations, the speech was widely considered the greatest of the 20th century, noted for its power and resonance. With its universal appeal, “I have a dream” became an enduring phrase both in the United States and elsewhere. In addition, many believed the speech helped secure passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
I Have a Dream Speech Transcript – Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the most iconic and famous speeches of all time, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Read the full transcript of this classic speech.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 00:59 ) I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 01:32 ) Five score years ago, a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity, but 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. 100 years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. 100 years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. 100 years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 03:10 ) So we’ve come here today to dramatize the shameful condition. In a sense, we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which ever American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note in so far as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 04:25 ) But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom, and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 06:16 ) It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summit of the Negroes legitimate discontent will not pass until that is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 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.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 06:53 ) 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 that 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 plain of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests 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 a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize their destiny is tied up in our destiny.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 08:54 ) They have come realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone, and as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. They are those who 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negroes basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating, For Whites Only. We cannot 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, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 10:48 ) I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that honor and suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friend, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created.”
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 12:54 ) I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of that character. I have a dream today.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 13:50 ) I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 14:27 ) I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is a faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 15:29 ) This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, My country, Tis of thee, Sweet land of Liberty, Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, Let freedom ring. If America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 15:58 ) So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring, and when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholic, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
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Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech August 28, 1963 ( Full Speech)
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“We Cannot Walk Alone… We Cannot Turn Back”
January 16, 2023 | FlaglerLive | 53 Comments
It was toward the end of a sweltering August day and dozens of speeches that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the “Dream” speech now engraved alongside the Gettysburg Address and the Declaration of Independence as markers of the nation’s conscience. The date was itself a grim anniversary: that of the kidnapping, torture and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955 by Roy Bryant and his half brother J.W. Milam, who were declared not guilty by an all-white jury in 67 minutes despite overwhelming evidence of their guilt. When 250,000 people marched on Washington last Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the march, many had another slain black teenager on their mind: Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old shot by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., as Martin was returning from a convenience store run for Skittles and iced tea, and after Zimmerman, finding the hoody-clad Martin suspicious, pursued him.
adcode+King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is not as well known as the fact that half of it was an improvisation. After noting that a hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation blacks were “still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination,” that the nation had “defaulted” on the promissory note of the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness due “her citizens of color,” and after warning against “the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,” Mahalia Jackson yelled out from speakers’ row: “Tell ’em about the ‘Dream,’ Martin, tell ’em about the ‘Dream’!”
And so he did.
“With his improvised riff, Dr. King took a leap into history, jumping from prose to poetry, from the podium to the pulpit,” writes The Times’s Michiko Kakutani. “His voice arced into an emotional crescendo as he turned from a sobering assessment of current social injustices to a radiant vision of hope — of what America could be.”
“Dr. King’s speech was not only the heart and emotional cornerstone of the March on Washington, but also a testament to the transformative powers of one man and the magic of his words,” Kakutani writes. “Fifty years later, it is a speech that can still move people to tears. Fifty years later, its most famous lines are recited by schoolchildren and sampled by musicians. Fifty years later, the four words ‘I have a dream’ have become shorthand for Dr. King’s commitment to freedom, social justice and nonviolence, inspiring activists from Tiananmen Square to Soweto, Eastern Europe to the West Bank.”
In many ways some of the most important parts King’s message remain unfulfilled: the United States is still a nation riven by inequality, with poverty and race more often than not cleaving society in ways King would easily recognize despite immense progress as well.
Martin Luther King III, the human rights activist and King’s eldest son, writes to that effect in his commemoration of the 50th anniversary: “When an unarmed 17-year-old walking home with Skittles can be brutally slain by an armed man — a man who had been told by police to leave the boy alone — and that man is acquitted of all charges, something is very wrong. The so-called “stand your ground” and “stop-and-frisk” laws that have been enacted in various states in recent years disproportionately abuse people of color. These ill-considered laws are a serious threat to the freedom and safety of all Americans. The appalling racial injustice inherent in the Trayvon Martin tragedy reminds us that there is still much to do.” He goes on to note the “horrific gun violence” in Chicago and other cities that continues to shed the blood of innocents.
A quarter of a million people, black and white together, gathered in the summer heat at the Washington Monument and then surged forth to the Lincoln Memorial. They had come on buses and trains, many from the Deep South. Large contingents represented white religious faiths and, despite lack of backing by the AFL-CIO, many labor unions. Haunting freedom songs—”We Shall Overcome” sung by Joan Baez, “Oh, Freedom!” by Odetta—blended with speeches by the civil rights leadership. SNCC [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]’s John Lewis pierced the uplifting mood by denouncing the inadequacy of conventional liberalism and Kennedy’s legislative program to complete “the unfinished revolution of 1776.” Around midafternoon Martin Luther King stood beneath the brooding face of Abraham Lincoln. Inspired by the sea of upturned black and white faces, he left his carefully crafted text and in rippling cadences and rich colors, he painted his vibrant dream of racial justice. Repeatedly invoking his phrase, “I have a dream,” responding to the people in rhythm with him, he implored that freedom ring from the hilltops of New Hampshire, the mountains of New York and Pennsylvania, and even more, from Georgia’s Stone Mountain. “Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi. From every mountain top, let freedom ring. […] A euphoric group of blacks, save for Coretta King, who to her distress was left to repair to her hotel room, met with the President following the rally. Having first opposed the march and then cooperated with it—to the point, some militants charged, of cooptation—Kennedy now shared in the moment of relief and triumph. He was “bubbling over with the success of the event,” [the NAACP’s Roy] Wilkins recalled. But out on the Mall some blacks remained skeptical and even cynical. Listening to King, young activist Anne Moody had told herself that back in Mississippi they had never had time to sleep, much less dream. An angry black man had shouted: “Fuck that dream, Martin. Now, goddamit, NOW!” It was a luminous moment in a season of death and despair. The very evening of Kennedy’s June television address, NAACP leader Medgar Evers had been shot down as he returned to his home in Mississippi; later the President consoled the Evers family in the White House. By the end of the summer nearly 14,000 persons had been arrested in seventy-five cities in the South alone. Two weeks after the March, on a Sunday morning, a dynamite bomb exploded in Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a center of the spring crusade, killing four black girls as they were donning their choir robes.
The U.S. Senate finally approved the bill on Oct. 19, 1983, by a vote of 78-22, two weeks after North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms attempted to derail the effort with a one-man filibuster. He did not end the filibuster from a change of heart, but because he was worried that legislation favoring tobacco growers would be scuttled as a result of his rather bigoted assault on King’s memory. Helms’s pretext: King, in his view, was a communist sympathizer. “We’ll know in about 35 years, won’t we?” President Reagan, who had also initially resisted the holiday, said, in reference to court-sealed FBI records about King.
Other Senate opponents of the bill included Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), Chuck Grassley, (R-IA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Warren Rudman (R-NH).
On Oct. 16, 2011, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the first honoring a black person at the Washington Mall, was dedicated after two decades of planning and construction (the monument grounds had opened on Aug. 22). The 30-foot granite structure, which Congress authorized in 1996, is the work of Chinese artist Lei Yixin. The $120 million project includes a bookstore, a wall of King’s quotations and some 200 cherry trees. About $800,000 went to the King family, which demanded the money in exchange for granting permission to have King’s words and likeness used.
“Our work is not done,” President Barack Obama said at the dedication. “And so on this day, in which we celebrate a man and a movement that did so much for this country, let us draw strength from those earlier struggles. First and foremost, let us remember that change has never been quick. Change has never been simple, or without controversy. Change depends on persistence. Change requires determination. […] And so with our eyes on the horizon and our faith squarely placed in one another, let us keep striving; let us keep struggling; let us keep climbing toward that promised land of a nation and a world that is more fair, and more just, and more equal for every single child of God.”
The full speech and video are below.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
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 a 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. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
[Originally published in 2011 and revised since.]
Reader Interactions
PC MAN says
January 17, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Any doubt that our most recent group of ignorant racists the teabaggers would be against a national holiday for King, on the grounds that you can’t create a national holiday with this economy, it would be a job killer.
Jim Guines says
January 17, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Well... says
January 17, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Today is about more than pointing fingers and taking sides, it is about remembering the vision of a man that did not see skin color as a required inference to the discourse of a nation but rather the possibility of unity without boundaries akin to the color of a man’s skin. His speech is as relevant today as it was when he delivered it. We are divided today because we cannot talk to one another with an open ear. There is almost an outright refusal to hear another point of view. People escalate their tone until they are screaming over one another the point they are desperately trying to make. This is not to say we cannot disagree or cannot have passion about what concerns us but doing so with respect, dignity, and an open ear, is what creates progress rather than stagnant repetitive dialogue.
Laurel says
January 16, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Well…says: Well said.
W.Ryan says
January 18, 2011 at 4:16 am
Well said! Unfortunately as time continues and the the nation moves on, it moves away from the needs of the people. Social causes have become an evil thing in the eyes of half of America. We have Red America that doesn’t seem to support social causes except dismantling the U.S. Constitution and Blue America. One of the major causes MLK was fighting for was helping the poor and disadvantaged. He spoke of blurring the lines of color as was stated and focused on the haves and have-nots. In December 2010 Americans mortgaged a little more money so that the two percent of the the wealthiest Americans can keep more of their moneys. This was in exchange for helping the unemployed get a mere nickel. Corporatism has total control of the media and our elected Officials and apparently also have control of the minds of many who now vote against their own interest. Slogans such as “Take our country back,” are on the lips of too many Americans which only proves one thing. We have already been taken back. Maybe it’s about seeing! We have a long way to go.
Anonymous says
October 16, 2012 at 11:52 am
yeah, I liked it too…..
K-Ross says
January 21, 2013 at 8:31 pm
W.Ryan…preach my brother. PREACH!!!!!!!!!!!
January 16, 2023 at 4:19 pm
W Ryan: Yes.
Jefferson Davis says
January 20, 2011 at 2:06 am
Interestingly enough, many more Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 than Democrats.
FlagerLive says
January 20, 2011 at 6:47 am
Correction Jefferson: The Civil Rights Act passed by a 289-126 vote in the House, with 153 Democrats and 136 Republicans voting for, and 73-27 in the Senate, with 27 Republicans voting for. The proportion of Republicans voting for it was higher than the proportion of Democrats voting for it for two reasons: Democrats at the time controlled a sizable portion of each chamber, and Southern Democrats, who were indistinguishable from today’s more reactionary Republicans, voted almost all against the Act (as did, of course, what few Southern Republicans there were at the time until those Democrats got honest with themselves and took off the mask).
January 16, 2012 at 7:48 am
I strongly suggest you look up Dr. King’s party affiliation. The man was a Republican.
Martin was NOT about socialism, he was about FREEDOM.
“Indistinguishable from today’s more reactionay Republicans?” That’s a crock. Love how you are attempting to rewrite history. Those people marching with Dr. King were REPUBLICANS.
The South was in the complete control of the Democrats (Dixiecrats) until about 1964.
Palm Coast Citizen says
January 19, 2021 at 9:14 am
“I don’t think the Republican party is a party full of the almighty God nor is the Democratic party,” he said in a 1958 interview. “They both have weaknesses. And I’m not inextricably bound to either party. I’m not concerned about telling you what party to vote for.”
YourQueerPeer says
May 12, 2021 at 8:48 am
You’re just wrong here hun sorry to say it. The first thing is that the North South divide was far more important than the political and also he stated his economic affilliation was more socialist search up MLK jr 1952 letter
A.S.F. says
August 28, 2013 at 11:26 am
Jefferson Davis–If true, I can only assume that that was because Republicans in Congress were more sane back then than they are now.
Kianah says
September 20, 2011 at 12:00 am
This is an inspiring speech i could read it over and over. Thankyou Martin Luther King.
leilani conanan says
October 2, 2011 at 7:51 pm
i reallly really like this, it is a verry goood speech , a must never forget speech i tell yu :D
Samantha Zaw says
October 18, 2011 at 6:38 pm
What a powerful sentence “we will not be satisfied until the justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
October 24, 2011 at 12:02 pm
The “i have a dream speech ” is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
January 8, 2012 at 4:41 pm
the ‘i have a dream speech’ is awesome
miranda says
January 8, 2012 at 4:44 pm
i love martin luther king!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 5, 2011 at 8:52 pm
nice i like the speech a lot i got to learn it
November 8, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Yeaaah martin luther king jr
china lebron lampley says
December 1, 2011 at 4:03 pm
THIS SPEECH MADE HISTORY PERIOD AND WHO AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE TODAY LET FREEDOM RING
Robert Exume says
January 16, 2012 at 12:24 pm
When I hear the speech . Off this man I was so happy . Off this world it is a powerfull . Speech I think god. Was and side this man. When He make this speech . When. I hear it Againt it make me felt full . This man talk about union. And. Freedrom for all Human rise . Black. White spinach. Yellow red. Pink blue and all Off God creating. Jusus Chris. Don’t. Have No color no one. No what is God color. Rest in peace your the MAN YOU ALWAYS AND ARE HEART .REST IN PEACE
October 6, 2012 at 9:33 pm
The speech is awesome and I am in not racist in no way, shape or form but what do you mean by who African Americans are today? Because I see more gang bangers and druggies…African American’s still pull the race card and my ancestor’s were slaves but they do not want to rise above “their’ history and be the best that they can instead…I see Detroit gang bangers giving the African Americans a bad name…in my opinion you would think that they would want to exceed all races to prove that they are proud honorable people and make their ancestors proud instead of selling crack to a 10 year old……..
5rtyt7tu says
January 13, 2012 at 4:58 pm
i love you martin 7years old
karenmingo says
January 16, 2012 at 8:51 am
thank u for your dedication you have paved the way for many of the african-american children my son is attending college this is his third year i wish we had more leaders like you thank you we will never forget about you and what you stood for .
January 21, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Your son is attending college and VOTING, I hope. Good people in this country died to make sure he has that right.
Geezer Butler says
January 16, 2012 at 1:48 pm
A richly deserved holiday for a great man. My favorite speech: “Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam.”
MLK, Jr. will never be forgotten.
Richard says
January 16, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I agree with Geezer Butler. I had not read it until it was pointed out to me today but Dr. King’s speech about the war in vietnam could be applied equally today to our war against Islam. If anyone wants to read it in full this is one link
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html
January 16, 2012 at 7:59 pm
This is only one excerpt
Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John:
Let us love one another; for love is God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day. We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says : “Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.”
Not My King says
January 21, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Anybody surprised?
That “Dr.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
-wasn’t born as Martin Luther anything -plagiarized the works of many, throughout his college days, including for his doctoral dissertation -cheated on his wife, repeatedly, often with white women, often with prostitutes -physically abused many of the women he committed adultery with -either a communist himself, and/or a troll of the communists
kthx, do the research yourself if you don’t believe me. Don’t believe in personality cults.
January 19, 2021 at 4:54 pm
You mean like 45 The EX Former moron.
Demetrius says
February 21, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I wouldnt be in the world if i it wasnt for Martin Luther King Jr. My mom is white and my dad is black
by: Demetrius Jones
To: Martin Luther King Jr.
And i hope u are in a good place with God …….Love u brother
confidential says
January 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Yes Reverend Mr.Martin Luther King, “You had a dream” and it became reality today for the second time with the inauguration of our re-elected President Barack Obama. This is yours and our dream come true! We are all created equal and God Bless America and our Wars Heroes that gave their lives to make it possible! May God watch over us all.
Deep South says
January 21, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Two my of favorite speeches, Lincoln’s “Gettysburg’s Address” and King’s ” I Have a Dream.” If only the white race and the black race would have fulfill what what these two great men had expected of us. We have failed as a society.
Jim R. says
January 21, 2013 at 4:55 pm
So today the great bullshitter upstaged the most charismatic speaker and force for good this country ever had. Words for Obama are ways to manipulate the 99% into thinking they matter to the 1% that own and control everything including the political system, and to convince them they live in a democracy and can change things by voting. He spoke today about saving the middle class ,( the middle class today being those that make somewhere between $50,000 and $250,000) what a joke, the unemployed and homeless is who he should focus on, but how can he when he knows there will never be jobs for the unemployed and it will only get worse, because the greedheads who managed to gain most of the wealth , and all of the power into their greedy hands will never give an inch, they wouldn’t care if millions of Americans starved to death. Obama will continue the endless wars and facilitate the flow of wealth to those at the top. If MLK were alive today he would be no fan of our first black president.
Liana G says
August 28, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Thank you Jim R. I believe Obama has undermined the progress made by African Americans because people of other colors have come to believe that racial inequality no longer exists for African Americans. I admit that I often think so too only because I get tired and frustrated with the rhetoric on the left and AAs supporters of this rhetoric. Then I would read or see something that pulls me back to the stark reality. But even then, I see it more often as a class issue than a race issue. However, the powers that control the rhetoric do not want to make it about class because that will turn the spotlight on them.
When I moved to NYC, I applied to CUNY’s Medgar Evers (ME), my 1st choice, and Brooklyn College (BC), my 2nd choice. I was selected for BC but after a semester I requested a transfer to ME. Apparently, Brooklyn is very difficult to get into and my desire to attend ME was met and still is met with confusion and astonishment by people of all races. My reason for choosing ME is to have a clearer understanding of race issues in America and to develop a greater tolerance for the other person’s views, when I am able to sift through and also find the pain and suffering that is often the reason for the anger and resentment. I’m hoping that by the time I graduate from ME I will be able to do so because I do harbor some biases that stem from my ignorance of the African American community. And I do want to overcome those biases.
Best of all tomorrows to you Jim R…
Shocked, I tell you... says
August 30, 2013 at 11:51 am
@ Liana: You wrote some pretty nice words yourself, Liana. Thank you.
August 28, 2013 at 12:28 pm
@Jim R. says–MLK might not agree with every decision President Obama has made or will make but he would have every right to pat himself on the back for a job well done, just due to the fact that we have elected this man, twice.
Ayn Rand's Spleen says
August 28, 2013 at 6:46 pm
In both cases he was elected because the alternative to him was worse, but that doesn’t validate his performance in office. Whatever happened to Guantanamo? Why didn’t he get rid of the patriot act? The only reason he decided he was for gay marriage was because Biden forced his point, and between persecuting whistleblowers and defending the NSA’s behavior it’s pretty obvious that we aren’t dealing with a progressive democrat but a moderate republican.
August 28, 2013 at 5:01 pm
You would think the only black Senator in the Senate would have been invited. Why do you think he may have been overlooked?
Sherry Epley says
August 29, 2013 at 8:53 am
Martin Luther King on political parties:
King maintained a policy of not publicly endorsing a U.S. political party or candidate: “I feel someone must remain in the position of non-alignment, so that he can look objectively at both parties and be the conscience of both—not the servant or master of either.”[31] In a 1958 interview, he expressed his view that neither party was perfect, saying, “I don’t think the Republican party is a party full of the almighty God nor is the Democratic party. They both have weaknesses … And I’m not inextricably bound to either party.”[32]
King critiqued both parties’ performance on promoting racial equality:
Actually, the Negro has been betrayed by both the Republican and the Democratic party. The Democrats have betrayed him by capitulating to the whims and caprices of the Southern Dixiecrats. The Republicans have betrayed him by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of reactionary right wing northern Republicans. And this coalition of southern Dixiecrats and right wing reactionary northern Republicans defeats every bill and every move towards liberal legislation in the area of civil rights.[33]
Although King never publicly supported a political party or candidate for president, in a letter to a civil rights supporter in October 1956 he said that he was undecided as to whether he would vote for Adlai Stevenson or Dwight Eisenhower, but that “In the past I always voted the Democratic ticket.”[34] In his autobiography, King says that in 1960 he privately voted for Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy: “I felt that Kennedy would make the best president. I never came out with an endorsement. My father did, but I never made one.” King adds that he likely would have made an exception to his non-endorsement policy for a second Kennedy term, saying “Had President Kennedy lived, I would probably have endorsed him in 1964
August 29, 2013 at 7:31 pm
…Well, it’s been HOURS and I’m still waiting to hear a reply from “karma says” or any of his/her “FOX news addict buddies to respond to my post. “Man up” and admit it: Bill O’Reilly was wrong when he spread this false rumor about Republicans not being invited to the MLK commemorative event. Have we heard any apology from Wild Bill yet–Will we ever? Nope…Just the sound of crickets…Not that it matters. It seems that whenever the crazy Conservative element gets caught and deigns to apologize for some outrageous lie, act or comment, they waste no time doing it again…and again…and again….
August 30, 2013 at 12:06 pm
I have just heard the apology posted by Bill O’Reilly for his “mistake” about the MLK commemorative march. I give him props for admitting his error and apologizing for it on a public forum (albeit on a very safe one, as a part of his own show.) Now, let’s see how many other of the Conservative rags that were so quick to spread this outrageous lie (or, as Bill O’Reilly put it, his “assumption”) will likewise apologize…Not only for spreading such a malacious story (without bothering to check the facts) but to explain why all the Republicans who were invited to speak at and attend the event decided, en masse, not to do so. I would say THEIR conduct speaks volumes!
August 30, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Shame, no significant Republicans present in this gathering. Something that speaks for itself. So please all get out and vote in 2014 and 2016 and remember their absence.
August 31, 2013 at 11:10 am
Funny how some find certain errors in reporting but ignore others. The LA Times reports Democrats led the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Yet Democrat and KKK member Robert Byrd tried to filibusterer the bill. It was actually a Republican that saved the civil rights act. Unlike O’reilly, The LA Times did not make a correction to the false story. “Never let facts get in the way of a good story.” DNC Platform
FlaglerLive says
August 31, 2013 at 1:50 pm
karma, misinformation like yours is why we can’t get past ideological blinders, even when statements such as yours are demonstrably false. The Civil Rights Act was a JFK initiative–a Democratic initiative–that LBJ then muscled through Congress over the objections of Dixiecrats, including Byrd. Republican votes helped. But to suggest that Republicans “saved” the initiative is one of those historical rewrites that attempt to overstate Republicans’ past virtues to make their current accommodations of bigotry more palatable. You won’t get away with that here.
January 16, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Amazing how the bigotry of our left sounds the same today as it did in 2011 when this was first posted. The see Rs those who believe in the Constitution, the rule of law and the rights of individual over the group and or government as all that is wrong with this Republic.
Knightwatch says
January 16, 2017 at 7:32 pm
Layla, Layla, Layla… where do you get your “facts”? MLK was not, and never was Republican. That is a right-wing myth that has been debunked for years. He did not belong to any political party. His father was a Republican, as were many Blacks in those days because of the racism of southern Dixiecrats. His father eventually became a Democrat because of his like of John Kennedy’s policies. MLK was known to criticize both Republicans and Democrats and tried to remain neutral but definitely leaned Democrat for obvious reasons… voting rights which were being pushed by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson.
Now, about those 50’s and 60’s marchers being “Republican”, if you mean not racist Dixiecrats, probably right. But you do know that Dixiecrats, led by Strom Thurmond, switched to the Republican Party as soon as Lyndon Johnson pushed through the civil rights bill of 1964. So in the south, everything switched places… Dixiecrats became racist Republicans and remain so to this day. Liberal Republicans, including millions of blacks, became Democrats and remain so to this day.
So, Layla, you need to quit trying to legitimize Republican civil rights policies and efforts. No one buys it, as shown by 92% of blacks voting for Hillary.
Traveling Rep says
January 18, 2017 at 8:51 pm
I would encourage anyone above to see the following youtube link to get a better sense of the truth surrounding “dixiecrats” and the KKK that THEY are credited with. Don’t take my word for it. See the comments section as well. Look for a commenter with the name Afriend. It is not me, but I found his comments interesting.
youtube.com/watch?v=5GC_3wEaZGY
January 19, 2021 at 9:10 am
Dr. Martin Luther King understood it to be a class issue, although he also understood how racism created the class problem that many black people faced. When we look at redlining and housing, we see that as white families were leaving rentals and buying into suburban neighborhoods, black families with the ability to buy were barred from doing this. And the communities they were living in went into sharp decline at this time due to this overtly racist funding policy.
Low income communities became places with lack of investment, and the black families were barred from building the wealth with the new opportunities afforded from the New Deal–overtly–even after the Civil Rights Act was passed.
This is why people get upset. We understand that there are these challenges which involve class, but we never ever acknowledged how the past contributed to these problems. And for the low income communities that were the product of this racism, their local governments aren’t well equipped to solve the problem and other people have no idea what it’s like to even attempt to get out of that situation or what it’s like to live it. No one sees the problems but we often see the symptoms and blame the poor people for exercising their most available and immediate options.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn’t know that the Fair Houisng Act would be passed–that his own death might have been the impetus to set that law in motion, but he did know this would be a long road. Slavery was legal from the colonial times of the 1500’s to 1865. Discrimination was legal until 1968. It’s only been 60 years since the Fair Housing Act and Civil Rights Acts have been passed.
The past is important. It’s not over just because the laws were passed. We can’t give up. And this is all of our future. Our nation will be much, much stronger once we actually address these issues.
We never have faced it head-on, and for that reason, we’ll keep hearing about Black Lives Matter and justice. So when we have these outcries for justice, and the citizens say, “Shut up,” it’s no wonder there’s animosity, frustration, and anger. People say they’re tired of hearing about it, but people are dying, economic mobility is cramped, and children grow up believing they have less value. Fix this, and we all succeed. This doesn’t just benefit black people. It benefits our entire nation!
The Geode says
January 16, 2023 at 7:14 pm
Poor guy had no idea that he put himself in harm’s way for nothing…
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Deseret News archives: King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech in 1963 stands test of time
March on washington for jobs and freedom on aug. 28, 1963, was for the most part a peaceful event.
By Chris Miller
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives .
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was an important moment in U.S. history. While some might argue that the march was more about daily needs — as in jobs — it has certainly stood the test of time as a momentous movement about civil rights.
And one of the reasons it still resonates is the famous speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. His “I have a dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, pricked a nation’s collective conscience.
Newspapers of the day followed the march with great interest, although a unique situation in Utah pushed the story to the bottom of the page. A horrific mine disaster in Moab on Aug. 27 had drawn Utahns’ attention from national events to more a more personal interest.
Why King? What about the speech stands the test of time?
According to colleague Kelsey Dallas, Pew Research Center found that a large share of U.S. adults — 81% — believe that King had a very positive or somewhat positive impact on the country, but only 38% of Americans felt their personal views on racial equality were shaped by his work.
And that’s OK. One of the things that struck me in coverage of the 1963 march was the peaceful nature of the more than 100,000 who gathered on the National Mall, per reporting of the day.
And if you ever want to quote King’s “I have a dream” line, here is that part of the speech, along with other articles from Deseret News archives on the Rev. King:
“... I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of ‘interposition’ and ‘nullification,’ one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
“This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. ...”
“ ‘I have a dream’ was cut from the original draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech ”
“ Opinion: What people of faith can learn from MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech 60 years later ”
“ Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘dream’ 50 years later ”
“ Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy ”
“ Video: Watch Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s previously lost speech from 1962 ″
“ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: I have a dream ”
“ Opinion: Rev. King’s advice for developing compassion? Learn to see another’s point of view ”
“ Perspective: The power of a dream ”
“ Five essential sermons delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. ”
National News | Today in History: August 28, Martin Luther…
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National news | 49ers wr aiyuk agrees to massive extension, solidifying super bowl hopes, national news, national news | today in history: august 28, martin luther king, jr. delivers “i have a dream” speech, also on this day, new orleans mayor ray nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation as hurricane katrina approached the city.
Today in history:
On Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Also on this date:
In 1845, the first issue of “Scientific American” magazine was published; it remains the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States.
In 1898, pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, North Carolina changed the name of the carbonated beverage he’d created five years earlier from “Brad’s Drink” to “Pepsi-Cola.”
In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’s home in Money, Mississippi, by two white men after he had allegedly whistled at a white woman four days prior; he was found brutally slain three days later.
In 1957, U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond (D-S.C.) began what remains the longest speaking filibuster in Senate history (24 hours and 18 minutes) in an effort to stall the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
In 1968, police and anti-war demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president.
In 1988, 70 people were killed when three Italian Air Force stunt planes collided during an air show at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein (RAHM’-shtyn), West Germany.
In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation as Hurricane Katrina approached the city.
In 2013, a military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives and left 30 people injured.
In 2016, six scientists completed a yearlong Mars simulation on the big island of Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near isolation on Mauna Loa.
Today’s Birthdays:
Former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is 84.
Actor Ken Jenkins (TV: “Scrubs”) is 84.
Former MLB manager and player Lou Piniella (pih-NEHL’-uh) is 81.
Former MLB pitcher Ron Guidry (GIH’-dree) is 74.
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove is 72.
Artist Ai Weiwei is 67.
Actor Daniel Stern is 67.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton is 66.
Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 63.
Film director David Fincher is 62.
Country singer Shania (shah-NY’-uh) Twain is 59.
“Pokemon” creator Satoshi Tajiri is 59.
Actor Billy Boyd is 56.
Actor Jack Black is 55.
Hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon is 55.
Actor Jason Priestley is 55.
Technology executive Sheryl Sandberg is 55.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Janet Evans is 53.
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Voice Dream - Natural Reader 4+
Read aloud tts, voice dream llc.
4.6 • 9.9K Ratings
Offers In-App Purchases
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Description.
Apple Design Award Winner! Voice Dream - Read Aloud lets you listen to PDFs, textbooks, Web pages, emails, and books using advanced AI Text To Speech! Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries. Voice Dream - Read Aloud is also part of App Store Permanent Collections in Education. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Both experts recommend Voice Dream Reader as the best app in the text-to-speech space.” - Wired “This app is one of the best educational finds of my entire career.” - Forbes “As a user myself and as a mother of a child with dyslexia, I am blown away by the features of Voice Dream.” - Quartz “Voice Dream Reader is hailed by many as the best mobile text-to-speech (TTS) app.” - Examiner ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Text-to-Speech - 36 built-in iOS voices in 27 languages are also available for free. - 200+ additional premium voices in 30 languages from Acapela, NeoSpeech and Ivona available. - Correct pronunciation with your own pronunciation dictionary. - All voices work offline and play in the background even with the screen locked. Supported Document Formats - PDF, Plain text, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, RTF, and Google Docs. - Textbooks - Web articles. - Bookshare Books. - EPUB eBooks. (DRM-free books only. Kindle, iBooks and most commercial eBook platforms are not supported.) - DAISY text-based books and audiobook. - Audiobooks in MP3, MP4 or zipped MP3 format. - Rich text and image support for all documents. Built-in Scanner - Scan paper documents with the camera for text-to-speech. - State-of-the-art A.I. is fast and accurate, even in poor lighting conditions. - Works entirely on device: No need for internet and your data stays private. - Only languages using Latin alphabets are currently supported. Reading Styles - Tee-up a list of articles and play while you drive, walk or run. - Spoken word is highlighted to improve comprehension and retention. - Auto-scrolling and full screen, distraction-free mode to help reader focus. - Finger reading. For beginners to read by at running a finger under each word. - Pac-Man. Harvard and MIT developed speed-reading method for everyone to read at 2x speed with no loss of comprehension. - High contrast and large font size for low vision readers. - Optimized for VoiceOver, Braille and switch control. Tools - Recognize text for scanned PDF documents. - Bookmarking, text highlighting and annotation. Highlights and notes can be exported. - Full-text search. - Built-in dictionary. - Automatically skip text in PDF header and footer. Content Sources - Native support for Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Pocket, Instapaper and Evernote. - Native access to Bookshare. - Safari extension to save Web pages and Web addresses. - Support for Box and OneDrive via iOS Document Picker. Library Synchronization - Your entire library, including folders, reading locations, bookmarks and annotations are synchronized across all your devices using iCloud Drive A subscription is required to access the app. A free trial is offered to new users. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula
Version 4.37.1
Revert change to playback when documents are completed
Ratings and Reviews
9.9K Ratings
Editors’ Choice
Kids aren’t the only ones who like being read to. Whether you’re listening to a story on your commute or you’d like to hear your big work presentation read back to you, Voice Dream Reader can helpfully turn text into speech.
Long overdue review
I purchased this app several years ago. Since I purchased it I have used it to “read” hundreds of books and articles. Most of the material I have “read” with this app is not available as a professionally narrated audio and never will be. This includes many obscure religious and medical texts and manuscripts — more than I can count. I am constantly on the go and almost never have time to sit down and read a printed or digital book. Yet, with this app I have been able to get through many thousands of pages of material that never would have been possible otherwise. I listen nearly every day while I drive, walk, jog and sometimes while I work. Although the app is not perfect (pronunciation is sometimes incorrect) it is good enough for me to understand. I appreciate that the developer has continued to improve the product. For example, in the last year I discovered I can use it to listen to podcasts and even videos that I download for offline use. I would be ungrateful not to leave a 5 star review, because without exaggerating I can say that this has changed my life. I now have a steady stream of valuable information flowing to my mind. This is information that was simply out of reach to me before — mainly due to constraints on my time. This has helped me immensely with preparing to teach classes and in my medical career.
Legacy Perspective
This is a really amazing app, and I am very happy about the recent decision to allow legacy users to continue to use it. The interface is easy to use, the font size and voices and speed choices are great, I can’t say enough positive things about what the app has meant to us. It was a shock to realize it could go away, as Voice Dream Reader has become so important in our family, and although occasionally something has gone wrong briefly, it’s always quickly gone back to working smoothly. I am sad about the move to subscription, and at such a high price. I know it would be complex, but hope that the developers if they ever go to subscription only, will keep legacy people in mind and find a way to allow items to be exported. I am sad that the subscription price is likely to be an obstacle to young children ever benefiting from this app, as it takes awhile to learn to use assistive technology and it’s hard to imagine parents wanting to spend so much on something their child will not be ready to use for some time, maybe months, after trying out. Still, I hope that the app can be enjoyed and appreciated by as many as possible, and although most will likely not be young children anymore, this app is worth trying for anyone who needs or wants to listen to text.
App Privacy
The developer, Voice Dream LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
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The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
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The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
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Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Some in‑app purchases, including subscriptions, may be shareable with your family group when family sharing is enabled..
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Read and watch: former President Bill Clinton's full speech to the Democratic National Convention
Bill clinton made the case for democrats' handling of the economy and jobs, published august 21, 2024 • updated on august 21, 2024 at 10:35 pm.
Editor's note: The text of the speech below is as prepared. His actual delivery may have varied.
Good evening. After the last two days, am I proud to be a Democrat! I’m especially proud of President Biden, who came to office during the pandemic and an economic crash. He healed us and got us back to work. He strengthened our alliances for freedom and security.
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Perhaps the greatest test of anyone in power is whether they’re willing to relinquish it. George Washington knew that and it enhanced his legacy. The same is now true for Joe Biden. Mr. President, thank you for your courage, compassion, and class; for your service and your sacrifice. You have not only kept the faith—you are spreading the faith.
Now, let’s cut to the chase: The stakes are too high and I’m too old to gild the lily. I actually turned 78 two days ago. And I’m still not quite as old as Donald Trump. Last night we nominated Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be the next president and vice president. Two leaders with improbable, all-American life stories that could only happen here, with careers starting in community courtrooms and classrooms. Two leaders who have spent a lifetime getting the job done.
A presidential election is a job interview for the greatest job in the world. What questions will you ask—because you’re doing the hiring. Will a president take us forward or backward? Will she give our kids a brighter future? Will she make us more united or more divided? Will we all feel heard, seen, and valued, regardless of who we voted for?
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We, the people, are the employers, charged by our Constitution to hire a president to do a job that we get to redefine every four years. In effect, the American people say, “Here are our problems; solve them. Here are our opportunities; seize them. Here are our fears; ease them. Here are our dreams; help us make them come true.” A president can answer that call by leading us to work together—or dodging what needs to be done by dividing, distracting, and deceiving us.
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In 2024, we have a clear choice: “We the People” versus “me, myself, and I.” I know which one I like better for our country. Kamala Harris will solve problems, seize opportunities, ease our fears, and make sure that every American can chase their dreams.
When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s. She greeted every person with that thousand-watt smile and said, “How can I help you?” And now, at the pinnacle of power, she’s still asking “How can I help you?” I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump—a paragon of consistency—is still dividing, blaming, and belittling. He creates and curates chaos. It’s showmanship, but it’s not leadership. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for the chance the American people gave me to be one of the 45 people who have held the job. Even on the bad days, you can still make something good happen.
Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race with the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will, and—yes—the sheer joy to do that on good and bad days. To be our voice.
Now, how does Donald Trump use his voice? Mostly to talk about himself—his vengeance, vendettas, complaints, conspiracies. The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies—count the I’s. He’s like the tenor warming up before the opera: me, me, me, me. Kamala Harris is focused on you.
Do you want to build a strong economy from the bottom up and the middle out? Or do you want to spend the next four years talking about crowd sizes? Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, America has created about 51 million new jobs—about 50 million under Democrats, 1 million under Republicans. 50 to 1! Coach Walz will tell ya, if you’re up 50 to 1—you’re winning!
Do you want more affordable housing, affordable health care, and affordable child care? Do you want more financing for small businesses? Do you want to strengthen our alliances and stand up for freedom and democracy around the world? Or a tribute to the “late great” Hannibal Lecter? Do you want to save our country and our world from the calamities of climate change? Or obsess on the vital debate between getting eaten by sharks or electrocuted? President Obama once famously called me the Explainer in Chief, but folks—but I can’t even.
I want an America that’s more joyful, inclusive, and future-focused. Where we weather the storms and earn the benefits together. That’s the America Kamala Harris will lead. She’s already made her first presidential decision, picking a running mate. And boy, did she knock it out of the park. She called Tim Walz for duty one more time. He’s the real deal with a record—as a coach, as a teacher, as a soldier, as a congressman, and as a great governor—to prove it. And he reminds us of home.
Kamala Harris has fought for kids that were left out and left behind. She’s taken on gangs trafficking across the border, and fought to protect the rights of homeowners. She’s been our leader in the fight for reproductive freedom, and advanced America’s interests and values all over the world. She’ll work to make sure that no American working full-time has to live in poverty and that homeownership is an achievable dream, not a privilege. She’ll protect your right to vote, including your right to vote for someone else.
For 250 years, the forces of division have tried to halt the march of progress in this beautiful experiment of ours. In the face of stiff, often violent opposition, we have kept hope alive and kept marching forward together.
Kamala Harris’s story is the story of an America we all know is possible. Where “We the People” continually strive to make our union more perfect. One where a daughter of the Bay and a son of the Heartland can be the president and vice president.
We should not despair about America’s divisions, because we move from happiness to heartbreak, from building and breaking to rebuilding and making. We do the best we can. Until, in God’s good time, there comes a new generation to pick up where we left off. That’s the opportunity we’re given now. To pick an extraordinary woman, clearly up to the job, who’ll bring us together and move us forward.
So, talk to your neighbors. Meet people where they are. Don’t demean them. Ask them for their help. And ask them, as Kamala still does, “How can I help you?” We’ve got a lot of hay in the barn—we just need to saddle up and ride with strength through November. If America hires Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, we will never regret it.
Take it from the Man from Hope, Kamala Harris is the woman from joy. And we will make a joyful noise on Election Day if you do your part. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.
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5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ historic acceptance speech
Domenico Montanaro
Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, arrives onstage to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
History was made Thursday night when Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to do so.
Those historic firsts can be opportunities, and they can be challenges. Harris is not someone known for delivering big speeches, and the public’s views of her are still forming. She got the nomination, after all, without running in a primary, the first to do so in many decades.
“We must be worthy of this moment,” Harris said.
Was she? Here are five takeaways from her acceptance speech and Democrats’ convention:
1. Harris introduced herself to America.
This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris’ political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she’s ever spoken to — not the crowd of thousands in person in the audience, but the crowd of millions watching at home and those taking it in in the coming days.
She had to connect with those who are either undecided about her or those on her side but not sold on voting. She tried to do that by inverting what former President Donald Trump does in othering certain groups of people. She tried to make her story — one of a child of immigrants from India and Jamaica — a typical and relatable American one. She’s the child of divorce, brought up working class, raised by a mother who dreamed big and taught her daughters to dream big, but also stressed critical all-American values — work hard, don’t complain and “do something,” a nice rhetorical coda to former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech two nights ago.
Overall, Harris sounded in control, shared her values, told the country where she comes from and where she wants to take it, while also contrasting herself with Trump.
2. She and Democrats inverted a lot of Republican messaging.
Harris and Democrats flipped the script in this convention on a lot of GOP attacks against them. They appealed to “common sense,” a small-c conservative value, reclaimed who and what qualifies as blue collar, stood up for veterans and redefined “freedom.”
Instead of a “radical” California liberal, Harris painted herself as a regular, blue-collar kid, who understands the needs of people and the value of hard work and discipline.
Democrats, instead of coming across as unpatriotic and unhappy with America, enthusiastically spoke of campaigning with “joy” and flooded the United Center in Chicago with flags. They had Republicans like former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., attest to their patriotism and decency, and they brought veterans to the forefront on the stage and in speeches.
“I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice,” Harris said.
Democrats haven’t always been good at commanding the message in presidential campaigns, but — so far — since Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have come on the scene, they are doing that, starting with making their opponents seem “weird” and taking it further with this convention.
And it’s all been in service of trying to reach out to the middle.
3. Harris showed she was disciplined.
One of the most important jobs of a candidate in a presidential acceptance speech is to allow people to actually visualize him or her as president.
That’s especially true for someone who hasn’t had a lot of time in front of the voters.
Agree or not with the direction Harris wants to take the country, she did that Thursday night. She looked the part, stuck to the script, didn’t ramble or meander, and mostly stuck to the facts. She laid out a vision for the future of the country, one that stands in stark contrast to what Trump wants to do.
If, with her discipline, Harris was trying to reassure Americans that she can handle the presidency, it also had to give Democrats confidence in the kind of candidate she will be for the remaining 74 days.
And she did it all without dwelling on her gender, race or ethnic identity.
4. She tried to stake a claim to the “change” mantle?
Harris has provided Democrats with enthusiasm they didn’t have before President Biden dropped out, and part of that comes from the change Harris brings. Another challenge for her Thursday night was to show she could grab firm hold of the change mantle. Change, after all, is one of the strongest motivators in politics.
Harris showed not only is she change from Trump, someone who has now been running or serving as president for almost a decade, but also from Biden. That was evident by the very different speeches they delivered this week. Biden’s was darker and more focused on defending democracy (as well as his achievements in office).
In fact, Biden mentioned democracy 10 times in his speech. Harris mentioned it, but only twice .
“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said, “a chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
Another way she showed her difference with Biden was in how she spoke about Gaza. She said she would “always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself.” But, she added, “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives, lost; desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”
And she pledged that she and President Biden “are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
It’s a different tone than the country has heard on this from the president in the past year.
That Harris might be the “change” candidate in this election is an ironic and somewhat astounding thing for a sitting vice president to pull off.
5. Democrats are walking away thrilled with how the week went, but this is still a very close race.
The week was well produced; the campaign pulled off a high-wire act seamlessly marrying the convention with a packed Harris-Walz rally in Milwaukee at the very arena where the Republican National Convention was held; and it had big stars.
But most importantly, it showcased and introduced Harris in the best light possible. And all of that has Democrats over the moon.
Still, for what a solid rollout Harris has had and all her momentum, this remains a very close race. That’s why several Democrats this week urged the crowd against irrational exuberance and reminded onlookers of the work that still needs to be done.
“Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great now,” Michelle Obama said. “We’re loving it. They are packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized. We are feeling good. But remember, there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome.”
There is no doubt about that.
Vice President Kamala Harris
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice. We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. 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. 1963 is not an end but a beginning. Those who hoped 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 a 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 they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always 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 cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “for whites only.” We cannot 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. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends — so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!” And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi — from every mountainside. Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring — when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children — black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics — will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Martin Luther King, Jr. August 28, 1963 Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., United States of America
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PDF Full text to the I Have A Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior
h we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "W. hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the ...
Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Speech
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be ...
MLK's I Have A Dream Speech Video & Text
The "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. before a crowd of some 250,000 people at the 1963 March on Washington, remains one of the most famous speeches in history.
I Have a Dream
Audio - Listen to the I Have a Dream speech . Video - Watch the full speech here, transcript below. It follows the full text transcript of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Washington D.C. - August 28, 1963.
I Have a Dream
External audio. I Have a Dream, August 28, 1963, Educational Radio Network [1] " I Have a Dream " is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister [2] Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called for civil and economic rights ...
Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' Speech in Its Entirety
Speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King at the "March on Washington" on August 28, 1963: I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
PDF "I Have a Dream" Speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr
ble to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. hav. a dream today . . . This will be the day when all of God's chil. ren will be able to sing with new meaning. "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee. sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pri.
I Have A Dream Speech
Summary: "I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equalityand an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.
PDF I HAVE A DREAM
Let us not wallow in the valley ot' des.pai·r. say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficult~es of today and tomorrow, I still have. dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dl'e.am. I have a dream that one day this 11ation will rise up, live out the h·ue meaning of its creed: ""' e hold the~e truths to be ...
Martin Luther King's Speech: 'I Have a Dream'
By ABC News. August 27, 2013, 1:30 PM. NaN:NaN. Aug. 27, 2013 -- The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech is among the most acclaimed in U.S. history, and the 50th anniversary ...
Read The Complete Text Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Iconic 'I Have A
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most iconic speeches in history - the "I Have a Dream" speech. In this powerful address, Dr. King called for an end to racial injustice and for a future of racial harmony and equality. Today, we invite you to read the complete text of this historic speech and to reflect on ...
"I Have a Dream"
August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered at the 28 August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, synthesized portions of his previous sermons and speeches, with selected statements by other prominent public figures.. King had been drawing on material he used in the "I Have a Dream" speech in his other speeches and sermons for many years.
PDF Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech
1 b v g a dream today . . . I have a aream that one day. every vadley shall be exdted, every hill and mountain &dl be made low. The rough places wild be made plain, aad the crooked places 'will be made straight. &nd the glory of the Lord shall be rereal&, and all flesh &all see it together. This is our hope.
Transcript of Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech : NPR
AFP via Getty Images. Monday marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Below is a transcript of his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial ...
The I Have a Dream Speech
The I Have a Dream Speech Advertisement In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began […]
I Have a Dream
Amy Tikkanen. I Have a Dream, the speech by civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., that was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. A call for equality and freedom, it became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.
PDF I Have a Dream speech
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was late afternoon, on a warm August day, as Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a crowd of more than 250,000 onlookers at the March on Washington to deliver his now famous "I have a Dream" speech. Many who gathered in the crowd that day were tired from the long train and bus rides that brought them from the ...
I Have a Dream Speech Transcript
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 12:54) I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat ...
Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech August 28, 1963 ( Full Speech)
An illustration of text ellipses. More. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Internet Archive Audio ... Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech August 28, 1963 ( Full Speech) Publication date 1963-08-28 Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0 Topics
I Have a Dream Speech August 28, 1963
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963 as the culmination of the Washington Freedom ...
Deseret News archives: MLK Jr.'s 'I have a dream' speech in 1963
His "I have a dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963, pricked a nation's collective conscience. Newspapers of the day followed the march with great interest, although a unique situation in Utah pushed the story to the bottom of the page. A horrific mine disaster in Moab on Aug. 27 had drawn Utahns' attention from national events to more a more ...
Today in History: August 28, MLK delivers "I Have a Dream" speech
During the March on Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Harris explains in exclusive CNN interview why she's shifted her
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday offered her most expansive explanation to date on why she's changed some of her positions on fracking and immigration, telling CNN's Dana Bash her ...
Voice Dream
"As a user myself and as a mother of a child with dyslexia, I am blown away by the features of Voice Dream." - Quartz "Voice Dream Reader is hailed by many as the best mobile text-to-speech (TTS) app." - Examiner-----Text-to-Speech - 36 built-in iOS voices in 27 languages are also available for free.
PDF Martin Luther King's Speech: 'I Have a Dream'
have a dream today. have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to ...
Martin Luther King Jr. 'I Have a Dream' Speech Full Text and Video
Although the words " I have a dream ," are most widely known for being part of his August 1963, speech, King first spoke them months earlier in Detroit, according to CNN. Martin Luther King Jr ...
Read and watch: Bill Clinton's full speech to the DNC
Editor's note: The text of the speech below is as prepared. His actual delivery may have varied. Good evening. After the last two days, am I proud to be a Democrat! I'm especially proud of ...
5 takeaways from Kamala Harris' historic acceptance speech
1. Harris introduced herself to America. This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris' political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she's ever spoken to — not the ...
"I Have A Dream"
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.". I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners ...
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h we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "W. hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the ...
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be ...
The "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. before a crowd of some 250,000 people at the 1963 March on Washington, remains one of the most famous speeches in history.
Audio - Listen to the I Have a Dream speech . Video - Watch the full speech here, transcript below. It follows the full text transcript of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Washington D.C. - August 28, 1963.
External audio. I Have a Dream, August 28, 1963, Educational Radio Network [1] " I Have a Dream " is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister [2] Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called for civil and economic rights ...
Speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King at the "March on Washington" on August 28, 1963: I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
ble to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. hav. a dream today . . . This will be the day when all of God's chil. ren will be able to sing with new meaning. "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee. sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pri.
Summary: "I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equalityand an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Let us not wallow in the valley ot' des.pai·r. say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficult~es of today and tomorrow, I still have. dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dl'e.am. I have a dream that one day this 11ation will rise up, live out the h·ue meaning of its creed: ""' e hold the~e truths to be ...
By ABC News. August 27, 2013, 1:30 PM. NaN:NaN. Aug. 27, 2013 -- The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech is among the most acclaimed in U.S. history, and the 50th anniversary ...
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most iconic speeches in history - the "I Have a Dream" speech. In this powerful address, Dr. King called for an end to racial injustice and for a future of racial harmony and equality. Today, we invite you to read the complete text of this historic speech and to reflect on ...
August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered at the 28 August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, synthesized portions of his previous sermons and speeches, with selected statements by other prominent public figures.. King had been drawing on material he used in the "I Have a Dream" speech in his other speeches and sermons for many years.
1 b v g a dream today . . . I have a aream that one day. every vadley shall be exdted, every hill and mountain &dl be made low. The rough places wild be made plain, aad the crooked places 'will be made straight. &nd the glory of the Lord shall be rereal&, and all flesh &all see it together. This is our hope.
AFP via Getty Images. Monday marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Below is a transcript of his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial ...
The I Have a Dream Speech Advertisement In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began […]
Amy Tikkanen. I Have a Dream, the speech by civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., that was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. A call for equality and freedom, it became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was late afternoon, on a warm August day, as Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a crowd of more than 250,000 onlookers at the March on Washington to deliver his now famous "I have a Dream" speech. Many who gathered in the crowd that day were tired from the long train and bus rides that brought them from the ...
Martin Luther King Jr.: ( 12:54) I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat ...
An illustration of text ellipses. More. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Internet Archive Audio ... Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Speech August 28, 1963 ( Full Speech) Publication date 1963-08-28 Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0 Topics
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963 as the culmination of the Washington Freedom ...
His "I have a dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963, pricked a nation's collective conscience. Newspapers of the day followed the march with great interest, although a unique situation in Utah pushed the story to the bottom of the page. A horrific mine disaster in Moab on Aug. 27 had drawn Utahns' attention from national events to more a more ...
During the March on Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech before an estimated 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday offered her most expansive explanation to date on why she's changed some of her positions on fracking and immigration, telling CNN's Dana Bash her ...
"As a user myself and as a mother of a child with dyslexia, I am blown away by the features of Voice Dream." - Quartz "Voice Dream Reader is hailed by many as the best mobile text-to-speech (TTS) app." - Examiner-----Text-to-Speech - 36 built-in iOS voices in 27 languages are also available for free.
have a dream today. have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to ...
Although the words " I have a dream ," are most widely known for being part of his August 1963, speech, King first spoke them months earlier in Detroit, according to CNN. Martin Luther King Jr ...
Editor's note: The text of the speech below is as prepared. His actual delivery may have varied. Good evening. After the last two days, am I proud to be a Democrat! I'm especially proud of ...
1. Harris introduced herself to America. This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris' political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she's ever spoken to — not the ...
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.". I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners ...