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Chattanooga Knows: What Chattanooga area landmark did Martin Luther King Jr. mention in his “I Have a Dream” speech?

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Dawn breaks in the eastern sky as a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. appears to look upon traffic on the street that bears his name. The artwork, which is located at the intersection of Marin Luther King Jr. Blvd, and Peeples Street, was painted by Chattanooga muralist Kevin Bate in 2012.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Dawn breaks in the eastern sky as a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. appears to look upon traffic on the street that bears his name. The artwork, which is located at the intersection of Marin Luther King Jr. Blvd, and Peeples Street, was painted by Chattanooga muralist Kevin Bate in 2012. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Dawn breaks in the eastern sky as a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. appears to look upon traffic on the street that bears his name. The artwork, which is located at the intersection of Marin Luther King Jr. Blvd, and Peeples Street, was painted by Chattanooga muralist Kevin Bate in 2012.

By Staff Report 1 min read


Q: What Chattanooga area landmark did Martin Luther King Jr. mention in his “I Have a Dream” speech?

A: Speaking Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, King included a Chattanooga landmark in the “Let freedom ring” section of his address. 

The section included mentions of geographic features of New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi. The Tennessee line: “Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.”

Do you have Chattanooga related trivia to share or a question you’d like answered? Email news@timesfreepress.com with subject line Chattanooga Knows.