MLK’s handwritten ‘I Have a Dream’ draft to be displayed in Atlanta

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published November 11, 2026 10:44 AM EST
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MLK letter to be displayed in Atlanta for one week

The only known handwritten final draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech will go on public display in Atlanta for one week this month.

The Brief

    • The seven-page handwritten draft will be on public display at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights from Nov. 16-22.
    • The manuscript is expected to sell for more than $10 million at a Jan. 22, 2027, auction in New York.
    • It is described as the only known handwritten final draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.

ATLANTA - The only known handwritten final draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech will go on public display in Atlanta for one week this month.

What we know:

The seven-page manuscript will be exhibited at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights from Nov. 16-22 before being auctioned by Christie’s in New York on Jan. 22, 2027. The auction house expects it to sell for more than $10 million.

The draft was preserved by Edward T. Clayton, who worked with King. It is the first time the manuscript will be shown publicly in Atlanta.

The Source

  • The information for this story came from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. 

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