--- title: Google Doodle Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day description: Google celebrates the legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. with a Doodle inspired by his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. canonical: https://time.com/5103094/google-doodle-martin-luther-king-day/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-15T07:44:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:22.574Z og:title: Google Doodle Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day og:description: The Doodle is inspired by the regular people who made up the Civil Rights Movement og:url: https://time.com/5103094/google-doodle-martin-luther-king-day/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b0e38354664734d/6988f83f97cdff283e6b3efb/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018-5351803502723072-2x1.png?branch=production&width=818&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 818 og:image:height: 460 og:image:alt: martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018-5351803502723072-2x og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Google Doodle Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day twitter:description: The Doodle is inspired by the regular people who made up the Civil Rights Movement twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b0e38354664734d/6988f83f97cdff283e6b3efb/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018-5351803502723072-2x1.png?branch=production&width=818&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Google Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day With a Doodle Inspired By His 'I Have a Dream' Speech > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: What King Said [Watch (HLS stream): What King Said](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/97BZp3hS.m3u8) (6:11)  _Published 2013-08-13. The night before the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr.’s advisers offered their opinions on what message he should deliver. But he went his own way._ by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Jan 15, 2018 7:44 AM UTC  Google by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Jan 15, 2018 7:44 AM UTC Google is celebrating the legacy of civil rights icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martin Luther King Jr. with a special [Doodle](https://www.google.com/doodles/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018) that takes inspiration from his historic “[I Have a Dream](http://content.time.com/time/onedream/)” speech. A Baptist minister, King is remembered as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, “who dedicated his life working tirelessly for peace, social justice, and opportunity for all Americans — irrespective of color or creed,” [Google writes](https://www.google.com/doodles/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018). As a founder and the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King led anti-segregation protests in Georgia and Alabama and became a symbol of [nonviolent resistance](http://time.com/5101740/martin-luther-king-peaceful-protests-lessons/), known as direct action. He also helped organized the 1963 March on Washington, which culminated in his [famous “I Have a Dream” speech](http://content.time.com/time/onedream/), delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The same year, he was named [TIME’s “Person of the Year.”](http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19640103,00.html) [Martin Luther King Jr. Day](http://time.com/4632373/mlk-first-holiday-celebration/) is observed on the third Monday of January, and is traditionally celebrated with volunteering and community service. It was enshrined as a national holiday in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan, and was first celebrated as a federal holiday on Jan. 20, 1986\. But it wasn’t [recognized as a paid, independent holiday](http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1872501,00.html) in all 50 states until 2000, when South Carolina became the last state to do so. This year, the holiday falls on Jan. 15, King’s birthday. King doesn’t appear in Monday’s Doodle, which was drawn by guest artist [Cannaday Chapman](http://www.cannadaychapman.com/) and developed in collaboration with the Black Googlers Network (BGN), a Google in-house employee network. Instead, the Doodle portrays a crowd — composed of all races and ethnicities — surrounding the Washington Monument Reflecting Pool, witnessing King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Speaking with Google about the image, Chapman said he was inspired by the regular people who helped make up the Civil Rights Movement, and whose support ultimately led to the passage of landmark civil and voting rights legislation. “It may appear that this movement or any civil rights movement was brought about by one person, but it’s the people that have the power to bring change,” Chapman [said](https://www.google.com/doodles/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2018). “I would like people to remember that current events and our actions today will shape the future generations of tomorrow. What kind of example do we want to set for our children and our children’s children?” ## Transcript >> I grew up hearing Dr. King. There was something about his voice, maybe about his appeal. >> Dr. King had collected a lot of social themes, and couplets, and words, and language. And he brought all the best of those years of speaking together in one gloriously magnificent knowing. >> I have a dream-- >> When he spoke that day on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he was preaching from his heart, from his soul, from his guts. >> As the day of the march drew near, I stayed at the Willard Hotel where Dr. King was staying. Now, among his advisers, there were those who were suggesting, " Martin, people are coming to the march in Washington because they're coming to hear you preach and there were others "-- And he said, " No, Dr. King, we have to give the kind of political direction that treats us to where we are. I was part of that group. And he was being very gracious. He said, " Well, thank you so much, but I'm gonna go up and work in speech and counsel with the Lord ." >> At the day of the speech, I'm standing on the platform about 50 feet behind him. >> I had no credentials, but I kind of crawled up the steps and backed my way in. >> Everybody was curious as to what this young man is going to say. As you would expect, We have large crowd like that. people had their own mini conversations going on, you know. >> But when Dr. King got up, it got quiet. I mean, it was like they were at church. [ unk ] A. Philip Randolph in this enormous voice. >> I have the pleasure to present to you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. >> I couldn't get to him to wink my eye or to say to him like come on, come on, you can do it, you can do it. >> And after a couple of perfunctory introductory senses, I'm listening to his-- >> Five score years ago-- >> I concentrated on his words and what he was saying. As I'm listening, I see that he is reading. I had written out in longhand a possible opening paragraph. >> America has given the Negro people a bad check. >> And I did notice at a certain point he starts off reading. And at a certain moment, Mahalia Jackson, it erupted to him while he's speaking. Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream. His whole body language changed and he changed to what I call the baptist preacher's stance. And I said to the person standing next to me, whoever that was, I said, " These people don't know it, but they're about ready to go to church ." >> I have a dream that one day-- >> Yes! >> this nation will rise up. >> Like the greatest jazz musician, he just does an incredible solo. It was as if some transcendental terrestrial force had come down and taken over his body. >> I didn't know that Dr. King had left a script, but that's what was in there. >> And you stood in wonder as he spoke, as his words came out. >> My 4 little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today-- >> When-- In his talking and my mind wandering back to what I had been through and when he started talking about his children, you know, I felt like, wow, he's talking about me. >> You know it by then Dr. King is a musician. And if he was reciting a telephone book, the rhythms and transition to phrasing, you know, would be-- would bring you to an emotional acceptance. >> And once in southwest Georgia, he heard people signing a song about over my head I can see freedom in the air. And I think all of it just saw the King together. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation. >> We live in realities lots of times and somebody talks about the dream, you know, you get a certain image, but the image that he gave was a future. And it wasn't beyond our reality to think that certain things could happen. >> We were looking for leadership and he was offering it. The I have a Dream speech was a summon, a call to the collective conscience of America that we can be better than this. >> Free at last! >> Yes. >> Free at last! 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