Dr Martin Luther King Jr giving his 'I have a dream' speech during the March on Washington in Washington, DC, on 28 August 1963. Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons
Today, Wednesday 28 August 2013, marks the 50th anniversary of late activist Martin Luther King Jr’s immortal “I have a dream” speech – a speech that Nelson Mandela has referenced.
On that day, King addressed an estimated 250 000 people during a civil rights march in Washington, DC, in the United States.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character,” he famously said.
During the ANC’s election victory celebrations in 1994, Madiba echoed the “I have a dream” speech with the words, “free at last”.
The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory honours this day and recognises the enduring influence of King’s speech.
Barack Obama marks anniversary of 'I have a Dream' speech
Fifty years after Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a Dream" speech, Barack Obama assessed America's progress.
In his address to thousands who gathered on the Washington Mall to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, President Obama paid tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and to the anonymous millions who stood by King's side during the civil rights fight of the 1960s.