50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Draws Thousands
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of 250,000 people. Exactly 50 years later, tens of thousands gathered there again to commemorate it. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter both gave speeches, followed soon by President Obama, who attended along with first lady Michelle Obama. Other speakers included Oprah Winfrey and John Lewis, a current congressman from Georgia who actually spoke at the 1963 event as well.
The speeches were generally hopeful, but noted that America still has work to do before it achieves all that King had so eloquently described. "We’ve come a great distance in this country in the 50 years, but we still have a great distance to go before we fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.," Lewis said.
Here is King's full speech: