He Had a Dream

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., I offer some finds from around the web.

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Link here for the full text of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a Dream" speech, and download the audio in mp3 right here.

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Bread and Roses has posted his memories of the day Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered. Here's an excerpt:

I was 12 years old when Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis. I followed the news closely even then and so I knew who he was... knew what he was working for... knew that we had lost a man striving to make us all the best that we could be... a standardbearer for social change too long in the offing... a frontline soldier in the war for equality and a peacemaker.

I knew he was a man worthy of respect...a man with a dream (a dream that is, to this day, still in the process of coming true...but the motion is ever forward towards that goal and I hope he would be heartened by that)...a man who, whatever his personal fears, foibles, and demons, was willing to stand up for...and indeed to die for...that which he believed in (something few of us, if we are honest with ourselves, would be willing to do in such a powerful and provocative manner.)

Read the whole piece at Bread and Roses.

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At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. The Nobel Foundation has an excellent brief biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. on their site, as well as a transcript of the presentation speech. Here's an excerpt:

He is the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence. He is the first to make the message of brotherly love a reality in the course of his struggle, and he has brought this message to all men, to all nations and races.

Today we pay tribute to Martin Luther King, the man who has never abandoned his faith in the unarmed struggle he is waging, who has suffered for his faith, who has been imprisoned on many occasions, whose home has been subject to bomb attacks, whose life and the lives of his family have been threatened, and who nevertheless has never faltered.

Here is an excerpt from Martin Luther King, Jr.'sacceptance speech:

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.

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A picture gallery of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a selection of his more well-known quotations.

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No citation would be complete without a link to Wikipedia, so here is their official site on Martin Luther King, Jr.