Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Improv: an Historical Combination

by | Feb 22, 2012 | Improvisation

This post was written by Cary Paul, our Chief Improv Officer (CIO)

On that hot, Washington DC day of August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was delivering a well-prepared speech. The American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement was—and still is—considered one of America’s great orators. And with good reasons: his legacy is marked by a world-changing mission, intelligent writing, and the distinctive cadence with which he enthralled listeners.

It was during that delivery, encouraged by a close friend, that King went off script¹. What was shaping up to be a historic, critically important speech, was essentially abandoned. Buoyed by the significance of his message, the passion of his audience, and his own brilliant style, King improvised critical sections of what is now called the “I Have a Dream” speech. While there is some disagreement on where exactly he deviated from script, it is safe to say that the “I have a dream” part of the speech–the most famous and recognized part–is where he started to improvise.

King built off of events, words, and shared experience. King had spoken of his “Dream” to a crowd of 500,000 just weeks prior to that hot, August day. He used that central idea as a building block during his more well-known speech in Washington, DC. His prior experience helped him deliver an improved, even more impactful message. The speech included poignant, compelling words about racial injustice, freedom, and brotherhood. And yet, when King began to improvise, when he completely seized the moment at hand, he took authenticity to a new level.

The same lessons apply, even on the smaller stage of our workplace. We coach our business clients to apply what great improvisation teaches us: to build from their team, from their leaders, from themselves. In essence, the “I Have a Dream” speech was the ultimate example of “Yes, and…”, and a shining example of how being authentic and in-the-moment pays huge dividends. Audiences of all kinds and sizes feed off of genuine communication.

Some would say there is a vast difference between the gravity of King’s message and what you and I are tackling daily. Yes, and … we can all share the benefit of getting off script, trusting our experience, and seizing the moment.

View the entire video of Dr. King’s speech here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs

¹ Today’s article was inspired by the article, On Martin Luther King Day, Remembering the First Draft of ‘I Have a Dream,’ published in The Washington Post by Clarence B. Jones on January 16, 2011.

Originally published by BossaNova Consulting Group, Inc.
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Cary Paul

I just might have the best title of anyone on The Get Real Project team: Chief Improv Officer. I have over 20 years of consulting experience, specializing in process improvement, change management, facilitation and leadership development. __ years ago I took my first improvisational comedy class, which sparked my passion for applying the principles and practices of improv to real-life business challenges. My clients tell me that the custom programs I create produce profound results for leaders needing new perspectives, creative solutions, breakthroughs in communication and teamwork, and a more nimble and energized workforce.

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