On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to over 200,000 civil rights supporters for racial equality and an end to segregation – now called the “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech is considered one of the greatest in American history.

Racial hostilities came to a boiling point in America in the 1950s and 60s. Blacks and minorities were fighting for equal rights and the walls of legal racial segregation were starting to come down.

Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a leader in the South for racial equality of blacks and minorities. In 1963, King and his supporters focused on Birmingham, Alabama and staged non-violent protests and marches where they were fiercely attacked for their beliefs. King was arrested and jailed for his cause. But the nation began to take notice.

In the summer of 1963, King organized a massive march in Washington, DC with black organizers, religious leaders, labor leaders, and others for racial freedom. The march was called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and drew national attention.

On this day, August 28, 1963, King and over 200,000 civil rights supporters marched down Washington Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The songs of from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez played in the background, and the people heard speeches from actor Charlton Heston, future U.S. Georgia Representative, John Lewis, and NAACP president Roy Wilkins. Then, the keynote speaker, Dr. Margin Luther King, Jr. took the podium and America and the world watched. King's speech was carried live on all major television networks.

King called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. King referenced Abraham Lincoln and challenged America to stand up to enforce the truths mentioned in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” King invoked the style from his Baptist sermons and re-emphasized important points, including that “I have a dream today.” Kind’s speech was hailed as one of the best American speeches of all time.

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end racial segregation. And legislation followed making King’s efforts a legal reality. On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm - video of I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King

http://www.archive.org/details/MLKDream - audio of I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King