Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

by Martin Luther King Jr.

"I have a dream today." On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King spoke these words as he addressed a crowd of more than 200,000 civil rights protesters gathered at The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Two months earlier, President John Kennedy had sent a civil rights bill to Congress, but it was struck down. Although Kennedy was concerned about the possibility of widespread violence during this protest, he realized he was powerless to stop it and embraced the movement instead.

Known as the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," the country expected to hear King deliver strong words to his opponents. Instead, his "I Have a Dream" speech was one of heartfelt passion and poetic eloquence that still echoes in our memory.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, Leadership, History, Politics

Audiobook

Published May 3, 2013

About the author

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving, surprisingly poetic. MLK was not only a great activist but seriously talented with language

[vampcherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

You hear about this speech everywhere, from elementary school to college. Yet, you can't understand why this speech was so impactful until you truly read it. This man was so well spoken, he had the ability to articulate his thoughts in a way most people can’t.

[The Life Of A Firefly · Rating 5 out of 5]

In honour of Martin Luther King Jr, I listened to his inspiring 'I Have A Dream' speech once again. A truly powerful and emotional speech of a great man. The struggles, the feelings and the meaning of his speech moves me tears everytime. The message he put out there and the cause he fought for all them years ago still rings true today - we can learn a lot from Martin Luther King Jr. A true hero and legend that'll never be forgotten. Happy MLK Day!

'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."

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

The speech is amazingly inspirational. Most of the speech has been fulfilled but it is interesting to see what parts haven't - " I have a dream that one day in Alabama... 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."
Studies have shown that more than 50 years later racial segregation is still present (yet not in law) in Alabama.
https://eji.org/news/history-racial-i...

[Ganbaatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translated

[Sofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amaziiiingg

[davidgonzalezsr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Speech. I listen to this on 28Aug every year. It's short and powerful. Martin Luther King Jr is a phenomenal orator.

[Rachel Baack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: In his most iconic speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspires his audience to continue to fight for racial equality and to hope for a better future.

[Scott Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dream, baby, dream.