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IhaveaDreambyMartinLutherKing,Jr.DeliveredonthestepsattheLincolnMemorialinWashingtonD.C.onAugust28,1963Fivescoreyearsago,agreatAmerican,inwhosesymbolicshadowwestandsignedtheEmancipationProclamation.ThismomentousdecreecameasagreatbeaconlightofhopetomillionsofNegroslaveswhohadbeensearedintheflamesofwitheringinjustice.Itcameasajoyousdaybreaktoendthelongnightofcaptivity.Butonehundredyearslater,wemustfacethetragicfactthattheNegroisstillnotfree.Onehundredyearslater,thelifeoftheNegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination.Onehundredyearslater,theNegrolivesonalonelyislandofpovertyinthemidstofavastoceanofmaterialprosperity.Onehundredyearslater,theNegroisstilllanguishinginthecornersofAmericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland.Sowehavecomeheretodaytodramatizeanappallingcondition.Inasensewehavecometoournation'scapitaltocashacheck.WhenthearchitectsofourrepublicwrotethemagnificentwordsoftheConstitutionandthedeclarationofIndependence,theyweresigningapromissorynotetowhicheveryAmericanwastofallheir.Thisnotewasapromisethatallmenwouldbeguaranteedtheinalienablerightsoflife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.ItisobvioustodaythatAmericahasdefaultedonthispromissorynoteinsofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned.Insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation,AmericahasgiventheNegropeopleabadcheckwhichhascomebackmarkedinsufficientfunds.Butwerefusetobelievethatthebankofjusticeisbankrupt.Werefusetobelievethatthereareinsufficientfundsinthegreatvaultsofopportunityofthisnation.Sowehavecometocashthischeck--acheckthatwillgiveusupondemandtherichesoffreedomandthesecurityofjustice.WehavealsocometothishallowedspottoremindAmericaofthefierceurgencyofnow.Thisisnotimetoengageintheluxuryofcoolingoffortotakethetranquilizingdrugofgradualism.Nowisthetimetorisefromthedarkanddesolatevalleyofsegregationtothesunlitpathofracialjustice.NowisthetimetoopenthedoorsofopportunitytoallofGod'schildren.Nowisthetimetoliftournationfromthequicksandsofracialinjusticetothesolidrockofbrotherhood.ItwouldbefatalforthenationtooverlooktheurgencyofthemomentandtounderestimatethedeterminationoftheNegro.ThisswelteringsummeroftheNegro'slegitimatediscontentwillnotpassuntilthereisaninvigoratingautumnoffreedomandequality.Nineteensixty-threeisnotanend,butabeginning.ThosewhohopethattheNegroneededtoblowoffsteamandwillnowbecontentwillhavearudeawakeningifthenationreturnstobusinessasusual.TherewillbeneitherrestnortranquilityinAmericauntiltheNegroisgrantedhiscitizenshiprights.Thewhirlwindsofrevoltwillcontinuetoshakethefoundationsofournationuntilthebrightdayofjusticeemerges.ButthereissomethingthatImustsaytomypeoplewhostandonthewarmthresholdwhichleadsintothepalaceofjustice.Intheprocessofgainingourrightfulplacewemustnotbeguiltyofwrongfuldeeds.Letusnotseektosatisfyourthirstforfreedombydrinkingfromthecupofbitternessandhatred.Wemustforeverconductourstruggleonthehighplaneofdignityanddiscipline.Wemustnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenerateintophysicalviolence.Againandagainwemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustodistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestinyandtheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.Wecannotwalkalone.Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallmarchahead.Wecannotturnback.Therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,Whenwillyoubesatisfied?Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.WecannotbesatisfiedaslongastheNegro'sbasicmobilityisfromasmallerghettotoalargerone.WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.No,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeamightystream.Iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhavecomehereoutofgreattrialsandtribulations.Someofyouhavecomefreshfromnarrowcells.Someofyouhavecomefromareaswhereyourquestforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionandstaggeredbythewindsofpolicebrutality.Youhavebeentheveteransofcreativesuffering.Continuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair.Isaytoyoutoday,myfriends,thatinspiteofthedifficultiesandfrustrationsofthemoment,Istillhaveadream.ItisadreamdeeplyrootedintheAmericandream.Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident;thatallmenarecreatedequal.IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiathesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslaveownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratatableofbrotherhood.IhaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,adesertstateswelteringwiththeheatofinjusticeandoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisoffreedomandjustice.