Fivescoreyearsago；agreatAmerican；inwhosesymbolicshadowwestandtoday；signedtheEmancipationProclamation。ThismomentousdecreecameasagreatbeaconlightofhopetomillionsofNegroslaveswhohadbeensearedintheflamesofwitheringinjustice。Itcameasajoyousdaybreaktoendthelongnightoftheircaptivity。

Butonehundredyearslater；theNegrostillisnotfree。Onehundredyearslater；thelifeoftheNegroisstillsadlycrippledbythemanaclesofsegregationandthechainsofdiscrimination。Onehundredyearslater；theNegrolivesonalonelyislandofpovertyinthemidstofavastoceanofmaterialprosperity。Onehundredyearslater；theNegroisstilllanguishedinthecornersofAmericansocietyandfindshimselfanexileinhisownland。Andsowe‘ve***eheretodaytodramatizeashamefulcondition。

Inasensewe‘ve***etoournation‘scapitaltocashacheck。WhenthearchitectsofourrepublicwrotethemagnificentwordsoftheConstitutionandtheDeclarationofIndependence；theyweresigningapromissorynotetowhicheveryAmericanwastofallheir。Thisnotewasapromisethatallmen；yes；blackmenaswellaswhitemen；wouldbeguaranteedthe〃unalienableRights〃of〃Life；LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness。〃ItisobvioustodaythatAmericahasdefaultedonthispromissorynote；insofarashercitizensofcolorareconcerned。Insteadofhonoringthissacredobligation；AmericahasgiventheNegropeopleabadcheck；acheckwhichhas***ebackmarked〃insufficientfunds。〃

Butwerefusetobelievethatthebankofjusticeisbankrupt。Werefusetobelievethatthereareinsufficientfundsinthegreatvaultsofopportunityofthisnation。Andso；we‘ve***etocashthischeck；acheckthatwillgiveu