Kings Extraordinary Speech

My background includes teaching speech classes at several college and universities. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the greatest speeches of thetwentieth century. Over the years I have taught numerous students about thevalue of King's speech to America. King's speech is both motivational and inspirational. While teaching at Cal Poly I asked Coretta King and the King Foundation for permission to use the speech in my speech book. I gained their permission and was thrilled to have this great speech in my publication. Here's my favorite quotations from the speech: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." I share with my students at Daytona State College that King's message had great value to America in the 1960's and his message continues to have great value in the 21st century.