Flashback: ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech By Martin Luther King Jr.

KING I am happy ░░░░░░░░ join with you today ░░░░░░░░ what will go down ░░░░░░░░ history as the greatest ░░░░░░░░ for freedom in the ░░░░░░░░ of our nation Five ░░░░░░░░ years ago a great ░░░░░░░░ in whose symbolic shadow ░░░░░░░░ stand today signed the ░░░░░░░░ Proclamation This momentous decree ░░░░░░░░ as a great beacon ░░░░░░░░ of hope to millions ░░░░░░░░ Negro slaves who had ░░░░░░░░ seared in the flames ░░░░░░░░ withering injustice It came ░░░░░░░░ a joyous daybreak to ░░░░░░░░ the long night of ░░░░░░░░ captivity But one hundred ░░░░░░░░ later the Negro still ░░░░░░░░ not free One hundred ░░░░░░░░ later the life of ░░░░░░░░ Negro is still sadly ░░░░░░░░ by the manacles of ░░░░░░░░ and the chains of ░░░░░░░░ One hundred years later ░░░░░░░░ Negro lives on a ░░░░░░░░ island of poverty in ░░░░░░░░ midst of a vast ░░░░░░░░ of material prosperity One ░░░░░░░░ years later the Negro ░░░░░░░░ still languishing in the ░░░░░░░░ of American society and ░░░░░░░░ himself an exile in ░░░░░░░░ own land So we ░░░░░░░░ come here today to ░░░░░░░░ a shameful condition In ░░░░░░░░ sense we have come ░░░░░░░░ our nation s capital ░░░░░░░░ cash a check When ░░░░░░░░ architects of our republic ░░░░░░░░ the magnificent words of ░░░░░░░░ Constitution and the Declaration ░░░░░░░░ Independence they were signing ░░░░░░░░ promissory note to which ░░░░░░░░ American was to fall ░░░░░░░░ This note was a ░░░░░░░░ that all men yes ░░░░░░░░ men as well as ░░░░░░░░ men would be guaranteed ░░░░░░░░ unalienable rights of life ░░░░░░░░ and the pursuit of ░░░░░░░░ It is obvious today ░░░░░░░░ America has defaulted on ░░░░░░░░ promissory note insofar as ░░░░░░░░ citizens of color are ░░░░░░░░ Instead of honoring this ░░░░░░░░ obligation America has given ░░░░░░░░ Negro people a bad ░░░░░░░░ a check which has ░░░░░░░░ back marked insufficient funds ░░░░░░░░ we refuse to believe ░░░░░░░░ the bank of justice ░░░░░░░░ bankrupt We refuse to ░░░░░░░░ that there are insufficient ░░░░░░░░ in the great vaults ░░░░░░░░ opportunity of this nation ░░░░░░░░ we have come to ░░░░░░░░ this check a check ░░░░░░░░ will give us upon ░░░░░░░░ the riches of freedom ░░░░░░░░ the security of justice ░░░░░░░░ have also come to ░░░░░░░░ hallowed spot to remind ░░░░░░░░ of the fierce urgency ░░░░░░░░ now This is no ░░░░░░░░ to engage in the ░░░░░░░░ of cooling off or ░░░░░░░░ take the tranquilizing drug ░░░░░░░░ gradualism Now is the ░░░░░░░░ to make real the ░░░░░░░░ of democracy Now is ░░░░░░░░ time to rise from ░░░░░░░░ dark and desolate valley ░░░░░░░░ segregation to the sunlit ░░░░░░░░ of racial justice Now ░░░░░░░░ the time to lift ░░░░░░░░ nation from the quick ░░░░░░░░ of racial injustice to ░░░░░░░░ solid rock of brotherhood ░░░░░░░░ is the time to ░░░░░░░░ justice a reality for ░░░░░░░░ of God s children ░░░░░░░░ would be fatal for ░░░░░░░░ nation to overlook the ░░░░░░░░ of the moment This ░░░░░░░░ summer of the Negro ░░░░░░░░ legitimate discontent will not ░░░░░░░░ until there is an ░░░░░░░░ autumn of freedom and ░░░░░░░░ 19 sixty three is ░░░░░░░░ an end but a ░░░░░░░░ Those who hope that ░░░░░░░░ Negro needed to blow ░░░░░░░░ steam and will now ░░░░░░░░ content will have a ░░░░░░░░ awakening if the nation ░░░░░░░░ to business as usual ░░░░░░░░ will be neither rest ░░░░░░░░ tranquility in America until ░░░░░░░░ Negro is granted his ░░░░░░░░ rights The whirlwinds of ░░░░░░░░ will continue to shake ░░░░░░░░ foundations of our nation ░░░░░░░░ the bright day of ░░░░░░░░ emerges But there is ░░░░░░░░ that I must say ░░░░░░░░ my people who stand ░░░░░░░░ the warm threshold which ░░░░░░░░ into the palace of ░░░░░░░░ In the process of ░░░░░░░░ our rightful place we ░░░░░░░░ not be guilty of ░░░░░░░░ deeds Let us not ░░░░░░░░ to satisfy our thirst ░░░░░░░░ freedom by drinking from ░░░░░░░░ cup of bitterness and ░░░░░░░░ We must forever conduct ░░░░░░░░ struggle on the high ░░░░░░░░ of dignity and discipline ░░░░░░░░ must not allow our ░░░░░░░░ protest to degenerate into ░░░░░░░░ violence Again and again ░░░░░░░░ must rise to the ░░░░░░░░ heights of meeting physical ░░░░░░░░ with soul force The ░░░░░░░░ new militancy which has ░░░░░░░░ the Negro community must ░░░░░░░░ lead us to a ░░░░░░░░ of all white people ░░░░░░░░ many of our white ░░░░░░░░ as evidenced by their ░░░░░░░░ here today have come ░░░░░░░░ realize that their destiny ░░░░░░░░ tied up with our ░░░░░░░░ They have come to ░░░░░░░░ that their freedom is ░░░░░░░░ bound to our freedom ░░░░░░░░ cannot walk alone As ░░░░░░░░ walk we must make ░░░░░░░░ pledge that we shall ░░░░░░░░ March ahead We cannot ░░░░░░░░ back There are those ░░░░░░░░ are asking the devotees ░░░░░░░░ civil rights When will ░░░░░░░░ be satisfied We can ░░░░░░░░ be satisfied as long ░░░░░░░░ the Negro is the ░░░░░░░░ of the unspeakable horrors ░░░░░░░░ police brutality We can ░░░░░░░░ be satisfied as long ░░░░░░░░ our bodies heavy with ░░░░░░░░ fatigue of travel cannot ░░░░░░░░ lodging in the motels ░░░░░░░░ the highways and the ░░░░░░░░ of the cities We ░░░░░░░░ be satisfied as long ░░░░░░░░ the Negro s basic ░░░░░░░░ is from a smaller ░░░░░░░░ to a larger one ░░░░░░░░ can never be satisfied ░░░░░░░░ long as our children ░░░░░░░░ stripped of their selfhood ░░░░░░░░ robbed of their dignity ░░░░░░░░ signs stating For Whites ░░░░░░░░ We cannot be satisfied ░░░░░░░░ long as a Negro ░░░░░░░░ Mississippi cannot vote and ░░░░░░░░ Negro in New York ░░░░░░░░ he has nothing for ░░░░░░░░ to vote No no ░░░░░░░░ are not satisfied and ░░░░░░░░ will not be satisfied ░░░░░░░░ justice rolls down like ░░░░░░░░ and righteousness like a ░░░░░░░░ stream I am not ░░░░░░░░ that some of you ░░░░░░░░ come here out of ░░░░░░░░ trials and tribulations Some ░░░░░░░░ you have come fresh ░░░░░░░░ narrow jail cells Some ░░░░░░░░ you have come from ░░░░░░░░ where your quest for ░░░░░░░░ left you battered by ░░░░░░░░ storms of persecution and ░░░░░░░░ by the winds of ░░░░░░░░ brutality You have been ░░░░░░░░ veterans of creative suffering ░░░░░░░░ to work with the ░░░░░░░░ that unearned suffering is ░░░░░░░░ Go back to Mississippi ░░░░░░░░ back to Alabama go ░░░░░░░░ to South Carolina go ░░░░░░░░ to Georgia go back ░░░░░░░░ Louisiana go back to ░░░░░░░░ slums and ghettos of ░░░░░░░░ northern cities knowing that ░░░░░░░░ this situation can and ░░░░░░░░ be changed Let us ░░░░░░░░ wallow in the valley ░░░░░░░░ despair I say to ░░░░░░░░ today my friends so ░░░░░░░░ though we face the ░░░░░░░░ of today and tomorrow ░░░░░░░░ still have a dream ░░░░░░░░ is a dream deeply ░░░░░░░░ in the American dream ░░░░░░░░ have a dream that ░░░░░░░░ day this nation will ░░░░░░░░ up and live out ░░░░░░░░ true meaning of its ░░░░░░░░ We hold these truths ░░░░░░░░ be self evident that ░░░░░░░░ men are created equal ░░░░░░░░ have a dream that ░░░░░░░░ day on the red ░░░░░░░░ of Georgia the sons ░░░░░░░░ former slaves and the ░░░░░░░░ of former slave owners ░░░░░░░░ be able to sit ░░░░░░░░ together at the table ░░░░░░░░ brotherhood I have a ░░░░░░░░ that one day even ░░░░░░░░ state of Mississippi a ░░░░░░░░ sweltering with the heat ░░░░░░░░ injustice sweltering with the ░░░░░░░░ of oppression will be ░░░░░░░░ into an oasis of ░░░░░░░░ and justice I have ░░░░░░░░ dream that my four ░░░░░░░░ children will one day ░░░░░░░░ in a nation where ░░░░░░░░ will not be judged ░░░░░░░░ the color of their ░░░░░░░░ but by the content ░░░░░░░░ their character I have ░░░░░░░░ dream today I have ░░░░░░░░ dream that one day ░░░░░░░░ in Alabama with its ░░░░░░░░ racists with its governor ░░░░░░░░ his lips dripping with ░░░░░░░░ words of interposition and ░░░░░░░░ one day right there ░░░░░░░░ Alabama little black boys ░░░░░░░░ black girls will be ░░░░░░░░ to join hands with ░░░░░░░░ white boys and white ░░░░░░░░ as sisters and brothers ░░░░░░░░ have a dream today ░░░░░░░░ have a dream that ░░░░░░░░ day every valley shall ░░░░░░░░ exalted every hill and ░░░░░░░░ shall be made low ░░░░░░░░ rough places will be ░░░░░░░░ plain and the crooked ░░░░░░░░ will be made straight ░░░░░░░░ the glory of the ░░░░░░░░ shall be revealed and ░░░░░░░░ flesh shall see it ░░░░░░░░ This is our hope ░░░░░░░░ is the faith that ░░░░░░░░ go back to the ░░░░░░░░ with With this faith ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ out of the mountain ░░░░░░░░ despair a stone of ░░░░░░░░ With this faith we ░░░░░░░░ be able to transform ░░░░░░░░ jangling discords of our ░░░░░░░░ into a beautiful symphony ░░░░░░░░ brotherhood With this faith ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ together to pray together ░░░░░░░░ struggle together to go ░░░░░░░░ jail together to stand ░░░░░░░░ for freedom together knowing ░░░░░░░░ we will be free ░░░░░░░░ day This will be ░░░░░░░░ day when all of ░░░░░░░░ s children will be ░░░░░░░░ to sing with a ░░░░░░░░ meaning My country tis ░░░░░░░░ thee sweet land of ░░░░░░░░ of thee I sing ░░░░░░░░ where my fathers died ░░░░░░░░ of the pilgrim s ░░░░░░░░ from every mountainside let ░░░░░░░░ ring And if America ░░░░░░░░ to be a great ░░░░░░░░ this must become true ░░░░░░░░ let freedom ring from ░░░░░░░░ prodigious hilltops of New ░░░░░░░░ Let freedom ring from ░░░░░░░░ mighty mountains of New ░░░░░░░░ Let freedom ring from ░░░░░░░░ heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania ░░░░░░░░ freedom ring from the ░░░░░░░░ Rockies of Colorado Let ░░░░░░░░ ring from the curvaceous ░░░░░░░░ of California But not ░░░░░░░░ that let freedom ring ░░░░░░░░ Stone Mountain of Georgia ░░░░░░░░ freedom ring from Lookout ░░░░░░░░ of Tennessee Let freedom ░░░░░░░░ from every hill and ░░░░░░░░ of Mississippi From every ░░░░░░░░ let freedom ring And ░░░░░░░░ this happens when we ░░░░░░░░ freedom to ring when ░░░░░░░░ let it ring from ░░░░░░░░ village and every hamlet ░░░░░░░░ every state and every ░░░░░░░░ we will be able ░░░░░░░░ speed up that day ░░░░░░░░ all of God s ░░░░░░░░ black men and white ░░░░░░░░ Jews and Gentiles Protestants ░░░░░░░░ Catholics will be able ░░░░░░░░ join hands and sing ░░░░░░░░ the words of the ░░░░░░░░ Negro spiritual Free at ░░░░░░░░ free at last thank ░░░░░░░░ Almighty we are free ░░░░░░░░ last!”