byMartinLutherKing,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,wouldbeguaranteedthe"unalienableRights"of"Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness."ItisobvioustodaythatAmericahasdefaultedonthispromissorynote,insofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned.Insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation,AmericahasgiventheNegropeopleabadcheck,acheckwhichhascomebackmarked"insufficientfunds."
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.Againandagain,wemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.
ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustoadistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestiny.Andtheyhavecometorealizethattheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.
Wecannotwalkalone.
Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallalwaysmarchahead.
Wecannotturnback.
Therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,"Whenwillyoubesatisfied?"WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongastheNegroisthevictimoftheunspeakablehorrorsofpolicebrutality.Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.WecannotbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.No,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntil"justicerollsdownlikewaters,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.
IhaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,astateswelteringwiththeheatofinjustice,swelteringwiththeheatofoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisoffreedomandjustice.
Ihaveadreamthatmyfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheircharacter.
Ihaveadreamtoday!
Ihaveadreamthatoneday,downinAlabama,withitsviciousracists,withitsgovernorhavinghislipsdrippingwiththewordsof"interposition"and"nullification"--onedayrightthereinAlabamalittleblackboysandblackgirlswillbeabletojoinhandswithlittlewhiteboysandwhitegirlsassistersandbrothers.
Ihaveadreamtoday!
Ihaveadreamthatonedayeveryvalleyshallbeexalted,andeveryhillandmountainshallbemadelow,theroughplaceswillbemadeplain,andthecrookedplaceswillbemadestraight;"andthegloryoftheLordshallberevealedandallfleshshallseeittogether."?
Thisisourhope,andthisisthefaiththatIgobacktotheSouthwith.
Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletohewoutofthemountainofdespairastoneofhope.Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletotransformthejanglingdiscordsofournationintoabeautifulsymphonyofbrotherhood.Withthisfaith,wewillbeabletoworktogether,topraytogether,tostruggletogether,togotojailtogether,tostandupforfreedomtogether,knowingthatwewillbefreeoneday.
Andthiswillbetheday--thiswillbethedaywhenallofGod'schildrenwillbeabletosingwithnewmeaning:
Mycountry'tisofthee,sweetlandofliberty,oftheeIsing.
Landwheremyfathersdied,landofthePilgrim'spride,
Fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring!
AndifAmericaistobeagreatnation,thismustbecometrue.
AndsoletfreedomringfromtheprodigioushilltopsofNewHampshire.
LetfreedomringfromthemightymountainsofNewYork.
LetfreedomringfromtheheighteningAllegheniesof
Pennsylvania.
Letfreedomringfromthesnow-cappedRockiesofColorado.
LetfreedomringfromthecurvaceousslopesofCalifornia.
Butnotonlythat:
LetfreedomringfromStoneMountainofGeorgia.
LetfreedomringfromLookoutMountainofTennessee.
LetfreedomringfromeveryhillandmolehillofMississippi.
Fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring.
Andwhenthishappens,whenweallowfreedomring,whenweletitringfromeveryvillageandeveryhamlet,fromeverystateandeverycity,wewillbeabletospeedupthatdaywhenallofGod'schildren,blackmenandwhitemen,JewsandGentiles,ProtestantsandCatholics,willbeabletojoinhandsandsinginthewordsoftheoldNegrospiritual:
Freeatlast!freeatlast!
ThankGodAlmighty,wearefreeatlast!