"Just past noon on January 15, 1929, a son was born to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr., in an upstairs bedroom of 501 Auburn Avenue, in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was in these surroundings of home, church, and neighborhood that 'M.L.' experienced family and Christian love, segregation in the days of 'Jim Crow' laws, diligence and tolerance."

GCORR selected five of King's most memorable speeches, including the famous, "I Have a Dream Speech" and his final sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, "The Drum Major Instinct."

I Have A 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'."

By far his most recognized  speech, King delivered this speech to the massive crowd gathered at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963.

Dr. King Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech

"I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when twenty-two million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice."

King accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace on Dec. 10, 1964 in Oslo, Norway. The struggle for equality would continue despite the honor. 

Our God is Marching On

"How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

King delivered this speech after the successful completion of the Selma to Montgomery march on March 25, 1965.

The Drum Major Instinct, Part one

"If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That's a new definition of greatness."

King's "The Drum Major Instinct" speech was delivered to the congregation of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 4, 1968, and was an adaptation of the 1952 homily ‘‘Drum-Major Instincts’’ by J. Wallace Hamilton, "a well-known, liberal, white Methodist preacher." King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness through service and love.

The Drum Major Instinct, Part two

I See the Promised Land, Part one

"I've been to the mountaintop.... And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land."

In Memphis, Tenn., to support striking garbage workers, King's speech at the Mason Temple speaks to the future of the civil rights struggle, without him there to witness its final triumph. Sadly, King would be assassinated the next day, April 4, 1968, making his words both poignant and prophetic.

I See the Promised Land, Part two

I Have a Dream | Nobel Prize acceptance speech | Our God is Marching On
The Drum Major Instinct | I See the Promised Land