The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with a special presentation to honor the iconic civil rights leader. Actor Reggie Guyton will recite Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on January 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. in the museum’s plaza. King originally delivered the speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. He praised Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation as “a great beacon of hope” but said African Americans were still chained by segregation and discrimination.
This presentation is included in your regular museum admission.
Also happening at ALPLM on MLK Day..
Be sure to visit the Illinois Gallery to see the ALPLM-produced exhibit that serves as a companion to the forthcoming ALPLM-created book entitled “Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 objects” published by Rizzoli – ALPLM will celebrate its 20th anniversary by providing an insightful approach to interpreting the 16th President and highlighting many of ALPLM’s most treasured artifacts. While most histories of Abraham Lincoln concentrate on telling the stories of his life while using artifacts to reinforce those stories this book seeks to reverse that trend by telling the stories of the artifacts and demonstrating how they allow us to relate to Lincoln and his contemporaries.