How to Memorize the I Have a Dream Speech

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a passionate speech to the over 200,000 individuals who gathered to march on Washington, DC to support equality and civil rights for African Americans. Dr. King's speech expressed his hopes for the future of the world and for African-Americans who had suffered discrimination for centuries.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Get a copy of the complete speech so that you can have it available when you are ready to memorize it. It can be found on various online sites and also in books.
2. Make flash cards and keep small parts of the speech with you at all times. Anytime you have a moment, you can pull out the cards and work on your memorization.
3. Practice in front of another person or group of people. The more comfortable you feel performing the speech in front of others, the easier it will be when you present it for a special event.
4. Use mnemonics to help you remember portions of the speech. Mnemonics are memorization techniques, such as rhymes or associations, that help you memorize material.
5. Watch a tape or DVD of Dr. King making the actual "I Have a Dream speech". It helps to hear how the person who wrote the speech presented it. You may find that watching the speech repeatedly will help you memorize it. Amazon.com has several versions available (see Resources below).
6. Put up a poster of the speech, which you can purchase on Amazon.com, in a place you frequent every day. The more the speech becomes a regular part of your life, the easier it will be to remember it.
7. Speak out loud when you are practicing your speech. If you hear the words, they are more likely to stick in your mind.
8. Give yourself sufficient time to memorize the speech if you must present it in front of an audience. The longer you give yourself to memorize it, the less pressure you will feel.
9. Break the "I Have a Dream speech" into smaller parts, as it can be overwhelming to memorize in a big chunk. Memorize each part separately, and then put them all together as one cohesive speech.