I Have a Dream and Ive Been to the

Mountaintop by M. Luther King, Jr.

The on and grandon o! Baptit prea"her, Martin Luther King, Jr. gre# up in a midd$e
"$a home in %t$anta. &rdained a a miniter at age eighteen, he graduated #ith a B.%.
!rom Morehoue 'o$$ege, "omp$eted miniteria$ tudie at 'ro(er Tho$ogi"a$ )eminary,
and earned a *h.D. in theo$ogy at Boton +niverity. %!ter King be"ame pator o! a
"hur"h in Montgomery, %$abama, a b$a", #oman named -oa *ar, #a arreted !or
re!uing to yie$d her bu eat to a #hite paenger. By out$a#ing bu egregation in
Montgomery, the )upreme 'ourt gave King an important vi"tory that "erti!ied him a a
ma.or "ivi$ right $eader. In %ugut /012, up to t#o hundred !i!ty thouand protetor
heard King de$iver 3I Have a Dream at the Lin"o$n Memoria$ in 4ahington, D.'. Thi
e$e"tri!ying addre he$ped bui$d momentum !or the 'ivi$ -ight %"t o! /015.
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King begin hi !amou pee"h by aying that it i the greatet demontration !or
!reedom in the hitory o! our nation. He goe ba",, ba", to the time #hen the
6man"ipation *ro"$amation #a igned. The %!ri"an7%meri"an thought that the era o!
in.uti"e #a done, that the #hite #i$$ !ina$$y appre"iate them. But one hundred year
$ater the 8egro ti$$ i not !ree. &ne hundred year $ater the $i!e o! the 8egro i ti$$ ad$y
"ripp$ed by the mana"$e o! egregation and the "hain o! di"rimination. He #ant
thing to "hange, he #ant to $ive in a pea"e!u$ #or$d, a #or$d in #hi"h the "o$or o! the
,in hou$d not be a hame!u$ thing. He ay that they #ant to "ah a "he",. In a ene
#eve "ome to our nation "apita$ to "ah a "he",. 4hat King bai"a$$y #ant i to
have inuran"e, a ure thing, omething that he "an re$y on. )omething that he deerve
be"aue he #a promied he #i$$ get that "ertain thing. 4hat he re!er to are the #ord
#ritten in the 'ontitution and in the De"$aration o! Independen"e. Thi #a promied
to a$$ men7ye, b$a", men a #e$$ a #hite men7#ou$d be guaranteed the una$ienab$e
right o! $i!e, $iberty and the puruit o! happine. King !ee$ rea$$y diappointed
be"aue, intead o! honoring thi a"red ob$igation, %meri"a ha given the 8egro peop$e
a bad "he",, a "he", #hi"h ha "ome ba", mar,ed 3inu!!i"ient !und. He a""ue
%meri"a that )he ha betrayed the promie given, that )he betrayed the "o$ored peop$e
trut. 6ven i! the !a"t pea, $auder than #ord, King ti$$ re!ue to be$ieve, he ti$$
hope in a better $i!e.But #e re!ue to be$ieve that the ban, o! .uti"e i ban,rupt. 4e
re!ue to be$ieve that there are inu!!i"ient !und in the great vau$t o! opportunitie o!
thi nation. He ma,e it "$ear that the day o! "hange ha !ina$$y arrived, and that day i at
the e9a"t moment at #hi"h he i de$ivering hi pee"h. )o #eve "ome to "ah thi
"he",, a "he", that #i$$ give u upon demand the ri"he o! !reedom and the e"urity o!
.uti"e.:;< 8o# i the time to ma,e .uti"e a rea$ity !or a$$ o! =od "hi$dren.
He aure hi peop$e that there #i$$ be neither ret nor tran>ui$ity in %meri"a unti$ the
8egro i granted hi "iti(enhip right. King advi"e hi !o$$o#er not to turn to vio$en"e
but to reort to pea"e!u$ a"t. Let u not ee, to ati!y our thirt !or !reedom by drin,ing
!rom the "up o! bitterne and hatred.
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Luther King, Heath %ntho$ogy, vo$. ?, p. ?5@?.
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King ,no# that by reorting to vio$en"e #i$$ on$y end up "auing even more vio$en"e.
%gain and again #e mut rie to the ma.eti" height o! meeting phyi"a$ !or"e #ith ou$
!or"e. He be$ieve that the !reedom o! the #hite i ine9tri"ab$y bound to b$a",
!reedom. It i not !air, i a $a", o! dignity, #hen mar, $i,e Aor 4hite &n$y are !ound
in di!!erent p$a"e. King #ant to unite the b$a", popu$ation, be"aue he ay, #e "annot
be ati!ied a $ong a the 8egro in Miiippi "annot vote and the 8egro in 8e# Bor,
be$ieve he ha nothing !or #hi"h to vote. 8o, no, #e are not ati!ied, and #e #i$$ not be
ati!ied unti$ .uti"e ro$$ do#n $i,e #ater and righteoune $i,e a mighty tream.
He give hope to hi peop$e, he en"ourage them, hoping and praying !or better day to
"ome. even though #e !a"e the di!!i"u$tie o! today and tomorro#, I ti$$ have a dream. I
have a dream that one day thi nation #i$$ rie up, $ive out the true meaning o! it "reedC
34e ho$d thee truth to be e$!7evident, that a$$ men are "reated e>ua$. He a$o
mention hi $ega"y, #hat #i$$ remain a!ter he i gone and that i hi !our "hi$dren.
I have a dream that my !our $itt$e "hi$dren #i$$ one day $ive in a nation #here they #i$$
not be .udged by the "o$or o! their ,in but by the "ontent o! their "hara"ter.
The ma.or point upon he !o"ue at the end o! hi pee"h i !reedom.
Let !reedom ring. %nd #hen thi happen, #hen #e a$$o# !reedom to ring7#hen #e $et
it ring !rom every vi$$age and every ham$et, !rom every tate and every "ity, #e #i$$ be
ab$e to peed up that day #hen a$$ o! =od "hi$dren, b$a", men and #hite man, Je# and
=enti$e, *rotetant and 'atho$i", #i$$ be ab$e to .oin hand and ing in the #ord o! the
o$d 8egro piritua$, 3Aree at $at, Aree at $at, Than, =od a7mighty, 4e are !ree at $at.
Thi #a Martin Luther King Jr. honet dream. It #a hi !irt pee"h.Hi #ord
tou"hed the heart o! o many peop$e and hi hope #a that one day everyone #i$$ be
e>ua$.
Hi pee"h be"ame one o! the mot in!$uentia$ and inpirationa$ pie"e o! rhetori" in
%meri"an hitory. The #ord I have a dream are paionate$y repeated. The reu$t o!
hi pee"h on$y aggravated the a$ready gro#ing "ivi$ right movement, it #a $i,e
pouring ga on !ire.
King #a "$ear$y #e$$ vered in both %meri"an hitory and re$igiou "ripture, and thi
!a"t #a noti"eab$e on hi oration ,i$$.
I have a dream i a remar,ab$y moving pie"e o! %meri"an $iterature that #hen read
even outide o! it origina$ "onte9t ti$$ trong$y reonate today.
The $at pee"h that Martin Luther King , Jr. de$ivered #a on 2%pri$ /01@ at Maon
Temp$e:'hur"h o! =od in 'hrit Head>uarter<, Memphi, Tenneee at the $arget
%!ri"an %meri"an *ente"ota$ denomination in the +nited )tate.
Ive been to the Mountaintop #a the Dr. KingD $at, and mot apo"a$ypti", ermon.
He begin hi pee"h by than,ing the audien"e by gathering on u"h a tormy #eather
on$y to $iten to him. Than, you very ,ind$y, my !riend. :;< Im de$ighted to ee you
here tonight in pite o! a torm #arning. He "on!ee to hi !o$$o#er that i! he had to
ma,e a "hoi"e on #hat period o! time he #ou$d $i,e to $ive in he #i$$ de!inite$y "hooe
the e"ond ha$! o! the t#entieth "entury. He ay 8o# that a trange tatement to
ma,e, be"aue the #or$d i a$$ meed up. The nation i i",. Troub$e i in the $and.
'on!uion a$$ around. That a trange tatement. King i happy be"aue he !ina$$y ee
ome "hange happening. %nd I ee =od #or,ing in thi period o! the t#entieth "entury
in a #ay that men, in ome trange #ay, are reponding, omething i happening in our
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#or$d. The mae o! peop$e are riing up. He i proud that he i b$a",, and he i proud
be"aue hi brother are doing better and better, and it i not .ut ta$,ing but a$o a"ting.
4e mean buine no#, and #e are determined to gain our right!u$ p$a"e in =od
#or$d. %nd that a$$ thi #ho$e thing i about.
%mong other thing, he i a#are o! the !a"t that they are poor peop$e in "omparion #ith
the other. 8o#, #e are poor peop$e, individua$$y, #e are poor #hen you "ompare u
#ith #hite o"iety in %meri"a. 4e are poor. 8ever top and !orget that "o$$e"tive$y, that
mean, a$$ o! u together, "o$$e"tive$y #e are ri"her than mot nation o! the #or$d. :;<
the 8egro "o$$e"tivity i ri"her than mot nation o! the #or$d. 4e have an annua$ in"ome
o! more than thirty bi$$ion do$$ar a year, #hi"h i more than a$$ o! the e9port o! the
+nited )tate, and more than the nationa$ budget o! 'anada. He advi"e the b$a",
popu$ation to invet their money into pra"ti"a$ thing. 4e begin the pro"e o! bui$ding
a greater e"onomi" bae. %nd at the ame time, #e are putting preure #here it rea$$y
hurt. I a, you to !o$$o# through here. King pee"h i !u$$ o! paion, he i a
determined men, a#are o! hi rhetori"a$ po#er. Be "on"erned about your brother. Bou
may not be on tri,e. But either #e go up together, or #e go do#n together. Let u
deve$op a ,ind o! dangerou une$!ihne.
He te$$ the one preent at hi meeting about hi ,i$$ing attempt a !e# year be!ore, in
8e# Bor, 'ity. He #a tabbed #hi$e autographing hi !irt boo, by a demented b$a",
#oman. The tip o! the b$ade #a on the edge o! hi aorta, the main artery. I! he had
nee(ed he #ou$d have died. During hi re"overy he re"eived a $ot o! mai$ !i$$ed #ith
good #ihe !rom a$$ over the #or$d. The *reident and the Ei"e7*reident o! the +nited
)tate #rote to him, #ihing him on$y the bet. %$o the =overnor o! 8e# Bor, #rote to
him and a tudent, a #hite one, aying that he i happy that he did not nee(e. %$$ I
#ant to ay tonight, I #ant to ay that I am happy that I didnt nee(e. Be"aue i! I had
nee(ed, I #ou$dnt have been around here in /01F, #hen tudent a$$ over the )outh
tarted itting7in at $un"h "ounter. %nd I ,ne# that a they #ere itting in, they #ere
rea$$y tanding up !or the bet in the %meri"an dream. :;< I! I had nee(ed, I #ou$dnt
have been here in /012, #hen the b$a", peop$e o! Birmingham, %$abama, aroued the
"on"ien"e o! thi nation and brought into being the 'ivi$ -ight Bi$$. I! I had nee(ed, I
#ou$dnt have had a "han"e $ater that year, in %ugut, to try to te$$ %meri"a about a
dream that I had had. I! I had nee(ed, I #ou$dnt have been in Memphi to ee a
"ommunity ra$$y around thoe brother and iter #ho are u!!ering. Im o happy that I
didnt nee(e.
Hi optimiti" #ay o! pea,ing, o! en"ouraging the one that are in troub$e, that have to
dea$ #ith di!!erent ,ind o! prob$em, i rather uni>ue, pe"ia$. 4e$$, I dont ,no# #hat
#i$$ happen no#. 4eve got ome di!!i"u$t day ahead. But it doent matter #ith me
no#. Be"aue Ive been to the mountaintop. %nd I dont mind.
King #a a man !u$$ o! $i!e, #hi"h had a purpoe to !o$$o#, had a !ami$y to ta,e "are o!
.ut $i,e any other norma$ man. He aid $i,e anybody, I #ou$d $i,e to $ive a $ong $i!e.
Longevity ha it p$a"e. But Im not "on"erned about that no#. I .ut #ant to do =od
#i$$. %nd He a$$o#ed me to go to the mountain. %nd Ive $oo,ed over. %nd Ive een
the promied $and.
4hat he mean i that by rea"hing the top o! the mountain he i no $onger a!raid, he over
paed hi !ear. He en"ouraged thoe #ho trugg$e !or imp$e e"onomi" .uti"e and #a
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upporting tri,ing anitation #or,er.
He doent re!er to the individua$, but to everyone #hen he ay #e, a a peop$e, #i$$ get
to the promied $andG% $ot o! year had paed !rom hi !irt pee"h I have a Dream to
hi $at, Ive been to the Mountaintop but #hat remained the ame #a hi paion, hi
undying #ih o! "ontant$y improving the ituation o! the "o$ored peop$e.
It i hard not to be in!$uen"ed by King. Hi #or, #i$$ $ive on and #i$$ a$#ay be an
e9amp$e to !o$$o#. That i hi $ega"y. He #a tru$y a prophet.
+n!ortunate$y, Ive been to the Mountaintop #a King $at pub$i" pee"h. He #a
,i$$ed a day a!ter, hot to death #hi$e tanding on a ba$"ony at a mote$ in Memphi.
4hoever #ant to meet him "an imp$y read hi #or,. % part o! hi nob$e ou$ #i$$
a$#ay remain in every #ord he aid and #rote.
Hudrea *au$a
%meri"an )tudie III.
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