Why does King believe that blacks in America have been the veterans of suffering?

The full
line from Martin Luther King's speech is "you have been the veterans of creative
suffering." To understand what he means, it is important to read the whole paragraph. He is
pointing out to his fellow African Americans that they are not strangers to abuses and
injustices. They have suffered at the hands of those in power in a number of ways and for a very
long time. They are "veterans" because this is a shared experience that African
Americans have endured for generations. The line also suggests that there were many different
ways in which African Americans have suffered. They have been jailed, denied the right to vote,
denied the use of public and private facilities, and robbed of their dignity. King is saying
that these abuses have gone on for far too long. He is trying to tell his listeners that they
must continue the struggle even in the face of repeated abuses and
indignities.