I Have a Dream Speech
The "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963, is one of the most iconic addresses in American history. It took place during the March on Washington, a significant event that gathered nearly 250,000 people to advocate for civil rights legislation. King’s speech was the keynote address of the rally and was initially prepared, but he famously improvised parts of it, inspired by the fervent energy of the crowd. His repetition of the phrase "I have a dream" encapsulated his vision of a racially just society, where individuals would be judged by their character rather than their skin color. The speech also drew upon biblical references and resonated with themes of freedom and unity. Its broadcast reached millions, amplifying the civil rights movement's message and highlighting the ongoing struggle against racial injustice in the United States. King's impassioned delivery and powerful imagery left a lasting impact, inspiring change and serving as a reminder of the work that remained in the fight for equality.
I Have a Dream Speech
Date: August 28, 1963
The best-known and most-quoted address by Martin Luther King Jr. Delivered before the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, it was the keynote speech of the March on Washington, DC.
Origins and History
Along with Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered one hundred years earlier, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most memorable in US history. It was delivered on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, where nearly a quarter of a million people had gathered for the March on Washington to urge Congress and President John F. Kennedy to pass a national civil rights bill.
The Speech
King’s remarks were the keynote address of the rally and capped off a day of speeches and musical presentations. The large crowd was charged with emotion and enthusiasm as King took the podium. The three major television networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—were providing live television coverage of the speech, so King had carefully prepared a formal text. In an interview a few months after giving the speech, he recalled that he was so moved by the emotion of the crowd spread out before him on that August afternoon in the nation’s capital that he abandoned the prepared text and began to preach from the heart, using the now-famous phrase “I have a dream.” King had previously used the phrase in several speeches, including ones given at mass meetings in Birmingham, Alabama, in April and in Detroit, Michigan, in June of the same year. He may also have been prompted on this occasion by gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who had performed previously and who was heard to shout, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!”
In his speech, King repeated the phrase "I have a dream" eight times: six times to introduce a description of his dream and twice more to simply say, “I have a dream today!” Perhaps the most memorable passage beginning with this phrase was, “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.” Another passage began, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted”—a quote from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament.
After speaking a few sentences from his prepared conclusion, King picked up on a new theme, reciting the first stanza of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and ending with the line, “From every mountainside, let freedom ring.” King spoke forcefully to make himself heard over the growing roar of the crowd. His conclusion powerfully summarized his dream for the United States and his hope for the future: he looked forward to a day “when all of God’s children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants—will be able to join hands and to sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ʻFree at last, free at last; thank God almighty, we are free at last.’”
Impact
Although he did not know it at the time, King had delivered the greatest speech of his life. His words conveyed the moral power of the decade's great crusade for civil rights to a television audience of millions. No longer could the country ignore the injustices of poverty, segregation, and violence against African Americans in the United States. King’s eloquent plea for justice and freedom was one of the decade’s shining moments; however, it also served as a powerful reminder that much still needed to be done.
Bibliography
Hampson, Rick. "What You Didn't Know about King's 'Dream' Speech." USA Today. Gannett, 13 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Hansen, Drew D. The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech That Inspired a Nation. New York: Harper, 2003. Print.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. "I Have a Dream (1963)." A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. James M. Washington. 1986. New York: Harper, 1991. 217–20. Print.
Weinman, Jaime J. "What Was Lost in the Dream." Maclean's 2 Sept. 2013: 32–34. Print.
Wills, Garry. Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership. New York: Touchstone, 1994. Print.
Younge, Gary. The Speech: The Story behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream. Chicago: Haymarket, 2013. Print.