January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968 I did not originally hear Dr. King give his speech, but to hear it even today is as powerful as if I had originally heard it. I would love to see the world he describes. It is true we have come a long way from this time period, but sadly we HAVE NOT overcome all racism, and its as sad now as it was then. I was only 3 years old when Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. Throughout my life, I have grown to admire Dr. King for what he stood for. He was a leader to not only his people, but to ALL oppressed people. Dr King had a dream.... a dream that one day ALL men and women would be equal. That they would not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character. He brought together nations and helped us to see things from someone else's eyes. He took a stand against powerful people when no one else would. He kept trying once he was doubted and threatened. Martin Luther King Jr. got people around the world to look past "black" labeling and accept and love him. From Wikipedia: Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was a famous leader of the American civil rights movement, a political activist, and a Baptist minister. In 1964, King became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (for his work as a peacemaker, promoting nonviolence and equal treatment for different races). On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1977, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Jimmy Carter. In 1986, Martin Luther King Day was established as a United States holiday, only the fourth Federal holiday to honor an individual (the other three being in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, George Washington, and Christopher Columbus). In 2004, King was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He was known as a great public speaker.[1] Dr. King often called for personal responsibility in fostering world peace.[2] King's most influential and well-known public address is the "I Have A Dream" speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. Dr. King is one of the few true American heroes. In a time where it has become fashionable to hero-bash--the name of Dr. King has remains unblemished, and justifiably so. Dr. King stood for what he believed, and was a man ahead of his time. In the face of adversity, he dedicated and sacrificed his life for the equality of all people. His dream, which many today still share, has continued to live on as his legacy. His adversaries took his life, but his heroic legacy will never die. "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we're free at last."