Listen To The Lost Martin Luther King Jr Speech

You've probably heard Martin Luther King Jr's 'I Have A Dream' speech more than any other speech in recorded history. (Well, except for The President's speech from 'Independence Day' — inspiring stuff, right?) But museum archivists have now unearthed a powerful MLK speech you definitely haven't heard.

Just in time for MLK Day in the States, archivists at the New York State Museum have discovered a 'lost' speech that King delivered in 1962 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

The reel-to-reel magnetic tape, which has been uploaded to YouTube today, is the only known recording of the speech. "This is a remarkable treasure," Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the state Board of Regents, said in a statement. "More than 50 years later, Dr King's voice has come back to life."

The speech focuses on the power of two American documents — the Emancipation Proclamation and the Declaration of Independence — to overcome tyranny. "All tyrants, past, present and future, are powerless to bury the truths in these declarations, no matter how extensive their legions, how vast their power and how malignant their evil."

Queensland Theatre Company presents 'The Mountaintop', the West End and Broadway sell-out penned by Katori Hall about Dr Martin Luther King Jr's last night on Earth, at Playhouse, QPAC from February 22 to March 16. For more info, head to queenslandtheatre.com.au.