It was an unforgettable speech — a moment when those gathered could feel, and hear, the tide of history turning.
On Wednesday (August 28), thousands once again descended on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s landmark "I Have a Dream" speech. Delivered on August 28, 1963 during the "March On Washington," the 17-minute speech encapsulated the civil rights icon's message of freedom, equality and liberty for all Americans, regardless of race.
"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,' " King said on that day.
"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!'"
Most amazingly, King essentially freestyled toward the end of the speech after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted, "Tell them about the dream, Martin," tossing his notes and coming up with the iconic phrasing on the spot.
MLK's March On Washington Turns 50: Here Are 4 Ways You Can Take Action.
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