Manuscript of the speech "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King goes up for auction in January

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. Estimated to reach ten million dollars, proceeds will support social justice organizations, including the King Center. Discovered in 2024 by Xernona Clayton, the manuscript is the only surviving draft of the historic speech. It was completed on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. The speech's famous phrase was delivered spontaneously, while the manuscript includes the conclusion. The manuscript will be displayed at Christie's from January 15 to 21, and will also be shown in Atlanta and Chicago before the auction.