Feb
09

Sidedoor: King’s Speech

One of the most famous phrases in the history of speechmaking was improvised on the spot.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiring “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous and often-quoted speeches in the world. You would think that every word of this important speech had been carefully crafted in advance. But, if you read King’s typed manuscript of the speech (currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture), there is no trace of the famous phrase. But even though Dr. King’s the speech was improvised, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t years in the making. In this episode of Sidedoor, we trace the evolution of King’s dream, from a secret friendship, to an experimental poem, to the speech we all know today.

Guests

  • Kevin Young, Director of Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
  • W. Jason Miller, Author of Origins of the Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric

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Posted: 9 February 2022
About the Author:

Jessica Sadeq has worked in the Central Office of Public Affairs since June 2007. She is the Marketing Manager for the Office of Communications and External Affairs.