MLK “I Have a Dream” Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington, advocating for racial equality, civil rights, and nonviolent protest in the United States.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) was an American Baptist minister and a leader of the U.S. civil rights movement. He was known primarily as a public speaker and organizer. He was assassinated in 1968.

On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial. The event was a large public rally focused on civil rights and employment.

The speech was written by others, primarily Stanley Levison, with assistance from Clarence Jones and members of King’s staff. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the speech. The “I have a dream” section was spoken live and expanded beyond the prepared text.