Wemustforeverconductourstruggleonthehighplaneofdignityanddiscipline.Wemustnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenerateintophysicalviolence.Againandagainwemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustodistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,havecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestinyandtheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.Wecannotwalkalone.
Andaswewalk,wemustmakethepledgethatweshallmarchahead.Wecannotturnback.Therearethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,「Whenwillyoubesatisfied?」WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongastheNegroisthevictimoftheunspeakablehorrorsofpolicebrutality.
Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heavywiththefatigueoftravel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwaysandthehotelsofthecities.
WecannotbesatisfiedaslongastheNegro』sbasicmobilityisfromasmallerghettotoalargerone.
Wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourchildrenarestrippedoftheirselfhoodandrobbedoftheirdignitybysignsstating「ForWhitesOnly」.
WecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelieveshehasnothingforwhichtovote.No,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeamightystream.
Iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhavecomehereoutofgreattrialsandtribulations.Someofyouhavecomefreshfromnarrowjailcells.Someofyouhavecomefromareaswhereyourquestforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionandstaggeredbythewindsofpolicebrutality.Youhavebeentheveteransofcreativesuffering.Continuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.
GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoSouthCarolina,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofourNortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissituationcanandwillbechanged.Letusnotwallowinthevalleyofdespair.
Isaytoyoutoday,myfriends,thatinspiteofthedifficultiesandfrustrationsofthemoment,Istillhaveadream.ItisadreamdeeplyrootedintheAmericandream.
Ihaveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:「Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident:thatallmenarecreatedequal.」
IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiathesonsofformerslavesandthesonsofformerslave-ownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratatableofbrotherhood.
IhaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,adesertstate,swelteringwiththeheatofinjusticeandoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisoffreedomandjustice.
Ihaveadreamthatmyfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheircharacter.
Ihaveadreamtoday.
IhaveadreamthatonedaythestateofAlabama,whosegovernor』slipsarepresentlydrippingwiththewordsofinterpositionandnullification,willbetransformedintoasituationwherelittleblackboysandblackgirlswillbeabletojoinhandswithlittlewhiteboysandwhitegirlsandwalktogetherassistersandbrothers.
Ihaveadreamtoday.
Ihaveadreamthatonedayeveryvalleyshallbeexalted,everyhillandmountainshallbemadelow,theroughplaceswillbemadeplain,andthecrookedplaceswillbemadestraight,andthegloryoftheLordshallberevealed,andallfleshshallseeittogether.
Thisisourhope.ThisisthefaithwithwhichIreturntotheSouth.Withthisfaithwewillbeabletohewoutofthemountainofdespairastoneofhope.Withthisfaithwewillbeabletotransformthejanglingdiscordsofournationintoabeautifulsymphonyofbrotherhood.Withthisfaithwewillbeabletoworktogether,topraytogether,tostruggletogether,togotojailtogether,tostandupforfreedomtogether,knowingthatwewillbefreeoneday.
ThiswillbethedaywhenallofGod』schildrenwillbeabletosingwithanewmeaning,「Mycountry』tisofthee,sweetlandofliberty,oftheeIsing.Landwheremyfathersdied,landofthepilgrim』spride,fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring.」
AndifAmericaistobeagreatnation,thismustbecometrue.
SoletfreedomringfromtheprodigioushilltopsofNewHampshire.LetfreedomringfromthemightymountainsofNewYork.LetfreedomringfromtheheighteningAllegheniesofPennsylvania!
LetfreedomringfromthesnowcappedRockiesofColorado!
LetfreedomringfromthecurvaceouspeaksofCalifornia!
Butnotonlythat;letfreedomringfromStoneMountainofGeorgia!
LetfreedomringfromLookoutMountainofTennessee!
LetfreedomringfromeveryhillandeverymolehillofMississippi.Fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring.