Context

This famous line was spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. 

No, not that the Seahawks would win the playoffs or that a bunch of golfers would get a hole in one, but an actually important dream: racial equality.

At the iconic March on Washington—which eventually led not just to Washington and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but to Selma, Alabama and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—King gave his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, which takes its name from this iconic line: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"

Where you've heard it

You're looking at one of the most famous quotes in American history.

King's iconic speech is referenced any time anyone has a dream...so...every day.

Additional Notable References

• The speech continues to be referenced amid racial turmoil, like the events in Ferguson, MO. 
• Some people appropriated King's quote when referencing the snub of the film Selma by the Academy Awards in 2015. 
• Common's music video for "A Dream" samples this speech. 
• The "I Have a Dream" Foundation helps children from low-income communities get an education.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream is an awesome vision of equality. The only thing that would be pretentious would be to pretend the dream has come true. We have a way to go.