QuoteQuest“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.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
Verification
VerifiedWording confirmed against a primary source.
Matches the National Archives transcript and audio recording.
Source
- Title
- "I Have a Dream" speech, March on Washington
- Type
- speech · Primary source
- Date
- 28 August 1963
- Location
- "I have a dream" refrain
- Held by
- National Archives
Context
Delivered at the Lincoln Memorial to more than 250,000 people during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
What it means
A vision of a society where people are judged by character, not race.
Cite this source
Jr., Martin Luther King. (28 August 1963). "I Have a Dream" speech, March on Washington. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf
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Provenance: Manually entered from the National Archives transcript.