I HAVE A DREAM(1)

1IHaveaDreambyMartinLutherKing,Jr.Iamhappytojoinwithyoutodayinwhatwillgodowninhistoryasthegreatestdemonstrationforfreedominthehistoryofournation.Fivescoreyearsago,agreatAmerican,inwhosesymbolicshadowwestandtoday,signedtheEmancipationProclamation.ThismomentousdecreecameasagreatbeaconlightofhopetomillionsofNegroslaveswhohadbeensearedintheflamesofwitheringinjustice.Itcameasajoyousdaybreaktoendthelongnightoftheircaptivity.Butonehundredyearslater,theNegrostillisnotfree.Onehundredyearslater,thelifeoftheNegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination.Onehundredyearslater,theNegrolivesonalonelyislandofpovertyinthemidstofavastoceanofmaterialprosperity.Onehundredyearslater,theNegroisstilllanguishedinthecornersofAmericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland.Andsowe'vecomeheretodaytodramatizeashamefulcondition.Inasensewe'vecometoournation'scapitaltocashacheck.WhenthearchitectsofourrepublicwrotethemagnificentwordsoftheConstitutionandtheDeclarationofIndependence,theyweresigningapromissorynotetowhicheveryAmericanwastofallheir.Thisnotewasapromisethatallmen,yes,blackmenaswellaswhitemen,wouldbeguaranteedtheunalienableRightsofLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.ItisobvioustodaythatAmericahasdefaultedonthispromissorynote,insofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned.Insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation,AmericahasgiventheNegropeopleabadcheque,achequewhichhascomebackmarkedinsufficientfunds.Butwerefusetobelievethatthebankofjusticeisbankrupt.Werefusetobelievethatthereareinsufficientfundsinthegreatvaultsofopportunityofthisnation.Andso,we'vecometocashthischeck,acheckthatwillgiveusupondemandtherichesoffreedomandthesecurityofjustice.WehavealsocometothishallowedspottoremindAmericaofthefierceurgencyofNow.Thisisnotimetoengageintheluxuryofcoolingoffortotakethetranquilizingdrugofgradualism.Nowisthetimetomakerealthepromisesofdemocracy.Nowisthetimetorisefromthedarkanddesolatevalleyofsegregationtothesunlitpathofracialjustice.Nowisthetimetoliftournationfromthequicksandsofracialinjusticetothesolidrockofbrotherhood.NowisthetimetomakejusticearealityforallofGod'schildren.Itwouldbefatalforthenationtooverlooktheurgencyofthemoment.ThisswelteringsummeroftheNegro'slegitimatediscontentwillnotpassuntilthereisaninvigoratingautumnoffreedomandequality.Nineteensixty-threeisnotanend,butabeginning.AndthosewhohopethattheNegroneededtoblowoffsteamandwillnowbecontentwillhavearudeawakeningifthenationreturnstobusinessasusual.AndtherewillbeneitherrestnortranquilityinAmericauntiltheNegroisgrantedhiscitizenshiprights.Thewhirlwindsofrevoltwillcontinuetoshakethefoundationsofournationuntilthebrightdayofjusticeemerges.ButthereissomethingthatImustsaytomypeople,whostandonthewarmthresholdwhichleadsintothepalaceofjustice:Intheprocessofgainingourrightfulplace,wemustnotbeguiltyofwrongfuldeeds.Letusnotseektosatisfyourthirstforfreedombydrinkingfromthecupofbitternessandhatred.Wemustforeverconductourstruggleonthehighplaneofdignityanddiscipline.Wemustnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenerateintophysicalviolence.Againand2again,wemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustoadistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestiny.Andtheyhavecometorealizethattheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.Wecannotwalkalone.Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallalwaysmarchahead.Wecannotturnback.Therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,Whenwillyoubesatisfied?WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongastheNegroisthevictimoftheunspeakablehorrorsofpolicebrutality.Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.WecannotbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.No,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewaters,andrighteousnesslikeamightystream.Iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhavecomehereoutofgreattrialsandtribulations.Someofyouhavecomefreshfromnarrowjailcells.Andsomeofyouhavecomefromareaswhereyourquest--questforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionandstaggeredbythewindsofpolicebrutality.Youhavebeentheveteransofcreativesuffering.Continuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoSouthCarolina,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair,Isaytoyoutoday,myfriends.Andsoeventhoughwefacethedifficultiesoftodayandtomorrow,Istillhaveadream.ItisadreamdeeplyrootedintheAmericandream.Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal.IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgia,thesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslaveownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratthetableofbrotherhood.Ihave