8/11/2019 Martin Luther- I Have a Dream

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I have a Dreamby Martin Luther King, Jr.

Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August !, "#$%

&ive score years ago, a great American, in 'hose symbolic shado' 'e stand signed the (mancipation )roclamation. *hismomentous decree came as a great beacon light o+ hope to millions o+ egro slaves 'ho had been seared in the +lames o+'ithering in-ustice. It came as a -oyous daybrea to end the long night o+ captivity.

/ut one hundred years later, 'e must +ace the tragic +act that the egro is still not +ree. 0ne hundred years later, the li+e o+the egro is still sadly crippled by the manacles o+ segregation and the chains o+ discrimination. 0ne hundred years later,the egro lives on a lonely island o+ poverty in the midst o+ a vast ocean o+ material prosperity. 0ne hundred years later,the egro is still languishing in the corners o+ American society and +inds himsel+ an e1ile in his o'n land. 2o 'e havecome here today to dramati3e an appalling condition.In a sense 'e have come to our nation4s capital to cash a chec. When the architects o+ our republic 'rote the magni+icent'ords o+ the Constitution and the declaration o+ Independence, they 'ere signing a promissory note to 'hich everyAmerican 'as to +all heir. *his note 'as a promise that all men 'ould be guaranteed the inalienable rights o+ li+e, liberty,and the pursuit o+ happiness.It is obvious today that America has de+aulted on this promissory note inso+ar as her citi3ens o+ color are concerned.Instead o+ honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the egro people a bad chec 'hich has come bac mared5insu++icient +unds.5 /ut 'e re+use to believe that the ban o+ -ustice is banrupt. We re+use to believe that there areinsu++icient +unds in the great vaults o+ opportunity o+ this nation. 2o 'e have come to cash this chec 66 a chec that 'illgive us upon demand the riches o+ +reedom and the security o+ -ustice. We have also come to this hallo'ed spot to remind

America o+ the +ierce urgency o+ no'. *his is no time to engage in the lu1ury o+ cooling o++ or to tae the tran7uili3ingdrug o+ gradualism. o' is the time to rise +rom the dar and desolate valley o+ segregation to the sunlit path o+ racial

-ustice. o' is the time to open the doors o+ opportunity to all o+ 8od4s children. o' is the time to li+t our nation +romthe 7uicsands o+ racial in-ustice to the solid roc o+ brotherhood.It 'ould be +atal +or the nation to overloo the urgency o+ the moment and to underestimate the determination o+ the

egro. *his s'eltering summer o+ the egro4s legitimate discontent 'ill not pass until there is an invigorating autumn o++reedom and e7uality. ineteen si1ty6three is not an end, but a beginning. *hose 'ho hope that the egro needed to blo'o++ steam and 'ill no' be content 'ill have a rude a'aening i+ the nation returns to business as usual. *here 'ill beneither rest nor tran7uility in America until the egro is granted his citi3enship rights. *he 'hirl'inds o+ revolt 'illcontinue to shae the +oundations o+ our nation until the bright day o+ -ustice emerges./ut there is something that I must say to my people 'ho stand on the 'arm threshold 'hich leads into the palace o+

-ustice. In the process o+ gaining our right+ul place 'e must not be guilty o+ 'rong+ul deeds. Let us not see to satis+y ourthirst +or +reedom by drining +rom the cup o+ bitterness and hatred.We must +orever conduct our struggle on the high plane o+ dignity and discipline. We must not allo' our creative protest to

degenerate into physical violence. Again and again 'e must rise to the ma-estic heights o+ meeting physical +orce 'ith soul+orce. *he marvelous ne' militancy 'hich has engul+ed the egro community must not lead us to distrust o+ all 'hite

people, +or many o+ our 'hite brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to reali3e that their destiny istied up 'ith our destiny and their +reedom is ine1tricably bound to our +reedom. We cannot 'al alone.And as 'e 'al, 'e must mae the pledge that 'e shall march ahead. We cannot turn bac. *here are those 'ho areasing the devotees o+ civil rights, 5When 'ill you be satis+ied95 We can never be satis+ied as long as our bodies, heavy'ith the +atigue o+ travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels o+ the high'ays and the hotels o+ the cities. We cannot besatis+ied as long as the egro4s basic mobility is +rom a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satis+ied as long asa egro in Mississippi cannot vote and a egro in e' :or believes he has nothing +or 'hich to vote. o, no, 'e are notsatis+ied, and 'e 'ill not be satis+ied until -ustice rolls do'n lie 'aters and righteousness lie a mighty stream.I am not unmind+ul that some o+ you have come here out o+ great trials and tribulations. 2ome o+ you have come +resh+rom narro' cells. 2ome o+ you have come +rom areas 'here your 7uest +or +reedom le+t you battered by the storms o+

persecution and staggered by the 'inds o+ police brutality. :ou have been the veterans o+ creative su++ering. Continue to'or 'ith the +aith that unearned su++ering is redemptive.8o bac to Mississippi, go bac to Alabama, go bac to 8eorgia, go bac to Louisiana, go bac to the slums and ghettos o+our northern cities, no'ing that someho' this situation can and 'ill be changed. Let us not 'allo' in the valley o+despair.I say to you today, my +riends, that in spite o+ the di++iculties and +rustrations o+ the moment, I still have a dream. It is adream deeply rooted in the American dream.I have a dream that one day this nation 'ill rise up and live out the true meaning o+ its creed; 5We hold these truths to besel+6evident; that all men are created e7ual.5I have a dream that one day on the red hills o+ 8eorgia the sons o+ +ormer slaves and the sons o+ +ormer slaveo'ners 'ill

be able to sit do'n together at a table o+ brotherhood.I have a dream that one day even the state o+ Mississippi, a desert state, s'eltering 'ith the heat o+ in-ustice andoppression, 'ill be trans+ormed into an oasis o+ +reedom and -ustice.

8/11/2019 Martin Luther- I Have a Dream

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