NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): On a hot day
in August, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Delivered a speech that would
define the Civil Rights Movement
and his legacy.
This, of course, was his "I Have a Dream"
speech, delivered on the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial
during the March on Washington for Jobs
and Freedom.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (VOICEOVER):
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.
I have a dream today.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): The March
on Washington served as a massive push
for economic and political justice
for African-Americans.
Held during the years celebrating
the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation
Proclamation, crowds marched
on the National Mall to watch
a variety of musical performances
and speeches.
[SINGING]
NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): Dr. King, a Baptist
preacher and prominent civil
rights leader was scheduled to speak
towards the end of the day,
his debut on the national stage.
Up until that point, King mostly
addressed small crowds
at black churches, rallies,
or fundraisers.
This time, he would be seen
by nearly 250,000 people on the ground
as well as millions at home watching
on television.
This was an opportunity
to reach a wide audience
and persuade the public
and the government to take
action against racial injustice.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The night before, King
worked with a close group of advisors
to get the speech just right.
They worked through the night,
settling on a final draft
in the pre-dawn hours of August 28th.
Interestingly, the phrase,
"I have a dream," a phrase he used
in earlier speeches, was nowhere to be
found in this copy.
The words wouldn't manifest
until almost halfway into Dr. King's
speech, when gospel singer Mahalia
Jackson, who had performed earlier
in the day, called out to him
from the sidelines to "tell them
about the dream."
King set his prepared remarks aside
and improvised the rest,
crafting a soaring speech that
was seared into the minds of millions
of Americans.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (VOICEOVER):
No, we are not satisfied.
And we will not be satisfied
until justice rolls down
like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): The speech
was divided into two parts.
The first listed the injustices
that African-Americans
faced--
segregation, police brutality,
disenfranchisement, and discrimination--
and urged a call to nonviolent action.
The second launched into King's dream
of peace and racial harmony, a vision
of a future in which people will not be
judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (VOICEOVER):
I have a dream.
NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): Highlighting King's
skills as a preacher, "I Have a Dream" was
part sermon and part poetry,
using rhetorical devices
like repetition, rhyme,
and vivid metaphor to drive
his points home.
It was peppered with historic, biblical,
and literary references that
moved the crowd.
This message of struggle and hope
became the defining moment not only of
King's career, but also
the Civil Rights Movement.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Both the speech and the March
on Washington were credited
with helping secure the passage
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
a landmark piece of legislation that
ended segregation and banned
discrimination on the basis of race or sex
in the workplace. [MUSIC PLAYING]
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: Free at last--
CROWD MEMBER: Yes! - --free at last.
Thank God almighty, we are free at last.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR (VOICEOVER): The speech
also resonated with activists
around the globe.
"I have a dream," the phrase that wasn't
even meant to be in its final draft,
appeared in political actions
all around the world.
It's considered one of the world's most
transformative and influential
speeches, alongside others like Abraham
Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address"
and Winston Churchill's
"Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat."
"I Have a Dream" is only one
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
many achievements.
But it's nonetheless one
of the most pivotal.
I am happy to join with you today
in what will go down in history
as the greatest demonstration
for freedom in the history
of our nation.
[APPLAUSE]