At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., King delivers his first national address, “Give Us The Ballot,” at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom.

On May 17, 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his first national address at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. This historic speech, titled “Give Us The Ballot,” was a passionate call for voting rights for African Americans and a plea for justice through democratic means. Speaking before a crowd of approximately 20,000 people, King emphasized that the right to vote was not merely a political privilege, but a moral imperative necessary for African Americans to gain full citizenship and equality under the law. His words echoed powerfully across the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, invoking the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the promise of American democracy. “Give Us The Ballot” was not just a demand—it was a declaration of faith in the power of the people and the principles of nonviolence. King argued that with the vote, Black citizens could elect leaders who would be accountable, shape policies that reflected justice, and dismantle the structures of segregation from within. This speech marked King's emergence as a national figure in the civil rights movement and laid the groundwork for future campaigns, including the pivotal Voting Rights Act of 1965. It remains a cornerstone moment in the fight for civil and human rights in the United States. #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife #GiveUsTheBallot #MLKSpeech #VotingRights #CivilRightsMovement #LincolnMemorial #DemocracyInAction #PrayerPilgrimageForFreedom