▁public ▁speech ▁that ▁was ▁delivered ▁by ▁American ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ist ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁during ▁the ▁March ▁on ▁Washington ▁for ▁Job s ▁and ▁Fre edom ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁called ▁for ▁civil ▁and ▁economic ▁rights ▁and ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁rac ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Del iver ed ▁to ▁over ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁civil ▁rights ▁supp or ters ▁from ▁the ▁steps ▁of ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Memorial ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁the ▁speech ▁was ▁a ▁defining ▁moment ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement ▁and ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁icon ic ▁speech es ▁in ▁American ▁history . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁with ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation , ▁which ▁declared ▁millions ▁of ▁slaves ▁free ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁King ▁said ▁" one ▁hundred ▁years ▁later , ▁the ▁Neg ro ▁still ▁is ▁not ▁free ". ▁Tow ard ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁speech , ▁King ▁depart ed ▁from ▁his ▁prepared ▁text ▁for ▁a ▁partly ▁impro vised ▁per oration ▁on ▁the ▁theme ▁" I ▁have ▁a ▁dream ", ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁Mah alia ▁Jackson ' s ▁cry : ▁" T ell ▁them ▁about ▁the ▁dream , ▁Martin !" ▁In ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁speech , ▁which ▁most ▁excited ▁the ▁listen ers ▁and ▁has ▁now ▁become ▁its ▁most ▁famous , ▁King ▁described ▁his ▁dream s ▁of ▁freedom ▁and ▁equality ▁ar ising ▁from ▁a ▁land ▁of ▁sla very ▁and ▁hat red . ▁Jon