King had warned in previous sermons that he might die before the struggle ended. It was not the first time he told listeners he'd "seen the promised land." King had been living with death threats for years. No one in King's circle thought this was his final address. Later, Young wrote: "Did [King] know? He always knew some speech would be his last. Was he afraid? Not on your life!"

Classroom Materials

• Profile of Martin Luther King Jr. and Transcript (PDF - 229 K)
• Companion Website:
  Martin Luther King Jr.