Six months before he was assassinated, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967.

Martin Luther King remains one of the most hallowed orators in American history. With a voice so imbued with power, King often delivered eloquent speeches with broad ideas on the national stage. This speech, however, was delivered in a high school gym.

In his speech, Dr.King speaks to high school teens regarding their futures and the fight to keep those dreams alive. King’s speech gave so many Black teenagers across America the motivation to continue their educations, their belief in their own self-worth, and the tenacity and strength to be the best they could possibly be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjkmW8MxopU

The school where King delivered his speech, Barratt Junior High, was later transformed into a middle school, and subsequently demolished in 2011 due to declining student enrollment. Though the building may exist no longer, Dr. King’s blueprint has remained a focal point for Black youth in America.

Beyond Black youth, Martin Luther King’s speech also speaks to the youth of every race. This fight for equality is all of our fights. It is up to every single community to get up and fight for this movement on the behalf of us all. We can no longer keep our heads down as it comes to racism.  In Martin Luther King’s own words: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”