Original Handwritten Martin Luther King Jr. Speech On Display at the UofM
March 26 - April 13
McWherter Library, UofM Campus
Unveiling Event:
Monday, March 26, 10:30 am
McWherter Library Rotunda, UofM Campus
Display Times Following the Unveiling:
Monday – Thursday: 7:30 am – midnight
Friday: 7:30 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday: 1 pm – 10 pm
Parking Information:
Parking is available for $3 per hour in the Innovation Parking Garage and the Zach
Curlin Parking Garage
Complimentary parking is available in Engineering Lot 45 (off Zach Curlin Avenue) on weekends and after 5 pm during the week.
School Bus Unloading:
School busses may unload on Central Avenue, heading east. School bus parking information
to follow.
The iconic “We Shall Overcome” speech became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement. The University of Memphis will display the original copy, complete with handwritten notes, of the historic speech Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Chicago on July 6, 1965.
The iconic speech marked the first time Dr. King publicly declared, “We shall overcome” – a phrase that became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement. The speech will go on display in the McWherter Library rotunda on the University of Memphis campus March 26-April 16 in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King.
“We are honored and humbled to share this extraordinary artifact with our students and the greater Memphis community as we come together to observe the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination,” said UofM President M. David Rudd. “Dr. King left an indelible mark on American history, and his impact is especially profound here in Memphis. We look forward to hosting a series of events and activities next spring that will honor Dr. King’s legacy and help us reflect on the civil rights and social justice issues of today.”
Prominent Memphis philanthropist Avron B. Fogelman purchased the 20-page speech at auction for $382,000 and has generously granted the University of Memphis the exclusive opportunity to display the one-of-a-kind artifact on campus.
“Growing up in Memphis, I had a special feeling for what Dr. King accomplished, so I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to own this iconic speech in which Dr. King first wrote the phrase most closely associated with the civil rights movement,” said Fogelman. “This is the first time I have shared this speech with the public, and I’m delighted to share it with the University of Memphis for its month-long exhibit honoring Dr. King on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. I commend President Rudd for keeping the accomplishments of Dr. King alive for all of us.”