I have a Dream

by 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. *his
momentous 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 have
come 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 every
American '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. mar.ed
5insu++icient +unds.5 /ut 'e re+use to believe that the ban. o+ -ustice is ban.rupt. We re+use to believe that there are
insu++icient +unds in the great vaults o+ opportunity o+ this nation. 2o 'e have come to cash this chec. 66 a chec. that 'ill
give 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 ta.e the tran7uili3ing
drug 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 +rom
the 7uic.sands 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'a.ening i+ the nation returns to business as usual. *here 'ill be
neither rest nor tran7uility in America until the ,egro is granted his citi3enship rights. *he 'hirl'inds o+ revolt 'ill
continue to sha.e 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 our
thirst +or +reedom by drin.ing +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 is
tied up 'ith our destiny and their +reedom is ine1tricably bound to our +reedom. We cannot 'al. alone.
And as 'e 'al., 'e must ma.e the pledge that 'e shall march ahead. We cannot turn bac.. *here are those 'ho are
as.ing 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 be
satis+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 as
a ,egro in Mississippi cannot vote and a ,egro in ,e' :or. believes he has nothing +or 'hich to vote. ,o, no, 'e are not
satis+ied, and 'e 'ill not be satis+ied until -ustice rolls do'n li.e 'aters and righteousness li.e 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 a
dream 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 be
sel+6evident; that all men are created e7ual.5
I 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 and
oppression, 'ill be trans+ormed into an oasis o+ +reedom and -ustice.
I have a dream that my +our children 'ill one day live in a nation 'here they 'ill not be -udged by the color o+ their s.in
but by the content o+ their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state o+ Alabama, 'hose governor4s lips are presently dripping 'ith the 'ords o+
interposition and nulli+ication, 'ill be trans+ormed into a situation 'here little blac. boys and blac. girls 'ill be able to
-oin hands 'ith little 'hite boys and 'hite girls and 'al. together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be e1alted, every hill and mountain shall be made lo', the rough places 'ill
be made plain, and the croo.ed places 'ill be made straight, and the glory o+ the Lord shall be revealed, and all +lesh shall
see it together.
*his is our hope. *his is the +aith 'ith 'hich I return to the 2outh. With this +aith 'e 'ill be able to he' out o+ the
mountain o+ despair a stone o+ hope. With this +aith 'e 'ill be able to trans+orm the -angling discords o+ our nation into a
beauti+ul symphony o+ brotherhood. With this +aith 'e 'ill be able to 'or. together, to pray together, to struggle together,
to go to -ail together, to stand up +or +reedom together, .no'ing that 'e 'ill be +ree one day.
*his 'ill be the day 'hen all o+ 8od4s children 'ill be able to sing 'ith a ne' meaning, 5My country, 4tis o+ thee, s'eet
land o+ liberty, o+ thee I sing. Land 'here my +athers died, land o+ the pilgrim4s pride, +rom every mountainside, let
+reedom ring.5
And i+ America is to be a great nation this must become true. 2o let +reedom ring +rom the prodigious hilltops o+ ,e'
<ampshire. Let +reedom ring +rom the mighty mountains o+ ,e' :or.. Let +reedom ring +rom the heightening Alleghenies
o+ )ennsylvania=
Let +reedom ring +rom the sno'capped >oc.ies o+ Colorado=
Let +reedom ring +rom the curvaceous pea.s o+ Cali+ornia=
/ut not only that? let +reedom ring +rom 2tone Mountain o+ 8eorgia=
Let +reedom ring +rom Loo.out Mountain o+ *ennessee=
Let +reedom ring +rom every hill and every molehill o+ Mississippi. &rom every mountainside, let +reedom ring.
When 'e let +reedom ring, 'hen 'e let it ring +rom every village and every hamlet, +rom every state and every city, 'e
'ill be able to speed up that day 'hen all o+ 8od4s children, blac. men and 'hite men, Je's and 8entiles, )rotestants and
Catholics, 'ill be able to -oin hands and sing in the 'ords o+ the old ,egro spiritual, 5&ree at last= +ree at last= than. 8od
Almighty, 'e are +ree at last=5