I Have a Dream facts for kids
"I Have a Dream" is the name of a very famous speech. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave this speech on August 28, 1963. He stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. In his speech, he shared his hopes for the future. He wished that people of all different races could live together peacefully in the United States.
Over 200,000 people came to hear him speak. He talked about the discrimination that black people faced. This was happening even after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. That important document said that many enslaved people were free. Many people call "I Have a Dream" the best speech of the 20th century.
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The Story Behind the Speech
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a huge event. One main goal was to show strong support for new civil rights laws. These laws were suggested by President Kennedy. Martin Luther King and other leaders agreed to keep their speeches calm. They wanted to avoid causing any trouble.
King first planned his speech as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It was given 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
One of the most famous parts of the speech is: "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!"
U.S. Representative John Lewis also spoke that day. He said that Dr. King had the power to make the Lincoln Memorial steps a place that would always be remembered. Lewis added that King's speech taught, inspired, and informed people across America and future generations.
How the Speech Changed Things
After the speech and the march, King was named Man of the Year by TIME magazine in 1963. In 1964, he became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The full speech was not written down until August 1983. This was about 15 years after King's death. A copy was then printed in The Washington Post.
In 2002, the Library of Congress honored the speech. They added it to the United States National Recording Registry. This list keeps important recordings safe. In 2003, the National Park Service placed a special marble stone at the Lincoln Memorial. It marks the exact spot where King gave his speech.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was opened in 2011. The main part of the memorial is based on a line from King's speech: "Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope." A 30 feet (9.1 m)-tall statue of King, called the "Stone of Hope," stands there. It is placed past two other granite pieces that represent the "mountain of despair."
On August 28, 2013, thousands of people gathered in Washington D.C. They were there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the speech. Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter attended. The current President at the time, Barack Obama, also spoke. He talked about how important the event was. Many of King's family members were also there.
On April 20, 2016, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced a change to the U.S. $5 bill. The back of the bill shows the Lincoln Memorial. Lew said that Lincoln's picture would stay on the front. But the back would be redesigned to show historical events that happened at the memorial. This would include an image from King's speech.
The Original Speech Copy
As King finished his speech, he waved goodbye to the crowd. He then handed the original typed "I Have a Dream" speech to George Raveling. Raveling was a Villanova Wildcats college basketball player. He had volunteered as a security guard for the event. He was on the podium with King at that moment. Raveling still has the original copy of the speech. He has been offered as much as $3,000,000 for it. However, he says he does not plan to sell it.
Images for kids
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King at the Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C.
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The spot on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where King gave his speech is marked with this inscription.
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Then President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton walk past President Lincoln's statue to take part in the 2013 50th anniversary ceremony of the historic March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
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See also
In Spanish: Yo tengo un sueño para niños
