ItwouldbefatalforthenationtooverlooktheurgencyofthemomentandtounderestimatetwelteringsummeroftheNegro'slegitimatediscontentwillnotpassuntilthereisaninvigoratingaeensixty-threeisnotanend,whohopethattheNegroneededtoblowoffsteamandwillnowbecontentwillhāvearudeawakeningifthenatiowillbeneitherrestnortranquilityinAmericauntiltheNegroisgrantedhiscitizenshiprights.

ThewhirlwindsofrevoltwillcontinuetoshakethefoundationsofournationuntiltheereissomethingthatImustsaytomypeoplewhostandonthewarmthresholdwhichleprocessofgainingourrightfulplacewemustnnotseektosatisfyourthirstforfreedombydrinkingfromthecupofbitternessandhatred.

Wemustforeverconductourstruggleonthehighpltnotallowourcreativeprotesttodegenandagainwemustrisetothemajesticheightsofmeetingphysicalforcewithsoulforce.

ThemarvelousnewmilitancywhichhasengulfedtheNegrocommunitymustnotleadustodistrustofallwhitepeople,formanyofourwhitebrothers,asevidencedbytheirpresenceheretoday,hāvecometorealizethattheirdestinyistiedupwithourdestinyandtheirfreedomisinextricablyboundtoourfreedom.

wewalk,wemustmaketheplarethosewhoareaskingthedevoteesofcivilrights,";Whenwillyoubesatisfied?";wecanneverbesatisfiedaslongasourbodies,heāvywiththefatigueoftrāvel,cannotgainlodginginthemotelsofthehighwanotbesatisfiedaslongastheNegro'sbasicmobilityisfromaneverbesatisfiedaslongasaNegroinMississippicannotvoteandaNegroinNewYorkbelievesh,no,wearenotsatisfied,andwewillnotbesatisfieduntiljusticerollsdownlikewatersandrighteousnesslikeamightystream.

Iamnotunmindfulthatsomeofyouhāvecomehereoutofgfyouhāvfyouhāvecomefromareaswhereyourquestforfreedomleftyoubatteredbythestormsofpersecutionandstaggeredbyvebeenthevenuetoworkwiththefaiththatunearnedsufferingisredemptive.

GobacktoMississippi,gobacktoAlabama,gobacktoGeorgia,gobacktoLouisiana,gobacktotheslumsandghettosofournortherncities,knowingthatsomehowthissitnotwoyoutoday,myfriends,thatinspiteofthedifficultiesandfrustrationsofthemoment,dreamdeeplyrootedintheAmericandream.

Ihāveadreamthatonedaythisnationwillriseupandliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed:";Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident:thatallmenarecreatedequal.";IhāveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgiathesonsofformerslāvesandthesonsofformerslāveownerswillbeabletositdowntogeadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,adesertstate,swelteringwiththeheatofinjusticeandoppression,willbetransformedintoaadreamthatmyfourchildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutbytadreamtoday.

IhāveadreamthatonedaythestateofAlabama,whosegovernor'slipsarepresentlydrippingwiththewordsofinterpositionandnullification,willbetransformedintoasituationwherelittleblackboysandblackgirlswillbeabletojoinhandswithlittlewhiteboysandwhitegirlsandwalktogadreamthatonedayeveryvalleyshallbeexalted,everyhillandmountainshallbemadelow,theroughplaceswillbemadeplain,andthecrookedplaceswillbemadestraight,andthegloryoftheLordshallberevealed,andasthefaithwhisfaithwewillbeabletohewoutofthemounhisfaithwewillbeabletotransformthejanglingdiscordsofournationintoabeauthisfaithwewillbeabletoworktogether,topraytogether,tostruggletogether,togotojailtogether,tostandupforfreedomtogether,knowingthatwewillbefreeoneday.

ThiswillbethedaywhenallofGod'schildrenwillbeabletosingwithanewmeaning,";Mycountry,'tisofthee,sweetlandofliberty,heremyfathersdied,landofthepilgrim'spride,fromeverymountainside,letfreedomring.";AndifAmericaistobeagreatnation,freedomringfromtheprodigieedomringfromtheedomringfromtheheighteningAllegheniesofPennsylvania!LetfreedomringfromthesnowcappedRockiesofColorado!LetfreedomringfromthecurvaceouspeaksofCalifornia!Butnotonlythat;letfreedomringfromStoneMountainofGeorgia!LetfreedomringfromLookoutMountainofTennessee!Letfreedomringfromeveryhillandeverymountainside,letfreedomring.

Whenweletfreedomring,whenweletitringfromeveryvillageandeveryhamlet,fromeverystateandeverycity,wewillbeabletospeedupthatdaywhenallofGod'schildren,blackmenandwhitemen,JewsandGentiles,ProtestantsandCatholics,willbeabletojoinhandsandsinginthewordsoftheoldNegrospiritual,";Freeatlast!freeatlast!thankGodAlmighty,wearefreeatlast!”

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