• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Home
  • About
  • A Brush with Coaching
  • CSR

Martin Carter Associates Ltd

black and white photo showing Mahalia Jackson centre with Martin Luther King and one other

Tell ’em about the dream, Martin, tell ’em about the dream!

June 27, 2021 by martincarter

Originally published 8th June 2020

In 1963, Martin Luther King stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and uttered the words ‘‘I have a dream.” It remains one of the most iconic, famous and evocative phrases ever.

But it nearly didn’t happen. By the time Dr King got round to sharing his dream he had already been speaking for 11 minutes, reading from a pre-prepared script. Until that point it was a typically powerful speech, but not one that was likely to shake the world and echo for decades.

And then Mahalia Jackson spoke.

Mahalia Jackson was the most famous and influential gospel singer of her time. She sang frequently at events where Martin Luther spoke and, having sung earlier in the day, was sitting behind him as he spoke that day in Washington. 

11 minutes in, as Dr King pauses whilst the crowd applauds, Mahalia Jackson shouts “Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin.” Clarence B. Jones, Dr King’s scriptwriter, describes how, at that moment, Dr King looks up at the crowds, pauses, pushes his notes to one side and utters the immortal words:

 “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”

For the next five minutes, he speaks unscripted, never looking back down at his notes because the words weren’t written there. They were written on his heart. And they might have stayed there if Mahalia Jackson hadn’t encouraged him to “tell ‘em about the dream, Martin.” 

The ‘I have a dream’ speech – five unscripted, heartfelt minutes – was a watershed moment in the civil rights movement. But it wasn’t the crucial moment. No, the crucial moment happened much earlier, when Dr King dared to share his dream with a smaller group of people, including his close friend Mahalia Jackson. It was her affirmation, her encouragement, her belief in him and his dream that gave him the courage in front of 250,000 people to swap his carefully chosen, well prepared script for 615 heart-felt words. And it changed the world, because it inspired others to dream. 

Few of us will get the chance to address 250,000 people, but I believe we all have a dream that could change our world. But unless we take the risk of sharing it with someone, that’s all it’s ever likely to be. So who needs to hear your dream? Who’s going to give you the support, encouragement and belief to ‘tell ‘em about the dream’?

And, perhaps more importantly, whose dreams are you listening to and encouraging?  

Category: Blogs

About martincarter

Previous Post: « What’s Your Nobel Cause?
Next Post: Who Are You Running For? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contact

Get in touch with us here

Social

Follow along on social media

Policies

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Environmental Policy

Ethical & Anti-Slavery Policy

Health & Safety

Anti-Bribery Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Martin Carter Associates Ltd · All Rights Reserved ·

Registered in England No. 9098984

Powered by Mai Theme

Return to top

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT