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Primary sourceSpeech28 August 1963

I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King Jr. · 28 August 1963

King's speech delivered at the March on Washington in 1963, calling for racial equality and an end to legalized racism in America.

King's own words, delivered in person, stating his vision for racial equality.

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Black and white photo of a man in a dark suit speaking into a cluster of microphones at a lectern, with a person in a wide-brimmed hat in the foreground and a white columned background.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech, March on Washington, 28 August 1963.

About this source

What it is

This is a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, to a crowd of around 250,000 people.

Why it matters

King called for civil and economic rights and an end to legal racism, linking his hopes to the ideals found in America's founding documents. The speech became one of the most famous moments of the civil rights movement, and part of it was spoken without a prepared script.

Look closer

  • Why do you think King chose to speak from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial?
  • What does the large crowd in the photograph tell you about the importance of this moment?
  • Why might an improvised part of a speech become its most memorable section?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther King Jr. on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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