I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
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.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
~Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963, Washington, DC
49 comments... add one
#1 Joanna Young → 01.21.08 at 2:49 am
Thanks Brian. Still sends shivers down the spine.
Joanna
#2 Mohsin → 01.21.08 at 3:43 am
The way he delivered those words made all the difference. Remember, he was a great orator too.
#3 Pete W → 01.21.08 at 4:32 am
You can here him speak when you read it. THAT, my friend, is the proof.
It’s not just the words, it’s the man.
#4 CatherineL → 01.21.08 at 4:55 am
I love that speech. I noticed that he uses the same words a lot at the beginning of each sentence and that definitely adds to the effect.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to influence thousands of people with your words?
#5 extreme webmaster → 01.21.08 at 5:24 am
One of the best orators of all times. And this is just a snippet. I have got his full speech in mp3. Simply amazing.
#6 Joshua → 01.21.08 at 6:43 am
I’ve got this one on my wall of inspiration:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
What a guy, eh?
#7 Lucy Dee → 01.21.08 at 7:06 am
Truly one of the best speeches in American History… he learned his speech skills from his father–a preacher.
#8 Lex g → 01.21.08 at 7:07 am
If you’re able to inspire, you’re able to widen the reach of your message enormously … It’s a very powerful thing …
I have written an in depth post on spicing up your communication through power factors such as inspiration, idealism and so on …
Anyone interested can find it on my blog …
Lex
#9 Morten → 01.21.08 at 7:18 am
Damn, that speech is so freaking magnificent, I could hear every single word, how amazing is that?
Such a plethora of incredible benefits can’t be anything but enchanting (and he beautifully breaks the don’t say ‘I’ more than ‘you’ “rule”, in such a wonderful way).
Brian, will you follow up with takeaways from this forever inspiring piece?
#10 Sean Kelly → 01.21.08 at 7:27 am
Brilliant writing and a great lesson in leadership… especially for those who try to inspire people with “I have a 5-point plan” or “I have a long-term strategy.”
My favorite quote is his streetsweeper quote, which I posted today. Happy MLK Day.
#11 David Zemens → 01.21.08 at 7:45 am
A truly classic speech and oratory. As others before me have said, I can *still* hear each word as if it was being spoken before me today.
#12 Mike Tekula → 01.21.08 at 9:09 am
A fine homage to one of the greatest Americans who ever lived. May the legacy of Dr. King live on.
#13 Rob → 01.21.08 at 9:21 am
I hope we can all serve as great role models and leaders as Dr. King.
#14 Janice C Cartier → 01.21.08 at 9:26 am
Nice to have this put in front of our eyes again. I suspect we could all hear his voice as we read. And see him again in our mind’s eye.
(There are audio clips at this site of his most memorable words:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/popular_requests/ )
Just as we can probably still hear, see, practically touch JFK’s “Ask not..” speech.
Truly inspiring vision comes first…the words,the sounds, the sight, the form it takes…these have much to do with the imprint on our psyches…the echoing timelessness of those visions presented in contexts that move us deeply. Ideas that matter. Thanks, Brian. I would not have revisited the original document this year as I have so many times in the past. It bears repeated remembrance.
All best, Jan
#15 Tim Colman → 01.21.08 at 9:49 am
Thanks Brian.
I grew up in Detroit and stood in the street with MLK — I was a kid — but we marched for civil rights with millions of Americans. And we helped make America a better place.
I think those turbulent days in the 60’s were inspiring and tragic. But today, I am going to dwell on King’s inspiration.
“To make art, develop an infallible technique, then place yourself at the mercy of inspiration.” I have no idea who said it.
MLK honed his writing every week. World changing.
Grateful.
Timothy
#16 Port Orange Juice » Let Freedom Ring From Daytona Beach FL For Martin Luther King → 01.21.08 at 9:59 am
[…] author Brian Clark honors Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Martin Luther’s Guide to Inspiration. A classic speech given by a famous […]
#17 Diane → 01.21.08 at 10:05 am
Thank you, Brian, for printing this.
What a great tribute to an even greater, life-changing man. I admire him enormously for all he did in a difficult, hostile environment.
Thank you Martin, for your courage and your tenacity. And thank you for elevating the fight from violence to brotherhood.
#18 mike → 01.21.08 at 10:14 am
I agree with Moshin’s point.
The fact that he was a great orator made it even more powerful than me reading it and trying to decide what to emphasize and where to pause, etc.
The voice is a powerful thing, especially in the “hands” of a magnificent speaker.
#19 Brian Clark → 01.21.08 at 10:17 am Copyblogger
Agreed. But the words, and the structure, and the repetition, and the lyricism, and the way the two recurring concepts of the dream and freedom come together in that legendary last line… that’s damn fine writing.
#20 Read Scott → 01.21.08 at 10:29 am
Beautiful. I got chills.
#21 b5media - Remembering the Dream: Martin Luther King Day → 01.21.08 at 10:45 am
[…] I Have a Dream (Copyblogger) […]
#22 Maki → 01.21.08 at 10:46 am
Great speech. The ‘Let Freedom ring…’ portion reminded me a lot of Walt Whitman’s work.
Are we ever gonna see a Whitman guide to poetic copy? :)
#23 lawton chiles → 01.21.08 at 11:01 am
So inspiring. It’s funny to think of the repeating phrases and how powerful that is- and to think of the many who were there that day, including Bob Dylan.
So many believed his message- so much so that he was killed for it because people were afraid of it coming true.
So, we remember him warmly today.
Thanks for the great lessons in his speech.
#24 Darren → 01.21.08 at 11:32 am
R.I.P
#25 See Rare Photos and Inspirational Words Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — Lawton Chiles- The Marketing Strategy Vault → 01.21.08 at 11:32 am
[…] thing Dr. King was known for, at least in his “I Have A Dream” speech, was his use of repetition. He repeated that line, I have a dream many times in his famous speech […]
#26 lawton chiles → 01.21.08 at 11:35 am
See rare photos from TIME magazine here
#27 Have a Dream: 6 Great Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. at PIGASYS → 01.21.08 at 12:47 pm
[…] Is Justice Relevant - Or How Dr. King Reminded Me Why Being a Lawyer Matters Copyblogger: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Guide to Inspirational Copy Greener Assets: How Will You Honor Dr Martin Luther King Jr? Small Business Boomers: Teach Your […]
#28 Mike → 01.21.08 at 12:58 pm
I agree completely with what you say in comment #19 Brian.
Without having been written down, practiced, tweaked and committed to memory, it wouldn’t have been near as powerful a speech.
The words made the voice and the voice made the words.
Without each other, they’re like 2 sparrows in a hurricane.
#29 Regina Baker → 01.21.08 at 1:41 pm
His heart spoke first and then came the pen.
It is still quite amazing to read this speech and hear his voice!
This quote says it all:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” [thanks Josh]
We celebrate MLK everyday!
Thanks Brian!
#30 Carolyn Permentier → 01.21.08 at 1:48 pm
Thanks Brian!
What an amazing man. What a heart. What a fierce model for ‘right’!
This speech for freedom and equality is the equivalent to Chief Seattle’s Speech on the environment.
On my blog today, I talk about how we, as copywriters and all business people can apply the same high principles to our work.
To SEE everyone as ONE … we’re all part of the same family … the human family.
And, as such, in our marketing for our clients, we can do our part to SEE our clients and their perspective customers as life’s treasures …
and treat them accordingly.
We’re all ONE, despite the perceived differences.
Along with you all, I honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today and everyday!
He gave his life for truth, honor and freedom for all. What conviction!
Peace,
Carolyn
http://www.kickasscopywriter.com
#31 Mark Rosenkranz → 01.21.08 at 3:01 pm
“Thank you Dr. King Jr. for everything you have done.”
#32 Sonia Simone → 01.21.08 at 3:38 pm
It’s astonishing writing *and* astonishing delivery. I tried to unpack some of it on the blog, and probably shouldn’t have–I really admire the way you’ve left the words here to speak for themselves.
#33 david spates → 01.21.08 at 5:57 pm
Hey, I made a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day video that I think EVERYONE will enjoy. It’s really short, and should put a smile on your face.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AtugYg42mmc
David Spates
#34 Faye → 01.21.08 at 6:31 pm
What a classy way to honor the man and the principles by posting this speech and letting it stand on its own, without comment. Watched this (again) on YouTube. Great orating and great writing.
#35 Sipby → 01.21.08 at 7:48 pm
I really appreciate you paying respect to Dr. King. He deserves all the respect he will ever receive and then some. It’s good to know people are continuing to push his message. For all the people who won’t know what you did today, THANK YOU!
#36 Marty → 01.21.08 at 9:10 pm
Perfect post on a great day.
#37 bonchibuji → 01.21.08 at 10:51 pm
i am from India..we had this speech in our english text for school…great one..and a great man…
#38 Have a Dream: 6 Great Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. | money news blog → 01.21.08 at 11:09 pm
[…] Is Justice Relevant - Or How Dr. King Reminded Me Why Being a Lawyer Matters Copyblogger: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Guide to Inspirational Copy Greener Assets: How Will You Honor Dr Martin Luther King Jr? Small Business Boomers: Instruct Your […]
#39 Marilla P. Alligator → 01.21.08 at 11:35 pm
Every time I come across this amazing speech, I am shocked by the date. 1963. Such recent times (though before I was born). This country still has its racial struggles but we have come a LONG WAY in such a SHORT TIME. It goes to show how powerful words can be. Thanks for posting M.L. King’s words and inspiration.
#40 Sonia Simone → 01.21.08 at 11:40 pm
It’s kind of breathtaking, isn’t it Marilla? Yes, there’s plenty of work that remains to be done, but the progress in just about generation is amazing.
#41 jonson roth → 01.22.08 at 2:38 am
Always makes the hairs on my arms stand up - every time.
But I thought King’s family does not allow reprints of his famous words? There was a stink about it online in 2005 or 2006.
#42 Simon → 01.22.08 at 7:57 am
wow
#43 Sam in Austin → 01.22.08 at 9:28 am
Nothing at all against Dr. King, but why is this the only holiday still named after a person? What happened to Lincoln’s birthday and Washington’s birthday? They were changed into the generic President’s Day, but why?
#44 Brian Clark → 01.22.08 at 9:42 am Copyblogger
Don’t forget about Columbus Day, Sam… and that one named for Christ in December. :-)
#45 Freelance Writing Jobs » Blog Archive » Weekend Link Love → 01.26.08 at 10:03 am
[…] The Martin Luther King Jr. Guide to Inspiration Copy at CopyBlogger. […]
#46 garth "the Pen Palooka" gibson → 01.31.08 at 3:52 pm
Thanks it’s some of the best inspirational copywriting ever created so most appropriate on site like this.
Here’s some more motivational “Soul” wisdom
that’s color-blind.
http://ourworld.cs.com/Articles99/10Quotes-rev.pdf
#47 Marisa → 03.19.08 at 11:04 pm
It leaves me speechless even more so to read than to hear. Thank you.
#48 ketsia → 04.15.08 at 3:34 pm
this speech mayed me to believe and myself that no mattrer color you are or what race you came from that you will always make it no matter what poeple think about you .dr king i wish you were sill alive so i can tell you how you god used you to save amercia. may god bless your family.in god we trust.
#49 How to Supercharge Your Content With Concrete Details | Copyblogger → 05.14.08 at 10:07 am
[…] the “red hills of Georgia” from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech? Then there was Homer’s wine-dark sea. Or to go from the sublime to the […]
Leave a Comment