What was the name of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous 1963 speech in Washington, D.C.?

“I Have a Dream” was the name of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous 1963 speech in Washington, D.C.

King delivered the speech on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march demanded civil and economic rights, including federal civil-rights legislation and employment opportunities.

The speech connected the promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the lived reality of racial discrimination. King called for an end to segregation and described a future in which people would be judged by their character rather than their skin color.

King had used the phrase “I have a dream” in earlier speeches, but gospel singer Mahalia Jackson reportedly urged him to use it during the Washington address. The speech became one of the best-known statements of the Civil Rights Movement and helped shape public support for major federal legislation.