The only known handwritten final draft of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech is scheduled to go up for auction at Christie's on January 22, 2027, with an expected sale price of more than $10 million.

King delivered the historic address on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, speaking to hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. His speech called for an end to racial discrimination and urged Americans to pursue a nation where people would be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin.

The address became one of the defining moments of the American civil rights movement and helped cement King's place in the nation's history. A Baptist minister and prominent civil rights leader, King advocated nonviolent resistance to racial segregation and inequality. His leadership helped advance the movement that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work against racial injustice through nonviolent action. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. His legacy continues to shape discussions about civil rights, equality and the nation's founding principles.

The handwritten manuscript is particularly significant because it represents the final draft of one of the most recognizable speeches in American history. Its survival offers a rare connection to the preparation and delivery of an address that has been remembered for generations.

Christie's is scheduled to conduct the auction on January 22, 2027. The anticipated price of more than $10 million reflects the historical importance and rarity of the document, which could become one of the most valuable pieces of American historical writing ever sold.