On an August day in 1963, under the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial gospel singer Mahalia Jackson told Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to “Tell them about the dream Martin. Tell them about the dream.”

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Mahalia Jackson Sings At The March On Washington

Mahalia Jackson was a close friend of Dr. King and an important voice for the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King had spoken to Mahalia about his dream that all Americans would someday be judged by their character and not the color of their skin. On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Mahalia sang the spiritual, “I Been ‘Buked and I Been Scorned,” a favorite of Dr. King. When she had finished, Dr. King spoke.

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Dr. King Speaking Before A Crowd

Dr. King read from the speech he had prepared with the help of speech writer Clarence B. Jones. At about eleven minutes into his speech, Mahalia asked him to tell the people about his dream for America, the one she remembered hearing. Dr. King stopped reading, paused for awhile, and then spoke the words we know as his “I Have A Dream” speech — one of the most powerful and influential speeches in American history.

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In their book, Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song, Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkey tell the story of how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahalia Jackson’s friendship changed the course of history. 

If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

You may like:

Marian Anderson Let Freedom Sing: https://barbaralowell.com/marian-anderson-let-freedom-sing

Kids Books: Martin Luther King, Jr. https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-martin-luther-king-jr

Books For Kids: March on Washington https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-march-on-washington

Books For Kids: Civil Rights Movement https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-civil-rights-movement

Listen to Dr. King speak at the March on Washington. At about 12:00 minutes into the video, you will hear a long pause and then Dr. King will begin the “I Have A Dream” portion of his speech.

4 Comments

    1. Thank you! It is interesting how Mahalia’s words changed the focus of his speech. If you watch the first video, you can really see the change, although you can’t hear Mahalia. It was the speech writer, Clarence B. Jones that broke the story.