| I Have a Dream
In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Orientals — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands. Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King organized a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 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. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" Mount, Steve. “The I Have a Dream Speech” USConstitution.net. 27 Oct 2007 http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html (29 Nov 2007) |
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| “I Have A Dream for ….”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Creative Expression Contest Name_________________________________ Address/City/Zip_________________________ Phone_________________________________ Email__________________________________ Title of Submission_______________________ Division I: High School (Grades 9-12): Grade/Year______ School Name___________________________ Parent/Guardian Name_______________________________ Daytime Phone Number______________________________ Division II: Post Secondary through age 25: Age_________ Birth Date____________________________ Agency/Program Name ______________________________ Please note! If your submission is other than the written word (essay, poem etc), please attach to this form a thoughtful explanation of your submission and how it relates the messages conveyed in Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream for …” Creative Expression Contest In recognition of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dedication to human rights, world peace and economic justice, the young people of Bemidji, Cass Lake and Red lake are invited to take part in a creative expression contest based on “I Have a Dream,” the powerful speech delivered by King August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The goal of this competition is to honor the accomplishments of Dr. King and invite young people to share their dream for the local community anchored in the Dr. King’s powerful speech King and to recognize and celebrate the many talents of our area young people, and his l egacy. Sponsored by: Bemidji State University, Bemidji Area Race Relations CouncilLeech Lake Tribal College, Northwest Technical College, Red Lake Nation College and Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines Mail all entries on or before Friday, January 18, 2008 to: Martin Luther King, Jr. Creative Expression Contest Bemidji Service Center 750 Paul Bunyan DR NW Bemidji MN 56601 Awards $200 First Prize for grades 9-12 $100 Second Prize for grades 9-12 $50 Third Prize for Grades 9-12 Certificates of achievement sent to all participants $200 First Prize for post-secondary – age 25 $100 Second Prize for post-secondary – age 25 $50 Third Prize for post-secondary – age 25 Certificates of achievement sent to all participants Questions? Contact Tricia Andrews at 218-751-4886 or tandrews@girlscoutslolc.org Who May Compete? Division I: Students in grades 9-12 attending public, private or home school within the Bemidji, Cass Lake and Red Lake School Districts Division II: Post-secondary adults through age 25 living with the Bemidji, Cass Lake and Red Lake School Districts Contest winners and their families are encouraged to attend the exhibit at Northwest Technical College (1/31/08 – 2/4/08) and Martin Luther King Day celebration at celebrations in Bemidji State University Beaux Arts Ballroomon Monday, February 4, 2008, where winners will be recognized for their achievements. Contest Guidelines Submit an essay, poem, or other creative piece (such as a poem, video, sculpture, painting, photo or poster) which reflects on the messages conveyed in Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech. Select a quote from that speech that most inspires you to pursue Dr. King’s dream – as related to your local community -, and include the quote in your title or within your submission. Consider the following questions in your essay or other creative expression: Why did you pick that quote and what does it mean to you? How does it affect your daily life? What can you do to make Dr. King’s dream a reality in your community? All entries must be original, and only one entry per person is allowed. Winning entries will be judged on a variety of factors including message, creativity, originality, accuracy and inclusion of Dr. King and/or the messages for which he stood. Submissions will not be returned unless self-addressed envelopes are included with requests for returned materials. Submissions also may be picked up immediately following the Martin Luther KingMLK Day events at Bemidji State University on February 4, 2008. In keeping with Dr. King’s messages of inclusiveness, social and racial justice and respect for the dignity of others, submissions that include profanity and/or language inconsistent with Dr. King’s philosophy will be disqualified. |
| In recognition of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his dedication to human rights, world peace and economic justice, the young people of Bemidji, Cass Lake and Red Lake are invited to take part in a creative expression contest based on “I Have a Dream,” the powerful speech delivered by King in 1963.
The goal of this competition is to honor the accomplishments of Dr. King and to invite young people to share their dream for our local community anchored in Dr. King’s powerful speech and legacy. The sponsors of this contest, Bemidji State University, Bemidji Area Race Relations Council, Northwest Technical College and Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines, ask that you promote this initiative to students and encourage their participation. Submissions may include short essays or any other form of creative expression. The deadline is Friday, January 18, 2008 and additional contest guidelines are below. |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Creative Expression Contest |