Above, MLK, Jr. Remembered, an introductory video from National Geographic about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s efforts in leading the modern American Civil Rights Movement, advocating for the legal equality of African-Americans in the United States, and for all people to “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Below, adviser and speechwriter Clarence B. Jones explains the origins of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech, delivered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, to over 250,000 people on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
It was Dr. King’s favorite gospel singer Mahalia Jackson—the Queen of Gospel—who inspired the impromptu moment when she called out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!”
Related listening on NPR: What Does Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy Look Like To A 5-Year-Old? Related watching: Kids deliver a portion Dr. King’s historic speech.
For additional reading, an illustrated book of Dr. King’s speech: I Have a Dream (Book & CD), and a book from one of the kids’ favorite book series: I am Martin Luther King, Jr..
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