How to write a summary

Writing a summary

Why summaries?

The summary was not invented to torture students. Instead, it is something very useful. Summaries of the essential contents of longer texts can be found in

• surveys summarizing the most important information of longer reports,
  
• blurbs giving a brief overview of the content of a book,
  
• dissertation abstracts containing short information about scientific theses,
  
• minutes recording the main results of a meeting.
  

What does a summary do?

In a summary, you tell the reader (or the teacher, if he doesn't know already)

• what a text talks about in general (the topic)
  
• what exactly a text talks about (the sub-topics of the text) and what it says about these things (the messages of a text)
  
• what is the overall message of the text.
  

A topic is one word or expression that a text or a paragraph is about. It can normally be found somewhere at the beginning of a text or paragraph. What is the topic of the following short paragraph?

Mike's house was so comfortable and warm! He really didn't want to leave, but he couldn't afford the rent, you know. And it had such a nice garden in the back!

What does the text say about this topic, __________________? That's the message of a paragraph. You should be able to express this message in one sentence or two. Sometimes, the author has done this bit of work for you and has put the message at the beginning or at the end of a paragraph / text, but sometimes you have to make it up yourself. Unfortunately, it's not always that clear what the message is.

A longer text will deal its topic by talking about different subtopics.

How do you write a summary

1. Take a first look at the text, try to understand what it is about (this might be the general topic of the text)
   
2. Read through the text, try to understand what it is really about (general topic), which things it talks about (subtopics), and what its overall message is. Underline the corresponding expressions in three colours. Colour pencils are expensive, so use the colours sparingly!
   
3. Read through the text again, try to find sections that talk about the same subtopic and mark them.
   Hint: Most of the time, a new topic will be treated in a new paragraph. Also watch out for adverbials that express a distance in time (a few years later), a logical contrast (however, nevertheless, on the other hand), a new development of the argument (therefore, consequently), or a new topic (As far as XYZ is concerned /As to XYZ,). You can underline these signal adverbials when you read through the text first.
   
4. Read through the text again (if you don't know it by heart yet) and try to understand which messages the text gives about its different subtopics. If you're lucky to find a key sentence, underline it, otherwise write down the message at the margin of the text.
   
5. At the same time, try to understand the logical connection between the different messages of the text. If you're lucky, the author has helped you with some nice adverbials of time or reason.
   
6. Congratulations! Your summary is finished. All you have to do now is write it down, in the following order:
   

• Overall topic of the text (XYZ's text ABC talks about X // deals with the question as to whether / why…)
  
• Subtopics and messages, connected logically or, if there's no logical connection to be seen, with First, second, third / Moreover / In addition.
  
• General message of the text (In general / On the whole, the author shows / makes it clear that… // Thus, the bottom line of XYZ's text is that…)
  

1. The tricky thing about a summary is its style. You're not supposed to just copy the text, because then your teacher would have nothing to correct. Instead, you're required
   

• to use your own words as far as possible
  
• to avoid repetitions, especially as far as the connections between the different ideas are concerned. Vary your choice of words.
  
• to be short and snappy: In general, a summary has about a third of the length of the original text.
  

1. Remind the reader time and again that you are summarizing. Moreover, if the author expresses his opinion, make it clear that it is his opinion, not yours, even if you happen to agree with him. You can do this by using the following expressions.
   

 

The author…

says, states, points out that ... claims, believes thinks that ... describes, explains, makes clear that/why … uses examples to confirm/prove that … doubts, asks the question as to whether ... agrees/ disagrees with the thesis/ view that … contradicts the view/ opinion that … criticizes/ analyses/ comments on … concludes that … shows that it is important to consider … contrasts X with Y / compares X to Y… tries to express … tries to convince the reader argues that … suggests that sth. should be done to/ against/ for … appeals to the reader/government/ ? to …

Applying for a job - an advertisement

The job advertisement


Administrative Assistant - Amazon.com[1]

Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Location: SEATTLE, WA
Job Type: Full-Time
============================

Amazon.com is looking for a highly motivated, detail-oriented self-starter to assist our Product Development group. In addition to day-to-day administration, responsibilities will involve challenging projects such as online research. This position requires a high level of organizational skills, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills. A solid knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is also required. Candidates must be bright[2], independent and flexible. Candidates with a passion for the Internet and creating the world's best e-commerce Web site will find this a very good job.

Required Skills:
* Organizational Skills
* Communication Skills
* MS Word
* MS Excel

Contact Information:
Jack Peters
Recruitment Manager
Amazon.com
P.O. Box 80387
Seattle, WA 98108

The Amazon.com philosophy is simple: if it’s good for our customers, it’s worth doing. Our company mission is to provide the best buying experience on the Internet. Put another way, we want people to come to Amazon.com, find whatever they want, discover things they didn’t know they wanted, and leave feeling like they have a favorite place to shop.
Work hard. Everyone at Amazon.com works hard and long. We act like owners because we are owners--stock options[3] are given to each of us.
Have fun. We like what we’re doing. Because of that, we have fun at work, and it makes it easy for us to work hard.
Make history. This is the most compelling reason to work at Amazon.com. What we’re building is new. We’re not trying to follow a company model--we are creating the model. Amazon.com is the product of a great idea, hard work, and exceptional people. We are pioneers in a growth industry, and we’re leading the way. But this is just the beginning; it’s still day one at Amazon.com. If you would like to help us build our company, we invite you to apply.
[1] Amazon.com = American Internet bookshop operating in other countries (incl. Germany), too
[2] bright = intelligent
[3] stock options = Firmenanteile (wie Aktien)

test your Vocabulary

Vocabulary I - Upload a Document to Scribd

Vocabulary "Youth Culture"

Young People

youth Jugend/Jugendlicher
youths männliche Jugendliche
youngster Kind/Junge
adolescence Jugendalter
adolescent Jugendlicher
teenager Teenager
teenage (adj.) im Teenageralter

Leisure Time

free/spare time Freizeit
go out weggehen/ausgehen
go clubbing in einen Club gehen / tanzen gehen
club Club
go to a concert/gig zu einem Konzert/Auftritt gehen
venue Veranstaltungsort/Treffpunkt
pub Kneipe
party Party
go shopping shoppen/einkaufen gehen
listen to music Musik hören
drink trinken
have fun Spaß haben / sich amüsieren
chill out relaxen/abhängen
hang out sich herumtreiben
at home zu Hause
be/feel relaxed entspannt sein

Music Styles

gothic Gothic
rock Rock
pop Pop
house House
techno Techno
hip hop Hiphop
grunge Grunge
punk Punk


Youth as a Consumer Group

pocket money Taschengeld
have a weekend job einen Wochenendjob haben
consume sth. etwas konsumieren
spending power Kaufkraft
major force in the market wichtiger Marktfaktor
wield power Macht ausüben
dominate the market den Markt beherrschen
designer label Designermarke
target of marketing campaigns Zielgruppe von Marketingkampagnen
satisfy new needs neue Bedürfnisse/Wünsche befriedigen

Conformism/Individuality

peer pressure Gruppendruck
group mentality Gruppenmentalität
the in-crowd Schickeria
conform to sth. sich an etwas anpassen
outsider Außenseiter
individual (adj, n) individuell/Individuum
be different anders sein

Self-Image

self-esteem Selbstwert
concern about your image Sorge um sein Image
feel good/bad about yourself mit sich zufrieden/unzufrieden sein
misunderstood missverstanden

Appearance

looks Aussehen
trendy trendy / im Trend
attention-grabbing Aufmerksamkeit erregend
normal normal
slender schlank
thin dünn
anorexic magersüchtig
overweight (adj, n) übergewichtig/Übergewicht
blemish-free makellos
acne Akne
spots Pickel
diet Ernährung/Diät
go/be on a diet eine Diät machen / auf Diät sein
go without food auf Essen verzichten
miss/skip meals Mahlzeiten auslassen
lose weight Gewicht verlieren
gain weight zunehmen
eat healthily sich gesund ernähren
exercise (n, v) Sport / Sport treiben
do sport Sport machen
go to the gym ins Fitnessstudio gehen
do aerobics Aerobic machen
muscular muskulös

Social Involvement

idealistic idealistisch
help others anderen helfen
volunteer (n, v) Freiwilliger / etwas freiwillig tun
community service Sozialdienst
join an organization einer Organisation beitreten
change the world die Welt verändern
be environmentally aware umweltbewusst sein
get involved in sth. sich engagieren bei/für etwas
be committed to sth. sich für etwas engagieren

Drugs and Alcohol

get drunk sich betrinken
have a hangover einen Kater haben
take drugs Drogen nehmen
drug/alcohol abuse Drogen-/Alkoholmissbrauch
become addicted to sth. von etwas abhängig werden

Love/Sexuality

have a girl-/boyfriend einen Freund / eine Freundin haben
have a relationship eine Beziehung haben
be in love (with sb.) (in jdn.) verliebt sein
be crazy about sb. nach jdm. verrückt sein
be attracted to sb. sich zu jdm. hingezogen fühlen
go on a date zu einer Verabredung / einem Date gehen
have a date with sb. eine Verabredung / ein Date mit jdm. haben
pick sb. up jdn. abschleppen
have a one-track mind nur an das Eine denken
have a one-night stand einen One-Night-Stand haben
have (unprotected) sex (ungeschützen) Geschlechtsverkehr haben
pick up / get a sexually transmitted disease / STD eine Geschlechtskrankheit bekommen
get/become pregnant schwanger werden
cheat on sb. jdn. betrügen

Communication

computer Computer
virtual reality virtuelle Realität
the real world die wirkliche Welt
e-mail Email
send an attachment einen Datei-Anhang verschicken
digital camera/photo Digitalkamera/Digitalfoto
(on) the Internet (im) Internet
be/go online online sein/gehen
have access to the Internet Internetzugang haben
download sth. etwas herunterladen
chat (v, n) chatten/Chat
chat room Chatroom
play computer games Computerspiele spielen
mobile phone (BE) /cell phone (AE) Handy
text message sb. jdm. eine SMS schicken
send a text message eine SMS schicken

Vocabulary "Who am I - Identity"

Aspects of Identity

appearance äußeres Erscheinungsbild
background Hintergrund
born into (a rich family) in (einer reichen Familie) geboren werden
born of/to (poor parents / a German family) als Kind (armer Eltern / einer deutschen Familie) geboren werden
region Region
national identity nationale Identität
social class soziale Schicht
upper/middle/working class Oberschicht/Mittelschicht/Arbeiterschicht
racial/ethnic identity ethnische Identität
ethnicity Ethnizität/Volkszugehörigkeit
mixed ethnic background gemischter ethnischer Hintergrund
of mixed ancestry von gemischter Herkunft/Abstammung
religious identity religiöse Identität
upbringing Erziehung
education Bildung/Erziehung
hereditary angeboren/erblich
acquired erworben

Personality

have/show personality traits Persönlichkeitszüge haben
self-confidence Selbstvertrauen
self-confident selbstsicher
assertive bestimmt/durchsetzungsfähig
aggressive aggressiv
self-awareness Selbstkenntnis
shape an individual’s personality die Persönlichkeit einer Person formen
attitudes Einstellungen/Haltungen/Gesinnungen
beliefs Überzeugungen
(stick to your) principles seinen Prinzipien treu bleiben
morals Moral/Sitten
interests Interessen
be interested in sth. sich für etwas interessieren
share values Werte teilen
role model Rollenvorbild
find yourself sich selbst finden
deny your origins seine Wurzeln/Herkunft verleugnen

Sexuality

gender identity Geschlechtsidentität
sexual identity sexuelle Identität
sexual orientation sexuelle Orientierung
heterosexual heterosexuell
homosexual homosexuell
bisexual bisexuell
enter into / end a relationship eine Beziehung beginnen / beenden

Strengths
realize your full potential sein volles Potenzial entfalten
have a positive outlook on life eine positive Lebenseinstellung haben
find fulfilment in sth. Erfüllung in etwas finden
ambition Ehrgeiz
ambitious ehrgeizig
aim high sich hohe Ziele setzen
achiever Erfolgstyp
seek self-fulfilment/happiness Selbsterfüllung/Glück suchen
be good/talented at sth. gut in / begabt für etwas sein
work hard for sth. hart für etwas arbeiten
focus on sth. sich auf etwas konzentrieren
strong point Stärke
self-confidence/self-respect Selbstvertrauen/Selbstachtung
overcome a problem ein Problem überwinden
mature reif
self-assured selbstbewusst
feel accepted sich akzeptiert fühlen

Weaknesses

self-doubt(s) Selbstzweifel
lack of self-confidence/self-respect mangelnde(s) Selbstvertrauen/Selbstachtung
shortcomings Schwäche/Fehler
self-consciousness Unsicherheit/Gehemmtheit
go/pass through an identity crisis eine Identitätskrise durchleben
have an inferiority/superiority complex einen Minderwertigkeits-/Überlegenheitskomplex haben
failure Scheitern/Versagen/Versager
fail in sth. bei etwas scheitern
be nervous/uncertain/confused about sth. nervös/unsicher/verwirrt bei einer Sache sein
feel threatened by sth. sich von etwas bedroht fühlen
feel like an outsider sich wie ein Außenseiter fühlen
be a snob ein Snob sein

Goals/Ambitions

have realistic goals realistische Ziele haben
achieve your goals seine Ziele erreichen
find a dream job einen Traumjob finden
pursue a dream einen Traum verfolgen
consider your options über die eigenen Möglichkeiten nachdenken

Vocabulary "The Family"

Family Members

relative Verwandter
relation Verwandter
wife Ehefrau
husband Ehemann
parent(s) Elternteil (Eltern)
mother Mutter
father Vater
sister Schwester
brother Bruder
half-sister/brother Halbschwester/-bruder
sibling das Geschwister
twin(s) Zwilling(e)
child Kind
daughter Tochter
son Sohn
stepmother/stepfather Stiefmutter/Stiefvater
stepsister/ stepbrother Stiefschwester/ Stiefbruder
stepson/stepdaughter Stiefsohn/Stieftochter
in-laws angeheiratete Verwandtschaft
mother-in-law/ father-in-law Schwiegermutter/ Schwiegervater
sister-in-law/ brother-in-law Schwägerin/ Schwager
daughter-in-law/ son-in-law Schwiegertochter/ Schwiegersohn
aunt Tante
uncle Onkel
niece Nichte
nephew Neffe
cousin Cousin/Cousine
grandmother/ grandfather Großmutter/ Großvater
grandchild Enkelkind
granddaughter/ grandson Enkelin/Enkel
great-grandmother/ great-grandfather Urgroßmutter/ Urgroßvater

Near-Family

godparent(s) Pate/Patin, (Paten)
godmother Patentante/Taufpatin
godfather Patenonkel/Taufpate
goddaughter Patentochter
godson Patensohn

Family Structures

a married couple verheiratetes Paar
a couple Paar/Pärchen
nuclear family Kernfamilie
one-/single-parent family Familie mit alleinerziehendem Elternteil
a childless couple kinderloses Paar
an adopted child adoptiertes Kind
natural/adoptive parents leibliche Eltern / Adoptiveltern
extended family Großfamilie / weiterer Familienkreis
an only child Einzelkind
gay/same-sex couple gleichgeschlechtliches Paar
gay/same-sex partnership gleichgeschlechtliche Partnerschaft
be related to sb. mit jdm. verwandt sein

Planning a Family

family planning Familienplanung
adopt a child ein Kind adoptieren
be adopted adoptiert werden/sein
surrogate mother Leihmutter
artificial insemination künstliche Befruchtung
sperm bank Samenbank
test-tube baby ‘Retortenbaby’
clone a human being ein menschliches Wesen klonen

Parents and Children

bring sb. up jdn. aufziehen
raise sb. jdn. großziehen
look after sb. sich um jdn. kümmern
take care of sb. auf jdn. aufpassen
support sb. jdn. (finanziell) unterstützen
educate sb. jdn. erziehen/(aus-)bilden
have good/bad relations with sb. gute/schlecht mit jdm. auskommen
have a good/bad relationship (with sb.) eine gute/schlechte Beziehung zu jdm. haben
get on well with sb. gut mit jdm. klarkommen/zurechtkommen
be strict with sb./ about sth. mit jdm. / in einer Sache streng sein
lay down the law Vorschriften machen
allow sb. to do sth. jdm. erlauben, etwas zu tun
check up on sb. jdn. kontrollieren
obey sb. jdm. gehorchen

(dis)obedience (Un)Gehorsam
rebel against sb. gegen jdn. rebellieren
obey/break rules Regeln befolgen/brechen

Providing for a Family

support your family (financially) seine Familie (finanziell) unterstützen
main breadwinner Hauptverdiener
homemaker Hausfrau
single/double income Einzel-/Doppelverdienst
pay maintenance (to sb.) (für jdn.) Unterhalt zahlen
childcare Kinderbetreuung
childcare support Kindergeld

Living Together/Apart

live together zusammenleben
move in with sb. mit jdm. zusammenziehen
be engaged to sb. mit jdm. verlobt sein
get married heiraten
fiancé Verlobter
fiancée Verlobte
get married heiraten
be married verheiratet sein
start a family eine Familie gründen
be happily/unhappily married glücklich/unglücklich verheiratet sein
divorce sb. sich von jdm. scheiden lassen
get divorced sich scheiden lassen
be divorced geschieden sein
separate (from sb.) sich (von jdm.) trennen
be separated getrennt sein
break up (with sb.) sich (von jdm.) trennen
live by yourself allein leben
live alone allein leben
stay/remain single alleinstehend bleiben
bachelor Junggeselle
widow Witwe
widower Witwer
live at home zu Hause leben
live under one roof unter einem Dach leben
leave home zu Hause ausziehen

Vocabulary "Personal Identity"

Topic Vocabulary ‘Personal Identity’


Aspects of Identity

appearance
background
born into (a rich family)
born of/to (poor parents / a German family)
region
national identity
social class
upper/middle/working class
racial/ethnic identity
ethnicity
mixed ethnic background
of mixed ancestry
religious identity
upbringing
education
hereditary
acquired


Personality

have/show personality traits
self-confidence
self-confident
assertive
aggressive
self-awareness
shape an individual’s personality
attitudes
beliefs
(stick to your) principles
morals
interests
be interested in sth.
share values
role model
find yourself
deny your origins


Sexuality

gender identity
sexual identity
sexual orientation
heterosexual
homosexual
bisexual
enter into / end a relationship


Strengths

realize your full potential
have a positive outlook on life
find fulfilment in sth.
ambition
ambitious
aim high
achiever
seek self-fulfilment/happiness
be good/talented at sth.
work hard for sth.
focus on sth.
strong point
self-confidence/self-respect
overcome a problem
mature
self-assured
feel accepted


Weaknesses

self-doubt(s)
lack of self-confidence/self-respect
shortcomings
self-consciousness
go/pass through an identity crisis
have an inferiority/superiority complex
failure
fail in sth.
be nervous/uncertain/confused about sth.
feel rootless
feel threatened by sth.
feel like an outsider
be a snob


Goals/Ambitions

have realistic goals
achieve your goals
find a dream job
pursue a dream
consider your options

Defining Democracy

DEFINING DEMOCRACY

Government of the People
Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused in a time when totalitarian regimes and military dictatorships alike have attempted to claim popular support by pinning democratic labels upon themselves. Yet the power of the democratic idea has also evoked some of history's most profound and moving expressions of human will and intellect: from Pericles in ancient Athens to Vaclav Havel in the modern Czech Republic, from Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence in 1776 to Andrei Sakharov's last speeches in 1989.

In the dictionary definition, democracy "is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system." In the phrase of Abraham Lincoln, democracy is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Freedom and democracy are often used interchangeably, but the two are not synonymous. Democracy is indeed a set of ideas and principles about freedom, but it also consists of a set of practices and procedures that have been molded through a long, often tortuous history. In short, democracy is the institutionalization of freedom. For this reason, it is possible to identify the time-tested fundamentals of constitutional government, human rights, and equality before the law that any society must possess to be properly called democratic.

Democracies fall into two basic categories, direct and representative. In a direct democracy, all citizens, without the intermediary of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making public decisions. Such a system is clearly only practical with relatively small numbers of people--in a community organization or tribal council, for example, or the local unit of a labor union, where members can meet in a single room to discuss issues and arrive at decisions by consensus or majority vote. Ancient Athens, the world's first democracy, managed to practice direct democracy with an assembly that may have numbered as many as 5,000 to 6,000 persons--perhaps the maximum number that can physically gather in one place and practice direct democracy.

Modern society, with its size and complexity, offers few opportunities for direct democracy. Even in the northeastern United States, where the New England town meeting is a hallowed tradition, most communities have grown too large for all the residents to gather in a single location and vote directly on issues that affect their lives.

Today, the most common form of democracy, whether for a town of 50,000 or nations of 50 million, is representative democracy, in which citizens elect officials to make political decisions, formulate laws, and administer programs for the public good. In the name of the people, such officials can deliberate on complex public issues in a thoughtful and systematic manner that requires an investment of time and energy that is often impractical for the vast majority of private citizens.

How such officials are elected can vary enormously. On the national level, for example, legislators can be chosen from districts that each elect a single representative. Alternatively, under a system of proportional representation, each political party is represented in the legislature according to its percentage of the total vote nationwide. Provincial and local elections can mirror these national models, or choose their representatives more informally through group consensus instead of elections. Whatever the method used, public officials in a representative democracy hold office in the name of the people and remain accountable to the people for their actions.

Majority Rule and Minority Rights
All democracies are systems in which citizens freely make political decisions by majority rule. But rule by the majority is not necessarily democratic: No one, for example, would call a system fair or just that permitted 51 percent of the population to oppress the remaining 49 percent in the name of the majority. In a democratic society, majority rule must be coupled with guarantees of individual human rights that, in turn, serve to protect the rights of minorities--whether ethnic, religious, or political, or simply the losers in the debate over a piece of controversial legislation. The rights of minorities do not depend upon the goodwill of the majority and cannot be eliminated by majority vote. The rights of minorities are protected because democratic laws and institutions protect the rights of all citizens.

Diane Ravitch, scholar, author, and a former assistant U.S. secretary of education, wrote in a paper for an educational seminar in Poland: "When a representative democracy operates in accordance with a constitution that limits the powers of the government and guarantees fundamental rights to all citizens, this form of government is a constitutional democracy. In such a society, the majority rules, and the rights of minorities are protected by law and through the institutionalization of law."

These elements define the fundamental elements of all modern democracies, no matter how varied in history, culture, and economy. Despite their enormous differences as nations and societies, the essential elements of constitutional government--majority rule coupled with individual and minority rights, and the rule of law--can be found in Canada and Costa Rica, France and Botswana, Japan and India.

Democratic Society
Democracy is more than a set of constitutional rules and procedures that determine how a government functions. In a democracy, government is only one element coexisting in a social fabric of many and varied institutions, political parties, organizations, and associations. This diversity is called pluralism, and it assumes that the many organized groups and institutions in a democratic society do not depend upon government for their existence, legitimacy, or authority.

Thousands of private organizations operate in a democratic society, some local, some national. Many of them serve a mediating role between individuals and the complex social and governmental institutions of which they are a part, filling roles not given to the government and offering individuals opportunities to exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.

These groups represent the interests of their members in a variety of ways--by supporting candidates for public office, debating issues, and trying to influence policy decisions. Through such groups, individuals have an avenue for meaningful participation both in government and in their own communities. The examples are many and varied: charitable organizations and churches, environmental and neighborhood groups, business associations and labor unions.

In an authoritarian society, virtually all such organizations would be controlled, licensed, watched, or otherwise accountable to the government. In a democracy, the powers of the government are, by law, clearly defined and sharply limited. As a result, private organizations are free of government control; on the contrary, many of them lobby the government and seek to hold it accountable for its actions. Other groups, concerned with the arts, the practice of religious faith, scholarly research, or other interests, may choose to have little or no contact with the government at all.

In this busy private realm of democratic society, citizens can explore the possibilities of freedom and the responsibilities of self-government--unpressured by the potentially heavy hand of the state.


THE PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY
Sovereignty of the people.

Government based upon consent of the governed.

Majority rule.

Minority rights.

Guarantee of basic human rights.

Free and fair elections.

Equality before the law.

Due process of law.

Constitutional limits on government.

Social, economic, and political pluralism.

Values of tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation, and compromise.

Martin Luther King "I HAVE A DREAM"

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.


But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.


In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"