I Have a Dream

Quick Facts: Who was I Have a Dream?

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I Have a Dream

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Iconic 1963 address calling for civil and economic rights in America.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

"I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called for civil and economic rights and an end to legalized racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was one of the most famous moments of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history. Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared millions of slaves free in 1863, King said: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free". Toward the end of the speech, King departed from his prepared text for an improvised peroration on the theme "I have a dream".

Career & Major Achievements

In the church spirit, Mahalia Jackson lent her support from her seat behind him, shouting, "Tell 'em about the dream, Martin!" just before he began his most famous segment of the speech. Taylor Branch writes that King later said he grasped at the "first run of oratory" that came to him, not knowing if Jackson's words ever reached him. Jon Meacham writes that, "With a single phrase, King joined Jefferson and Lincoln in the ranks of men who've shaped modern America". The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. The speech was described by journalist Sean O'Grady in The Independent as having "a strong claim to be the greatest in the English language of all time".

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was partly intended to demonstrate mass support for the civil rights legislation proposed by U.S. president John F. Kennedy in June 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders, therefore, agreed to keep their speeches calm to avoid provoking the civil disobedience which had become the hallmark of the civil rights movement. King originally designed his speech as a homage to Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Gettysburg Address, timed to correspond with the centennial of Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. King had been preaching about dreams since 1960, when he gave a speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called "The Negro and the American Dream". This speech discusses the gap between the American Dream and reality, saying that avowed white supremacists have violated the dream, and that "our federal government has also scarred the dream through its apathy and hypocrisy, its betrayal of the cause of justice".

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1863: 1863 Milestone — Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared millions of slaves free in 1863, King said: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free".
2. 1960: 1960 Milestone — King had been preaching about dreams since 1960, when he gave a speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called "The Negro and the American Dream".
3. 1963: 1963 Milestone — during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963.
4. 1999: 1999 Milestone — The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

Notable Quotes by I Have a Dream

“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.” (1963)

“The Negro still is not free” (1963)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: I Have a Dream

True or False: “Martin Luther King Jr. originally designed his speech to correspond with the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The speech was timed to align with the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abd el-Krim — Historical peer (Died in 1963) (1963): Moroccan revolutionary leader who spearheaded the revolt against French and Spanish Protectorates.
• Abdul Ghani Baradar — Historical peer (Born in 1963) (1963): Afghan politician and religious leader; co-founder of the Taliban.
• Alexandre Yersin — Historical peer (Born in 1863) (1863): Pioneering Swiss-French physician and bacteriologist, renowned for plague and diphtheria research.
• Alfred de Vigny — Historical peer (Died in 1863) (1863): French poet and early Romanticist, known for his plays and novels.
• Akhtar Hameed Khan — Historical peer (Died in 1999) (1999): Pioneering Pakistani social scientist and development practitioner.
• Akio Morita — Historical peer (Died in 1999) (1999): Visionary Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.
• Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — Historical peer (Born in 1960) (1960): Sudanese military officer and leader who assumed control of Sudan in 2019.
• Adam Clayton — Historical peer (Born in 1960) (1960): Irish-English bassist and founding member of the globally renowned rock band U2.

Frequently Asked Questions about I Have a Dream