Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Poetry
Updated: Apr 15
Did you know that parts of Dr. King's most famous "I Have a Dream" speech were inspired by a poem?
Reverend King and poet and activist Langston Hughes were friends for many years. Hughes even wrote a poem about the Montgomery bus boycott called Brotherly Love.
In the 1940s, Langston Hughes wrote his poem I Dream a World, in which he writes about a world where all races share the bounties of the earth and every man is free.
And on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, inspiring thousands during the March on Washington with his hopes for a better future. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."
Do you have a dream for our world? NPR posted a poetry challenge this morning to honor Dr. King and his work. Poems will be shared with NPR readers and listeners.
