"I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin. I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job."

-Excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's speech at the Great March in Detroit, June 23rd, 1963.

Today we commemorate the loss of a great American. The words and deeds of Dr. Martin Luther King have become an inextricable part our country's soul. We owe much to this man who gave up his life for the values and ideals that make us who we are. Today, our nation will reflect on his body of work, among which no speech resonates more powerfully than the "I have a dream" speech which he gave on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963. But few Americans may recall that Washington D.C. was not the birthplace of that speech's core imagery. The heart of the "I have a dream" speech began here in Detroit, during Dr. King's speech at Detroit's Great March down Woodward Avenue on June 23rd, 1963, two months prior to the address at the Lincoln Memorial.

Dr. King's words showcase the preacher's understanding of Detroit's unique needs at the time. It's incredible to think how far we all have come since those turbulent times, and how far we have yet to go. The disparities between races have not disappeared, but when I look at the diverse relationships we share within our community, and the great change that I have seen during my own life, I truly believe we are closer and closer to making real the dreams of those great Americans who came before us.

Here is Dr. King's great speech from the Great March in Detroit.

http://www.mlkonline.net/detroit.html

Sincerely,

Natalie Mosher
Democratic Candidate for Congress
Michigan's 11th District