Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 1-14-22

Tribute To Dr. King
Birth: January 15, 1929 Death: April 4, 1968 Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia
I Have A Dream...
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King evoked the name of
Known for: Leading the civil rights movement in the United States
Advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination
Milestones:
1954 Selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Mont-
gomery, Alabama
1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston Univer- 1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston Univer-
1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Ala- 1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Ala-
sity sity
bama, buses bama, buses
1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern 1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story 1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
1963 Wrote 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' arguing that it was his 1963 Wrote 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' arguing that it was his
moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws
1963 Delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to civil rights marchers at 1963 Delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to civil rights marchers
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize 1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize
1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, 1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama,
that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation
1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee 1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
Quote: 'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live Quote: 'I have a dream that my four little children will one day
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin the content of their character.' August, 1963, in a speech to civil rights but by the content of their character.' August, 1963, in a speech to civil
supporters at the March on Washington.
rights supporters at the March on Washington.
Did You Know: King's nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by Did You Know: King's nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced
the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.
by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.
In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time
magazine's Man of the Year.
King's efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out
against poverty and the Vietnam War.
Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
I say to you today, my friends, 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 swel- tering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppres- sion, 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 na- tion where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the con- tent of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Ala- bama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of inter- position and nullifica- tion; 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 re- vealed, 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 moun- tain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beauti- ful symphony of broth- erhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray to- gether, to struggle to- gether, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, know- ing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's chil- dren 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 heighten- ing Alleghenies of Penn- sylvania!
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 mountain- side, let freedom ring.
And when this hap- pens, 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 chil- dren, 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!"
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