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MartinLutherKing,Jr.:IHaveaDreamdelivered28August1963,attheLincolnMemorial,WashingtonD.C.Iamhappytojoinwithyoutodayinwhatwillgodowninhistoryasthegreatestdemonstrationforfreedominthehistoryofournation.Fivescoreyearsago,agreatAmerican,inwhosesymbolicshadowwestandtoday,signedtheEmancipationProclamation.ThismomentousdecreecameasagreatbeaconlightofhopetomillionsofNegroslaves,whohadbeensearedintheflamesofwitheringinjustice.Itcameasajoyousdaybreaktoendthelongnightoftheircaptivity.Butonehundredyearslater,theNegrostillisnotfree.Onehundredyearslater,thelifeoftheNegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination.Onehundredyearslater,theNegrolivesonalonelyislandofpovertyinthemidstofavastoceanofmaterialprosperity.Onehundredyearslater,theNegroisstilllanguishedinthecornersofAmericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland.Andsowe'vecomeheretodaytodramatizeashamefulcondition.Inasensewehavecometoournation'scapitaltocashacheck.WhenthearchitectsofourrepublicwrotethemagnificentwordsoftheConstitutionandtheDeclarationofIndependence,theyweresigningapromissorynotetowhicheveryAmericanwastofallheir.Thisnotewasapromisethatallmen,yes,blackmenaswellaswhitemen,wouldbeguaranteedtheunalienablerightsoflife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.ItisobvioustodaythatAmericahasdefaultedonthispromissorynote,insofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned.Insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation,AmericahasgiventheNegropeopleabadcheck,acheckwhichhascomebackmarkedinsufficientfunds.Butwerefusetobelievethatthebankofjusticeisbankrupt.Werefusetobelievethatthereareinsufficientfundsinthegreatvaultsofopportunityofthisnation.Andsowehavecometocashthischeck,acheckthatwillgiveusupondemandtherichesoffreedomandthesecurityofjustice.WehavealsocometothishallowedspottoremindAmericaofthefierceurgencyofNow.Thisisnotimetoengageintheluxuryofcoolingoffortotakethetranquilizingdrugofgradualism.Nowisthetimetomakerealthepromisesofdemocracy.Nowisthetimetorisefromthedarkanddesolatevalleyofsegregationtothesunlitpathofracialjustice.Nowisthetimetoliftournationfromthequicksandsofracialinjusticetothesolidrockofbrotherhood.NowisthetimetomakejusticearealityforallofGod'schildren.Itwouldbefatalforthenationtooverlooktheurgencyofthemoment.ThisswelteringsummeroftheNegro'slegitimatediscontentwillnotpassuntilthereisaninvigoratingautumnoffreedomandequality.Nineteensixty-threeisnotanendbutabeginning.ThosewhohopethattheNegroneededtoblowoffsteamandwillnowbecontentwillhavearudeawakeningifthenationreturnstobusinessasusual.TherewillbeneitherrestnortranquilityinAmericauntiltheNegroisgrantedhiscitizenshiprights.Thewhirlwindsofrevoltwillcontinuetoshakethefoundationsofournationuntilthebrightdayofjusticeemerges.ButthereissomethingthatImustsaytomypeoplewhostandonthewarmthresholdwhichleadsintothepalaceofjustice.Intheprocessofgainingourrightfulplacewemustnotbeguiltyofwrongfuldeeds.Letusnotseektosatisfyourthirstforfreedombydrinkingfromthecupofbitternessandhatred.Wemusteverconductourstruggleonthehighplaneofdignityanddiscipline.Wemustnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenerateintophysicalviolence.Againandagainwemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustoadistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestiny.Andtheyhavecometorealizethattheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.Wecannotwalkalone.Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallalwaysmarchahead.Wecannotturnback.Therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,Whenwillyoubesatisfied?WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongastheNegroisthevictimoftheunspeakablehorrorsofpolicebrutality.Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.WecannotbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.No,no,wearenotsatisfiedandwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeamightystream.Iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhavecomehereoutofgreattrialsandtribulations.Someofyouhavecomefreshfromnarrowjailcells.Someofyouhavecomefromareaswhereyourquestforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionsandstaggeredbythewindsofpolicebrutality.Youhavebeentheveteransofcreativesuffering.Continuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoSouthCarolina,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair,Isaytoyoutoday,myfriends.Andsoeventhoughwefacethedifficultiesoftodayandtomorrow,Istillhaveadream.ItisadreamdeeplyrootedintheAmericandream.Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evidentthatallmenarecreatedequal.IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiathesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslaveownerswillbeabletositdowntogether