TotheKingfamily,whohavesacrificedandinspiredsomuch,toPresidentClinton,PresidentCarter,VicePresidentBiden,Jill,fellowAmericans,fivedecadesagotoday,Americanscametothishonoredplacetolayclaimtoapromisemadeatourfounding.

Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheircreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,thatamongthesearelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.

In1963,almost200yearsafterthosewordsweresettopaper,afullcenturyafteragreatwarwasfoughtandemancipationproclaimed,thatpromise,thosetruthsremainedunmet.Andsotheycamebythethousands,fromeverycornerofourcountry--menandwomen,youngandold,blackswholongedforfreedomandwhiteswhocouldnolongeracceptfreedomforthemselveswhilewitnessingthesubjugationofothers.Acrosstheland,congregationssentthemoffwithfoodandwithprayer.Inthemiddleofthenight,entireblocksofHarlemcameouttowishthemwell.

Withthefewdollarstheyscrimpedfromtheirlabor,someboughtticketsandboardedbuses,eveniftheycouldn'talwayssitwheretheywantedtosit.Thosewithlessmoneyhitchhiked,orwalked.Theywereseamstresses,andsteelworkers,andstudents,andteachers,maidsandpullmanporters.Theysharedsimplemealsandbunkedtogetheronfloors.

Andthen,onahotsummerday,theyassembledhere,inournation'scapital,undertheshadowofthegreatemancipator,tooffertestimonyofinjustice,topetitiontheirgovernmentforredressandtoawakenAmerica'slong-slumberingconscience.

WerightlyandbestrememberDr.King'ssoaringoratorythatday,howhegavemightyvoicetothequiethopesofmillions,howheofferedasalvationpathforoppressedandoppressorsalike.Hiswordsbelongtotheages,possessingapowerandprophecyunmatchedinourtime.

Butwewoulddowelltorecallthatdayitselfalsobelongedtothoseordinarypeoplewhosenamesneverappearedinthehistorybooks,nevergotonTV.

Manyhadgonetosegregatedschoolsandsatatsegregatedlunchcounters,hadlivedintownswheretheycouldn'tvote,incitieswheretheirvotesdidn'tmatter.Therewerecouplesinlovewhocouldn'tmarry,soldierswhofoughtforfreedomabroadthattheyfounddeniedtothemathome.Theyhadseenlovedonesbeatenandchildrenfire-hosed.Andtheyhadeveryreasontolashoutinangerorresignthemselvestoabitterfate.

Andyettheychoseadifferentpath.Inthefaceofhatred,theyprayedfortheirtormentors.Inthefaceofviolence,theystoodupandsatinwiththemoralforceofnonviolence.Willingly,theywenttojailtoprotestunjustlaws,theircellsswellingwiththesoundoffreedomsongs.AlifetimeofindignitieshadtaughtthemthatnomancantakeawaythedignityandgracethatGodgrantsus.TheyhadlearnedthroughhardexperiencewhatFrederickDouglasoncetaught:thatfreedomisnotgiven;itmustbewonthroughstruggleanddiscipline,persistenceandfaith.