MLK Manuscript with Speech “I have a dream” goes to auction

O final manuscript of the speech “I have a dream”, by Martin Luther King Jr., who culminated the March on Washington in August 1963, will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York on January 22, announced the auctioneer.

According to Christie’s, the manuscript, with the handwriting of Martin Luther King Jr. himself, can reach a market value of ten million dollars (about nine million euros).

The revenue will be allocated to institutions of social solidarity and the defense of human rights, such as the King Center – National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, and the Xernona Clayton Foundation, which promotes and rewards contributions at the economic, social and artistic level of the African-American community in the United States.

The manuscript, presented as the sole surviving draft of the historical discourse, was discovered in 2024, in the drawer of a desk of King's former aide Edward T. Clayton, by his widow, Xernona Clayton, journalist and executive of American television, which was also part of the core collaborators of the leader of the civil rights struggle.

According to Christie’s account, Xernona Clayton had already found the manuscript in the 1990s, but without realizing that it was the final version of the speech. Only in 2024, after being examined by experts, was the authenticity of the document certified and verified as the only surviving version.

Testimonies of the time confirm that this final version of the speech was completed by Martin Luther King Jr. in the early hours of August 28, 1963, the day the March on Washington against racial segregation in the United States culminated at Lincoln Memorial in the federal capital. The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Law, which recognized the rights of black citizens throughout the territory, would be passed respectively in 1964 and 1965.

Written in blue ink, the manuscript occupies seven pages of a block of yellow notes, which were typed and sent to the press hours before Martin Luther King claimed “I have a dream”, before more than 250,000 people.

These words – “I have the dream” (“I have a dream”) – but they are not in the original. They were spontaneously spoken by Martin Luther King while he was speaking. But the conclusion – “Finally free, finally free” – is present in the manuscript of one of the most important speeches of the twentieth century and of American history.

The manuscript expert of Christie’s Peter Klarnet, quoted by the presentation of the document, states that he was moved when he first saw these pages: “This is a treasure of American history. It gives you the creeps just to look at him. During the reading, you feel Dr. King composing the text, making corrections. It captures an instant that literally changed the course of the nation and makes it very real, very human. It is an honor and a privilege for Christie’s to have the opportunity to present it to the world.”.

Xernona Clayton, who worked with her husband, Edward T. Clayton, at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization of Martin Luther King Jr., also quoted by Christie’s, recalls the pride she felt at the time: “The two [King and Clayton] had a perfect tune in writing and words. They constantly exchanged ideas, and there was deep respect between them. [...] I loved watching them. It was a privilege. And now the world will have the opportunity to see these words that continue to inspire hope, freedom and the search for equality.”

Martin Luther King's son is also quoted: “It is poetic that the past protect the future,” said Martin Luther King III, quoted by Christie’s. “We are grateful that this treasure has been preserved for decades. It is a remarkable piece of history, [...], a discourse that deeply affected the course of the civil rights movement and our nation”.

The manuscript will be displayed at Christie’s in New York from January 15 to 21, the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr., before being auctioned in a single lot a day later.

Rather, it will be shown for the first time at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta, November 16-22, and Chicago, on an announcement date.

Images of the manuscript are available on the ‘online’ pages of Christie’s Press Center.