Including a never-before published speech by Martin Luther King , Jr., this is the first compilation of its kind, bringing together the most influential and important voices from two hundred years of Americas struggle for civil rights, including essential speeches from leaders, both famous and obscure. With voices as diverse as Cesar Chavez , Harvey Milk , Betty Friedan , Frederick Douglass , and Sojourner Truth , this anthology constitutes a unique chronicle of the nations civil rights movements and the critical issues theyve tackled, from slavery and suffrage to immigration and affirmative action. This is an indispensable compilation of the words --the ripples of hope--that, collectively, have changed American history.