Martin Luther King Jr. – Was his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech Improvised?

November 28, 2019

|In Black History in Two Minutes (or so), Season 1

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so)

While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence was large, perhaps his greatest legacy came when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.

As the highly revered activist from the Civil Rights era prepared for the March on Washington, Dr. King worked with his advisors to craft his speech. About half-way through, with the crowd’s interest fading, the Baptist minister from Atlanta, Georgia’s decision to improvise would lead to a magical moment we never saw coming.

Dr. King and his speech would awaken not only the estimated quarter of a million people in attendance, but followers who also believed in an inclusive America.

In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from Farrah Griffin of Columbia University, we look at the journey Dr. King took to deliver words that would ignite generations of believers then and now.

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Archival Materials Courtesy of:
Alamy Images
Getty Images
Library of Congress
National Archives and Records Administration

Executive Producers:
Robert F. Smith
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Dyllan McGee
Deon Taylor

Produced by:
William Ventura
Romilla Karnick

Music By:
Oovra Music

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