Sources and Attribution

Every quote on this site lists the specific speech, sermon, letter, or book it comes from, wherever that could be confirmed. You will find that source printed right under each quote instead of a bare line that just says "MLK once said."

The main sources used across this archive are Stride Toward Freedom (1958), the Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), the "I Have a Dream" address (August 28, 1963),Strength to Love (1963), the Nobel Prize acceptance speech (1964), andWhere Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967).

A note on the "I Have a Dream" speech. The short, sourced lines quoted on this site are used the same way news sites, classrooms, and reference sites quote them everywhere. The full speech text is a longer, separate work. If you plan to publish an extended passage instead of a single sourced line, check current usage rules first.

If you spot a quote that is misattributed or sourced wrong, we want to fix it. See our about page for how this project is run.