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Martin Luther King, Jr. went to the mountaintop, and he had a dream, but 51 years later, we’re still fighting to see his hopes for the world through.
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King’s nine-year-old granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, made a surprise appearance and took the stage in Washington D.C. during the 2018 March for Our Lives rally, orchestrated by students across the country looking to the government to make a change regarding the nation’s gun laws. She carried out her grandfather’s legacy with a speech of her own. And her words, though brief, ignited a nation and reminded them of the importance of Dr. King’s dream.
“My grandfather had a dream that his four little children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the concept of their character. I have a dream that enough is enough, and that this should be a gun free world. Period.”
So today, as we celebrate and salute Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his efforts to push the country into a world without hatred, WBLS looks back at the peacemaker’s five greatest speeches.
On September 12, 1962 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed a room of people at the Park-Sheraton Hotel in New York City to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
On March 25, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to an estimated 25,000 people after marching from Selma to Montgomery, AL. The speech is referred to as “How Long, Not Long.”
On December 10, 1964, the celebrated reverend was award the Nobel Peace Prize. During his speech, he said he accepted the award on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. King conveyed what many believe to be one of the greatest speeches of all time. On this day, he spoke to more than 250,000 people in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and inspired them with the words, “I have a dream today.”
On April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his final speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis, TN. There, he addressed concerns over the Memphis Sanitation Strike, and called for unity as he challenged the U.S. to meet its standards.