1、iamhappytojoinwithyoutodayinwhatwillgodowninhistoryasthegreatestdemonstrationforfreedominthehistoryofournation.fivescoreyearsago,agreatamerican,inwhosesymbolicshadowwestandtoday,signedtheemancipationproclamation.thismomentousdecreecameasagreatbeaconlightofhopetomillionsofnegroslaveswhohadbeensearedi
2、ntheflamesofwitheringinjustice.itcameasajoyousdaybreaktoendthelongnightofbadcaptivity.butonehundredyearslater,thenegrostillisnotfree.onehundredyearslater,thelifeofthenegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination.onehundredyearslater,thenegrolivesonalonelyislandofpov
3、ertyinthemidstofavastoceanofmaterialprosperity.onehundredyearslater,thenegroisstilllanguishedinthecornersofamericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland.sowevecomeheretodaytodramatizeashamefulcondition.inasensewehavecometoournationscapitaltocashacheck.whenthearchitectsofourrepublicwrotethemagnif
4、icentwordsoftheconstitutionandthedeclarationofindependence,theyweresigningapromissorynotetowhicheveryamericanwastofallheir.thisnotewasapromisethatallmen,yes,blackmenaswellaswhitemen,wouldbeguaranteedtheunalienablerightsoflife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.itisobvioustodaythatamericahasdefaultedon
5、thispromissorynoteinsofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned.insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation,americahasgiventhenegropeopleabadcheck,acheckwhichhascomebackmarkedinsufficientfunds.butwerefusetobelievethatthebankofjusticeisbankrupt.werefusetobelievethatthereareinsufficientfundsinthegreatvaultsofoppo
6、rtunityofthisnation.sowehavecometocashthischeckacheckthatwillgiveusupondemandtherichesoffreedomandthesecurityofjustice.wehavealsocometothishallowedspottoremindamericaofthefierceurgencyofnow.thisisnotimetoengageintheluxuryofcoolingoffortotakethetranquilizingdrugofgradualism.nowisthetimetomakerealthep
7、romisesofdemocracy.nowisthetimetorisefromthedarkanddesolatevalleyofsegregationtothesunlitpathofracialjustice.nowisthetimetoliftournationfromthequicksandsofracialinjusticetothesolidrockofbrotherhood.nowisthetimetomakejusticearealityforallofgodschildren.itwouldbefatalforthenationtooverlooktheurgencyof
8、themoment.thisswelteringsummerofthenegroslegitimatediscontentwillnotpassuntilthereisaninvigoratingautumnoffreedomandequality.nineteensixty-threeisnotanend,butabeginning.thosewhohopethatthenegroneededtoblowoffsteamandwillnowbecontentwillhavearudeawakeningifthenationreturnstobusinessasusual.therewillb
9、eneitherrestnortranquilityinamericauntilthenegroisgrantedhiscitizenshiprights.thewhirlwindsofrevoltwillcontinuetoshakethefoundationsofournationuntilthebrightdayofjusticeemerges.butthereissomethingthatimustsaytomypeoplewhostandonthewarmthresholdwhichleadsintothepalaceofjustice.intheprocessofgainingou
10、rrightfulplacewemustnotbeguiltyofwrongfuldeeds.letusnotseektosatisfyourthirstforfreedombydrinkingfromthecupofbitternessandhatred.wemustforeverconductourstruggleonthehighplaneofdignityanddiscipline.wemustnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenerateintophysicalviolence.againandagainwemustrisetothemajestiche
11、ightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.themarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedthenegrocommunitymustnotleadustoadistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestiny.theyhavecometorealizethattheirfreedomisinex
12、tricablyboundtoourfreedom.wecannotwalkalone.aswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallalwaysmarchahead.wecannotturnback.therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,whenwillyoubesatisfied?wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasthenegroisthevictimoftheunspeakablehorrorsofpolicebrutality.wecanneverbesatisfied
13、,aslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.wecannotbesatisfiedaslongasthenegrosbasicmobilityisfromasmallerghettotoalargerone.wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourchildrenarestrippedoftheirselfhoodandrobbedoftheirdignitybysignsstatingfor
14、whitesonly.wecannotbesatisfiedaslongasanegroinmississippicannotvoteandanegroinnewyorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.no,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeamightystream.iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhavecomehereoutofgreattrialsandtribulati
15、ons.someofyouhavecomefreshfromnarrowjailcells.someofyouhavecomefromareaswhereyourquestforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionandstaggeredbythewindsofpolicebrutality.youhavebeentheveteransofcreativesuffering.continuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.gobacktomississippi,gob
16、acktoalabama,gobacktosouthcarolina,gobacktogeorgia,gobacktolouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair.isaytoyoutoday,myfriends,soeventhoughwefacethedifficultiesoftodayandtomorrow,istillhaveadream.itisa
17、dreamdeeplyrootedintheamericandream.ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseup,liveuptothetruemeaningofitscreed:“weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident;thatallmenarecreatedequal.”ihaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofgeorgiathesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslave-ownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratthet
18、ableofbrotherhood.ihaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofmississippi,astateswelteringwiththeheatofinjustice,swelteringwiththeheatofoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisoffreedomandjustice.ihaveadreamthatmyfourchildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloriftheirskinbutbythecontentof
19、theircharacter.ihaveadreamtoday.ihaveadreamthatonedaydowninalabamawithitsgovernorhavinghislipsdrippingwiththewordsofinterpositionandnullification,onedayrightdowninalabamalittleblackboysandblackgirlswillbeabletojoinhandswithlittlewhiteboysandwhitegirlsassistersandbrothers.ihaveadreamtoday.ihaveadream
20、thatonedayeveryvalleyshallbeexalted,everyhillandmountainshallbemadelow,theroughplaceswillbemadeplain,andthecrookedplaceswillbemadestraight,andthegloryofthelordshallberevealed,andallfleshshallseeittogether.thisisourhope.thisisthefaiththatigobacktothesouthwith.withthisfaithwewillbeabletohewoutofthemou
21、ntainofdespairastoneofhope.withthisfaithwewillbeabletotransformthejanglingdiscordsofournationintoabeautifulsymphonyofbrotherhood.withthisfaithwewillbeabletoworktogether,topraytogether,tostruggletogether,togotojailtogether,tostandupforfreedomtogether,knowingthatwewillbefreeoneday.thiswillbethedaywhen
22、allofgodschildrenwillbeabletosingwithnewmeaning.mycountry,tisofthee,sweetlandofliberty,oftheeising:landwheremyfathersdied,landofthepilgrimspride,fromeverymountainsideletfreedomring.andifamericaistobeagreatnationthismustbecometrue.soletfreedomringfromtheprodigioushilltopsofnewhampshire.letfreedomring
23、fromthemightymountainsofnewyork!letfreedomringfromtheheighteningallegheniesofpennsylvania!letfreedomringfromthesnowcappedrockiesofcolorado!letfreedomringfromthecurvaceousslopesofcalifornia!butnotonlythat;letfreedomringfromstonemountainofgeorgia!letfreedomringfromlookoutmountainoftennessee!letfreedom
24、ringfromeveryhillandmolehillofmississippi!fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring!whenweletfreedomring,whenweletitringfromeveryvillageandeveryhamlet,fromeverystateandeverycity,wewillbeabletospeedupthatdaywhenallofgodschildren,blackmenandwhitemen,jewsandgentiles,protestantsandcatholics,willbeabletojoinhandsandsinginthewordsoftheoldnegrospiritual,“freeatlast!freeatlast!thankgodalmighty,wearefreeatlast!”