Martin Luther King Jr.'s Original "I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King Jr.’s original speech from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is on display in Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom.

Alongside the speech are other objects associated with King, including the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to him and Coretta Scott King in 2014, a laundry pail used by King during the march from Selma to Montgomery, and a program from his funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

King’s speech was originally in possession of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame player and coach George Raveling, who came in receipt of the artifact while volunteering at the 1963 March on Washington. Recently, Villanova University became the speech’s steward and has entered into a long-term loan agreement with the museum to display it.