FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Long-Lost Speech
to Students Resurfaces After 58 Years
Honolulu, HI — December 21, 2025 — A newly restored video recording of a little-known yet deeply personal speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered to junior high school students in Philadelphia just six months before his assassination, has been released for global audiences.
This video is digitally enhanced for quality after 58 years, and is translated into nine of the world’s most widely spoken languages, representing over 60% of humanity.
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* Where to Watch *
The full video, “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?,”
is available now via the Zhou Enlai Peace Institute website,
with subtitled versions and transcripts in nine languages.
** Link:**
Martin-Luther-King: Life’s Blueprint
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📌 Who
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., legendary civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Zhou Enlai Peace Institute, producers of the restored video; an international peace organization based in Honolulu, honoring the legacy of Premier Zhou Enlai and advancing peace through history, dialogue, and education.
📌 What
A rare, rediscovered video of Dr. King’s empowering 1967 speech “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?”, delivered to students and now restored with clarity and dignity for the modern era.
The speech is being translated into:
- English (original)
- Chinese (中文)
- Arabic (العربية)
- Hindi (हिन्दी)
- Swahili (Kiswahili)
- Russian (Русский)
- French (Français)
- German (Deutsch)
- Ukrainian (український)
These languages together are spoken by over 4.7 billion people — more than 60% of the global population — extending King’s message far beyond its original moment.
📌 When
Originally delivered on October 26, 1967, and released anew on December 10, 2025 — International Human Rights Day.
📌 Where
Spoken in a school auditorium at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia.
📌 Why
In an age still scarred by division, inequality, and disconnection, this message offers timeless guidance to the youth of the world: to believe in one’s worth, to strive for excellence, and to live by love and justice.
✨ Key Passages from the Speech
“Number one: in your life’s blueprint should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your own worth, and your own somebodiness.”
“Set out to do your job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn couldn’t do it any better.”
“Our slogan must be, not ‘burn baby burn,’ but ‘build baby build.’ Not ‘learn baby learn’ but ‘earn baby earn.’”
“If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.”
🌍 A Message for the World
This speech, originally delivered to a room full of high school students, now becomes a blueprint for humanity — reminding us that education, dignity, and moral courage remain the foundation of lasting peace.
Through the restoration and translation of this historic address, the the enduring values of Martin Luther King Jr. are preserved now, and for all future generations.
About the Zhou Enlai Peace Institute
The Institute promotes global peace through historical memory, intercultural dialogue, and public education, inspired by the life and legacy of China’s first Premier, Zhou Enlai. With a focus on “People-to-People Peace,” it serves as a bridge between cultures, generations, and continents.
Media Contact:
Zhou Enlai Peace Institute
✉️ info@zhouenlaipeaceinstitute.org
🌐 www.zhouenlaipeaceinstitute.org
original video © copyright School District of Philadelphia
text © copyright, the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr.
digital restoration and multi-language translations, © copyrighr, Zhou Enlal Peace Institute
More classic restored video:
The March on Washington
August 28, 1963