"I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King goes to auction

The final manuscript of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech will be auctioned by Christie's in New York on January 22. The manuscript, written in King's own handwriting, is expected to fetch around ten million dollars. Proceeds will benefit social justice and human rights organizations, including the King Center and the Xernona Clayton Foundation. Discovered in 2024 by Xernona Clayton, the manuscript is the only surviving draft of the historic speech, which was completed on August 28, 1963. It will be displayed at Christie's from January 15 to 21 before the auction and will also be shown in Atlanta and Chicago.