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NEWS RELEASE
Original MLK “I Have a Dream” Speech Advance Text Document Arrives at Peoria Riverfront Museum
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“Advance Text of Speech To Be Delivered By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference March on Washington Aug. 28, 1963.” Original mimeograph, page one of three. The document will be displayed at the Peoria Riverfront Museum from January 21 through February 2025. Photo courtesy Seth Kaller, Inc.
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PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 20, 2025—An original “advance text” document of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech given at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the Civil Rights Movement will be on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum from January 21, 2025 through February 28, 2025.
The historic document is one of only 20 known original mimeographs distributed to the press before the speech delivered by Dr. King, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.
Notably missing from the three-page press document are the words “I Have a Dream,” which King famously improvised before he gave his speech. The speech ends with the line “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last,” which can be seen on page three of the document.
The document, known as “Advance Text of Speech To Be Delivered By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference March on Washington August 28, 1963,” is on loan to the museum by Seth Kaller, a leading expert on rare historic documents.
Kaller has been working with the Peoria Riverfront Museum on its United States Semiquincentennial America 250 celebration and exhibition, guest-curated by filmmaker Ken Burns.
“We are thrilled to obtain this original mimeograph of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech on the day we celebrate Dr. King,” said Everley Davis, Peoria Riverfront Museum assistant curator. “While the advance text does not contain the ad-libbed words ‘I Have a Dream,’ it is a significant piece of history and one of only 20 known copies sent to journalists prior to Dr. King delivering his speech at the Lincoln Memorial.”
The original advance text document of Dr. King’s speech can be viewed at the museum from January 21, 2025 through February 28, 2025.
“Advance Text of Speech To Be Delivered By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference March on Washington August 28, 1963,” is sponsored by Friends of Bronzeville to Harlem at Peoria Riverfront Museum.
Visit www.peoriariverfrontmuseum.org for more information.
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The Peoria Riverfront Museum is the only multidisciplinary institution of its kind in the nation combining art, science, history and achievement. The museum is dedicated to using its collections, exhibitions, film planetarium and programming to tell the stories that build confidence; create a culture of lifelong learning; and unleash the full talent and genius of every individual.
Contact Melody Konrad, Peoria Riverfront Museum assistant director of marketing and communications at MKonrad@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.
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