Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D. C. is considered one of his most memorable speeches. Many of us remember when it was first spoken. Some of us memorized it in school.
On this, our national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, I wanted to share with you a very special rendition of “I Have a Dream” was given recently by Washington D. C. schoolchildren at the Lincoln Memorial. This aired tonight on PBS’s Newshour.
www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/jan-june11/dream_01-17.html
I used to post a copy of the speech in my classroom and would read it to the class. It was a bit much for third graders, but with discussion, they could understand some of it. I had a story of Martin Luther King when he was a child when he discovered that when he was seven years old he could not go to the same school or play with his best friend because of their color differences. The kids would get a glimpse into a world that thankfully has changed radically thanks in part to this fine man and his followers.
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That is so wonderful, Janet. It is teachers like you who have helped children overcome prejudices and become better adults. What an impact the story of MLK would have had on those third graders. Thank you, dear friend.
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Thank you for sharing this, Penny. Those children looked as if they were braving the cold to stand up there and speak their words. It was certainly a powerful and stirring speech that has stood the test of years.
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It was much too special of a performance not to share, Juliet. It was quite cold the day they were there. I imagined Dr. King smiling a bit that these children were reciting these powerful words.
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This was wonderful, Penny. I was surprised at how skillfully they performed! What a beautiful way to hear this impressive speech. Thank you! Debra
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You’re welcome, Debra. It moved me when I saw it last night on PBS and I just had to share it.
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What a great experience for those children to memorize and recite that speech at the Lincoln Memorial and for us to hear those words again.
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I thought so, too, Janet. I got the impression that this has been done for several years, bringing so many children from the DC area to the Lincoln Memorial and to these powerful words.
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We missed the news last night;although I heard the speech on the radio as we were driving Hearing that brought tears to my eyes as always — and watching this lovely video did too — and joy as well. Thank you.
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It is still a stirring speech, isn’t it Sallie? The children’s telling of it was just to wonderful not to share.
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Dear Penny,
Like you, I heard the speech on the PBS NewHour last evening. The children were so endearing as they emphasized words that were important to them and paused and hurried ahead and tried to stand tall enough to speak into the microphone. It was inspiring. And seeing the white faces mixed with the black was a tribute to MLK. He was a fine man who changed our world for the better.
On a separate note: I did get your last two comment on my blog. I don’t know what has been happening when you’ve tried to post, but things seem to be working now. And also with Blogger, I can leave a response just as you’ve always been able to do. I’m liking that new possibility.
Peace.
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I thought it was so inspiring as well, Dee. All that you could see on some of the children was the tops of their hoods, but, you could hear each and every one. That there was such a beautiful mix of children was, indeed, a tribute that punctuated the words of the speech. I was so moved by this that I just had to share.
I’m glad you received the last two comments. I was getting frustrated at not being able to comment on your blog and a few others. I did contact WordPress last night, wondering if it might be on this end. At any rate, it seems to be working again and all’s well that ends well. I did see that you are able to respond to your comments as well. That’s a nice feature, isn’t it?
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Thank you so much for posting this moving link, Penny. I was a sixth-former (a senior in US usage) at high school when Martin Luther King made his historic speech and I remember seeing it and following news coverage of the civil rights movement on the BBC. I also remember the huge shock I felt when he was assassinated. By then i was a third-year undergraduate, preparing for my final exams, and much more politically aware than I had been 5 years earlier. I think one of the biggest signs that things have changed profoundly in the US is the very fact that you now have a public holiday in his honour. That would have seemed inconceivable back then.
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You’re welcome, Perpetua. How I remember that feeling when Dr. King was assassinated. That was such a horrible time here, first with John Kennedy, then Martin Luther King, and again with Bobby Kennedy. It was the beginning of my teenage years. I think for many of us, it really became a time when we lost our youth, in age and in other ways as well. You are so right with us now having a public holiday in MLK’s honor. We are sometimes so caught up in what is currently happening that we forget how far we have come. Still more to do.
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Wow, how powerful to hear it delivered in this way, Penny! Thanks for posting it!
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It really moved me as I was watching it last night, Kate. Had to share it.
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I saw excerpts of this last night on the PBS Newshour. It is so wonderful that young children are still being exposed to his words. I remember one little girl saying when interviewed, “Even though it happened very long ago….” ??WHAT??? Then I started counting–she’s right! But it still seems like yesterday. ;o)
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I agree, Mike. It does seem like yesterday, doesn’t it. It was so heartwarming and hopeful to see the children reciting the words. I’m glad you saw it as well.
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