>> I HAVE A DREAM.

>> A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE WERE THERE OF ALL COLORS.

IT SAID WE ARE TIRED OF DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM AND WE WANT SOME CHANGES NOW.

>> LITTLE BLACK BOYS AND BLACK GIRLS WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN HANDS WITH LITTLE WHITE BOYS AND WHITE GIRLS AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS.

>> HE SHOWED US THERE ARE PEOPLE AND A CULTURE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

>> ONE DAY, THIS NATION WILL RISE UP, LIVE OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF ITS DREAMS, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE RECEIVE EVIDENT THAT MALL MEN ARE CRADLED EQUALLY.

>> MLK, CELEBRATING THE LEGACY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> I AM HAPPY TO JOIN WITH YOU TODAY IN WHAT WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION FOR FREEDOM IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION.

>> DR. MORT RUTH KING'S I HAVE A DREAM MESSAGE WAS SEISMIC WHEN IT COMES TO ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.

HE CAPSULIZED IN THAT PARTICULAR MESSAGE, AND I LIKE TO CALL IT A MESSAGE INSTEAD OF A SPEECH, HE CAPSULIZED WHERE AMERICA HAD BEEN, WHERE IT WAS AT THE TIME, AND WHERE IT SHOULD GO WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING OUT THE PRINCIPLES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PREAMBLE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, IT WAS SEISMIC.

IT WAS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT.

WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

WE WERE WORKING ON LEGISLATION, VOTER'S RIGHTS ACT, THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS AND OTHER THINGS.

SEGREGATION WAS STILL LEGAL IN MANY STATES IN AMERICA, AND SO FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, D.C. AND DR. KING'S SPEECH AS WELL AS OTHERS AND THE FACT THAT A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE WERE THERE OF ALL COLORS, IT SAID WE ARE TIRED OF DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM AND WE WANT SOME CHANGES NOW.

AND SO DR. KING CAPSULIZED THE DREAM, THE VISION IN HIS WORDS.

THAT'S WHY IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO KEEP HIS LEGACY ALIVE AND THE TO CONTINUE TO FULFILL THE DREAM THAT HE SPOKE IN AUGUST OF 1963.

>> I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY ON THE RED HILLS OF GEORGIA, SONS OF FORMER SLAVES AND THE SONS OF FORMER SLAVE OWNERS WILL BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AT THE TABLE OF BROTHERHOOD.

I HAVE A DREAM.

>> THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH IS PROBABLY THE MOST RECOGNIZED RHETORICAL EXERCISE BOTH FOR THOSE INSIDE EDUCATION AND OUTSIDE.

PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S SO RHETORICALLY INSPIRING, BUT ALSO, IT'S A GREAT KIND OF DEMONSTRATION OF DR. KING'S ORATITY SKILLS.

IT RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZES ORAL TRADITION WOULD RECOGNIZE THIS RHYTHM AND BE ROUSED BY IT, THE IN TONE NATIONS, THE UPS AND DOWNS, ROLLER COASTER, THAT'S ONE PART OF THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO THE NOTION THAT WE CAN BE BETTER AND WE HAVE TO DO BETTER IN MATERIALS OF BLACK-WHITE RELATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.

WHAT ONE LEARNS FROM THIS SPEECH IS THAT THE FIRST PART WAS ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SORT OF CAPTURE WHAT THE MEANING OF COMING TOGETHER ON THE 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMANCIPATION AND HAVING 200,000 PEOPLE THERE, AND HE WAS THE LAST PERSON TO SPEAK IN A LINE OF 10 PEOPLE, AND SO PEOPLE ALREADY HEARD NINE OTHER PEOPLE SPEAKING, SO HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE THAN COMING WITH A PREPARED STATEMENT, SO TOWARD THE END OF THIS, WHICH IS WHERE PEOPLE SORT OF GRASP IS THE I HAVE A DREAM MOMENT AND HE STARTS TO EXTEMPORANEOUSLY TALK AND THAT'S WHAT GOT PEOPLE EXCITED.

>> RIGHT THERE IN ALABAMA, LITTLE BLACK BOYS AND BLACK GIRT WILL BE ABLE TO GRASP HANDS WITH WHITE BOYS AND WHITE BOYS.

I HAVE A DREAM TODAY.

>> WHEN I REFLECT ON DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH, HIS SPEECH AT THE TIME LEGITIMIZED THE STRUGGLE FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND IT ALSO BROUGHT VISIBILITY, BROUGHT IT TO THE FOREFRONT FOR OUR WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO HAD NEVER GIVEN IT A SECOND THOUGHT, ABOUT WHAT OUR STRUGGLE WAS, SO AND STILL IS, OUR STRUGGLE STILL IS THE SAME.

AND SO HE GAVE IT VOICE, HE GAVE IT CREDIBILITYITY AND GAVE IT VISIBILITY.

THE IMPACT, WE WERE FINALLY HEARD, NOW PEOPLE SEE AND BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT ONLY SEEN HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT IT WAS SEEN ACROSS THE WORLD.

PEOPLE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT OUR STRUGGLES WERE AND STILL ARE HERE IN AMERICA, SO THAT'S WHAT IT MEANT TO ME.

>> I HAVE A DREAM TODAY.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY, DOWN IN ALABAMA WITH ITS VICIOUS RACISTS, WITH THE GOVERNOR HAVING HIS LIPS DRIPPING WITH THE WORDS OF NULLIFICATION, RIGHT THERE IN ALABAMA, LITTLE BLACK BOYS AND BLACK GIRLS WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN HANDS WITH LITTLE WHITE BOYS AND WHITE GIRLS AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS.

I HAVE A DREAM TODAY.

>> I THINK YOU'LL HEAR DR. KING TALK ELOQUENTLY ABOUT HIS ASPIRATIONS NOT ONLY FOR HIS CHILDREN BUT FOR ALL OF US, AS WELL, THE FACT THAT HE TALKED ABOUT HE WAS THERE TO CASH IN A CHECK, AN UNFULFILLED CHECK FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO THEIR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FOLK.

I FELT IT WAS INCREDIBLY MOVING.

I THINK THE FACT THAT ONCE YOU GOT THROUGH THE SPEECH AND REALLY BEGAN TO LET IT ALL SINK IN, WHAT REALLY STAYED WITH ME WAS THE AUDACITY OF HIS ASPIRATION, THE FACT THAT WE IN FACT COULD ACHIEVE THAT MORE PERFECT UNION, THAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS TALKED ABOUT.

I THOUGHT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS THE FACT THAT I THINK DR. KING TALKED HIS GOAL WAS NOT TO FREE BLACK PEOPLE OR BROWN PEOPLE, BUT TO FREE ALL PEOPLE.

THAT'S THE THING AT THE END OF THE DAY WAS MOST SIGNIFICANT TO ME.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF DR. KING AS SOMETHING WE OWNED, THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

I RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS FAR GREATER THAN THAT, HIS VISION WAS FAR DEEPER THAN THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTRY HAS COME TO APPRECIATE.

>> SO LET FREEDOM RING FROM THE HILL TOPS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, FROM THE MIGHTY MOUNTAINS IN NEW YORK, LET FREEDOM RING FROM THE HEIGHTENING ALLEGHENY'S OF PENNSYLVANIA, LED FREEDOM RING FROM THE SNOW CAPPED ROCKIES OF CALIFORNIA.

>> MY SENSE OF THE SPEECH WAS I WAS I THINK 15 WHEN I HEARD THE SPEECH GIVEN LIVE.

I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE, BUT I WAS MOVED BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD EVER EXPRESS, THE IDEA THAT HIS DREAM SO CLOSELY COINCIDED WITH ALL THE HOPES AND ASPIRATION THAT IS MY FOLKS WERE RAISING US WITH.

I MADE THE DECISION THEN AND THERE THAT AT SOME POINT, I EITHER WANTED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TALK LIKE DR. KING WHICH I WASN'T GOING TO DO OR I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIND A DEGREE OF PUBLIC SERVICE SOMEWHERE THAT WOULD GIVE ME KIND OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO FULFILL WHAT I THINK WAS EVERYBODY'S OBLIGATION, THE ONE THING I BELIEVE AND I THINK KING INSPIRED IN ME WAS THAT CHANGE IS A PARTICIPATORY EVENT.

THAT'S WHEN I THINK I REALLY COMMITTED MYSELF TO FINDING SOMETHING IN THE PUBLIC SEVERE.

NEVER THOUGHT OF RUNNING FOR THE LEGISLATURE, BUT I DID AND THE FOLKS WERE KIND ENOUGH TO LEAVE ME THERE FOR A WHILE.

>> FIVE SCORE YEARS AGO, A GREAT AMERICAN IN WHOSE SYMBOLIC SHADOW WE STAND TODAY SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.

THIS MOMENTOUS DECREE CAME AS A GREAT BEACON LIGHT OF HOPE TO MILLIONS OF NEGRO SLAVES WHO HAD BEEN SEARED IN THE FLAMES OF WITHERING INJUSTICE.

>> OH, I REMEMBER IT JUST AS CLEAR AS TODAY.

I WAS 11 YEARS OLD.

I WAS MMM PARENTS, MY GRAND PARENTS' LIVING ROOM WHERE WE HAD ONE BLACK AND WHITE TV, AND WE WERE ALL SITTING THERE WATCHING HIM TALK ABOUT US, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE, AND PERHAPS THAT IS WHERE THE SEED WAS PLANTED FOR ME TO BE WHAT I CALL A JESUS INJUSTICE FIGHTER.

PERHAPS EVEN THAT CALLS ME TO HAVE THE MOTIVATION SEVERAL DECADES LATER TO HELP LEAD THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FIGHT IN ARIZONA TO WIN THE KING HOLIDAY.

I DID NOT GO TO SEGREGATED SCHOOLS BUT I ALSO NEW RACISM.

I KNEW THAT AS A CHILD.

I MEAN, I COULDN'T GO IN THE FRONT OF SOME RESTAURANTS.

I HAD TO SIT IN THE BALCONY IN THE THEATER AND I'M COUNTING KANSAS, SO I KNEW ABOUT RACISM.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT TO ME AT 11 YEARS-OF-AGE.

>> I AM FROM FINISHING SO WHEN DR. KING WAS LEADING MARCHES AND WAS IN THE NEWS, PEOPLE CHARACTERIZED THAT AS THAT'S OVER THERE, CIVIL RIGHTS IN PHOENIX WAS A VERY ROUND ABOUT AND VERY HUSHED TYPE OF A THING.

IN MY 10-YEAR-OLD MIND, WHEN THIS HAPPENED, ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., IT WAS AN ENORMOUS EVENT, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW SO MANY BLACK PEOPLE TOGETHER ASSERTING THEMSELVES, AND GETTING SUPPORTED IN THAT ASSERTION BY A NUMBER OF WHITE PEOPLE, AND SO IT WAS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT OCCASION.

>> WHEN I THINK OF THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH BY DR. KING, I THINK OF THE POINT OF AMERICA SAYING IT'S PART TIME WE WORK TOGETHER AND THEN ALSO MAJOR POINT IN THAT SPEECH AGAIN IS GOING THAT HIGHER ROAD.

PEOPLE WOULD WANT US TO REACT IN A NEGATIVE WAY AS A BLACK CULTURE BUT HE TALKS ABOUT GOING A HIGHER ROUTE AND DOING PEACEFUL PROTEST AND ANOTHER GOOD ASPECT ABOUT THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH IS THE MESSAGE OF UNITY.

IT'S ALL ABOUT US WORKING TOGETHER TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP.

I THINK THAT'S A REALLY BIG MESSAGE ABOUT THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH, THE MESSAGE OF UNITY, AND THAT IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE EASY, THE FIGHT FOR DIVERSITY, THE FIGHT FOR INCLUSION.

IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE AN EASY STRUGGLE, BUT IT'S ONE WORTH FIGHTING FOR, FOR US AS A BLACK CULTURE, AND IT'S WORTH FIGHTING FOR US TO GROW AND HAVE AN IMPACT ON THIS WORLD.

>> THOSE ASKING THE CIVIL RIGHTS, WHEN WILL YOU BE SATISFIED?

WE CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED AS LONG AS THE NEGRO IS THE VICTIM OF THE UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS OF POLICE BRUTALITY.

>> BUT VERY MUCH LIKE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID AT THAT TIME, THAT 1963 SPEECH WAS THE START.

SOME SAY WELL WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE ENOUGH.

HE SAYS IN THE SPEECH, IT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH WHEN POLICE BRUTALITY AND THAT THE HORRORS OF IT DOESN'T IMPOSE ITSELF AND BE WHAT WE SEE CURRENTLY TODAY.

I GREW UP BEING VERY AWARE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

I ALSO ASPIRED AS A YOUNG GIRL TO BE A PART OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND HENCE BEING NOW THE PRESIDENT OF NAACP, AND MY CLOSE FAMILY TIES, I'M A MOTHER AS WELL, AND I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT WAS BORN ON APRIL 4, SO WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE MURDER OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., SO IN BIRTHING HER, I THOUGHT ABOUT BIRTHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS.

>> I WAS IMPRESSED BECAUSE THAT WAS IN THE 60'S, EARLY 60'S AND TO SEE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN GET UP AND SPEAK TO THE WORLD AND SPEAK TO THE NATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND ALL ITCHES SAYING WAS THAT THE NEGROES AND I'LL SAY NEGROES WANTING A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS, NOT TO BECOME DOMINANT, BUT TO GIVE US THE RESPECT AND THE HONOR THAT WE WERE DUE.

AND IT WAS A FIRST, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, OF HIM IN FRONT OF MASSES OF PEOPLE, BLACK, WHITE, BROWN, CLERGY, JUST THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AS MY MEMORY TAKES ME BACK TO THAT REFLECTIVE POND.

THE BOLDNESS OF HOW HE SPOKE, THE ASSUREDNESS OF HOW HE SPOKE RANK VOLUMES.

DEEP VOICE INDIVIDUAL AS HE WAS, GIFTED, BUT THE MESSAGE THAT HE RESONATED FOR NOT ONLY THOSE THOUSANDS THAT WERE THERE, BUT EVERYBODY ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE MESSAGE.

>> WHEN WE ALLOW FREEDOM RING, WHEN WE LET IT RING FROM EVERY VILLAGE AND EVERY HAMLET, FROM EVERY STATE AND EVERY CITY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEED UP THAT DAY WHEN ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN, BLACK MEN AND WHITE MEN PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN HANDS AND SING IN THE WORLD OF THE OLD NEGRO SPIRITUAL.

FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE ARE FREE AT LAST.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> THIS NATION HAS MADE REMARKABLE PROGRESS SINCE DR. KING'S I HAVE A DREAM MESSAGE.

HOWEVER, SYSTEMIC RACISM IS AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN, AND UNTIL THE WHITE POWER STRUCTURE CONFESSES A SYSTEMIC RACISM, REPENTS OF IT, RECONCILES WITH ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR AND MOVE TOWARD RESTORATION OF ALL OF THE IN EQUITIES THAT THE WHITE POWER STRUCTURE OVER THE LAST 400 YEARS HAVE PUT UPON PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND COMMIT TO CHANGE IT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM SYSTEMIC RACISM.

ONE THING ARIZONA HAS GOING FOR IT, WE ARE THE FIRST AND ONLY STATE TO APPROVE A MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY BY THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.

THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION WAS ABOUT 3.5%.

WE WERE CALLED THE NEW BAMA, BUT AFTER WE WON, WE BECAME THE ARIZONA THAT DID WHAT NO OTHER STATE DID BECAUSE PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND COLORS, RELIGIONS, PERSUASIONS, PERSPECTIVES CAME TOGETHER FOR VICTORY TOGETHER AND WE WON THE KING HOLIDAY NOVEMBER 3, 1992.

>> I THINK IF WE CAN TRY TO LIVE OUT HIS DREAMS AS WE ARE AROUND OTHERS, BE IT ECONOMICALLY, JOBS, NURTURING, GIVE A SMILE, A KIND WORD, THAT DOESN'T COST NOTHING.

HELP SOMEBODY DOWN WHEN THEY'RE DOWN IF YOU CAN, GIVE THEM A HAND UP.

BE YOUR BROTHER'S AND SISTER'S KEEPER.

THOSE ARE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS FOR.

YOU CAN IMPACT ONE OR TWO INDIVIDUALS ON YOUR OWN.

JUST TRY TO MAKE YOUR LIFE AND SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE A LOT BETTER IN THE MEMORY OF A DREAM MAKER, A PEACEMAKER WHO SPOKE AND GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.

>> I THINK WHAT I MENTION WITH RESPECT TO DR. KING, I WE CAN NO LONGER SIT BACK AND SAY WELL, THE SYSTEM, IT TAKES TIME, NO, WE'VE TAKEN TOO MUCH TIME.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE.

THE NOW.

WE'RE IN THE NOW.

WE'RE LIVING IN THE NOW.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO RESPOND.

RESPONSE IS KEY.

I'M CHALLENGING RACISM IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

THAT'S CALLED ANTI,Tf RACISM.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS.

I SAID IT MEANS YOU ACTIVELY CHALLENGING RACISM WHEN YOU SEE IT, WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE BEING BELITTLED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.

WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE BEING BLOCKED FROM OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE COLLAR OF THEIR SKIN, WHEN YOU SEE BLACK BOYS AND GIRLS BEING PUSHED OUT OF SCHOOL AT A HIGHER RATE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, WE CAN LEAD THE NATION IN ANTI RACISM WORK, AND CHALLENGE THESE SYSTEMS AND WE CAN DO THINGS WITH DECENCY AND RESPECT AND DO NOT HAVE TO TEAR ANYONE DOWN AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A GIFT TO ANYBODY TO BE FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

>> WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS RAISING THE PROFILE OF BLACK ARTISTS IN ARIZONA.

THE ARTS ARE SO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND IF YOU DRIVE AROUND THE CITY, I WANT TO YOU COUNT FOR ME HOW MANY IMAGES YOU FIND THAT ARE RELATED TO BLACK PEOPLE.

WE HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC ART, SO IT'S LIKE WE HAVE NO FOOTPRINT HERE.

ART IS ONE OF THE MOST SEMINAL WAYS OF LEAVING A FOOTPRINT.

CURRENTLY, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE PUBLIC ART OF PHOENIX THAT A BLACK CHILD CAN LOOK AT AND SAY I SEE MYSELF.

I BELONG HERE.

I'M COMFORTABLE HERE.

I'M ACCEPTED HERE.

I'M INCLUDED HERE.

>> I THINK WE'RE STILL AT THE SAME POINT WHERE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID NOW'S THE TIME, SO THE WORK OF THE NAACP AND OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE ECONOMIC JUSTICE, SO ENSURE THAT WE'RE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND THAT SOCIAL JUSTICE IS IMPORTANT.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, WHICH IS OFTEN FORGOTTEN INNER ARE A WHERE WE LOOK AT POLICE BRUTALITY, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONTINUES TO BE VERY IMPORTANT, SO THE WORK THAT WE DO IS HOLISTIC, ABOUT JUSTICE AND EQUALITY IN EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE.

IT'S AN ERA OF TRUSTING WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY AND LETS TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

>> HEY, FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR BREAKING DOWN> GIVEN AT OTHER TIMES.

THAT'S PART OF WHAT THAT IS.

>> RIGHT.

>> YOU CAN SAY THAT HE KIND OF REFINED THE SPEECH OVER TIME TO BRING ALL OF THESE THINGS IN TOGETHER, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID IN THE SPEECH THAT I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT AND THAT WE OFTEN FORGET, AND I FEEL NOW THAT WE'RE IN A MOMENT, ANOTHER MOMENT OF A SOCIAL JUSTICE CRISIS, IT'S HELPFUL TO BE REMINDED, BUT NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE SPEECH, HE SET THE TONE FOR WHY THEY WERE THERE AND HE SAID IN A SENSE, WE COME TO OUR NATION'S CAPITAL TO CASH A CHECK, WHEN THE ARCHITECTS OF OUR REPUBLIC WROTE THE MAGNIFICENT WORDS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THEY WERE SIGNING A PROMISSORY NOTE TO WHICH EVERY AMERICAN WAS TO FALL HEIR.

IT IS OBVIOUS TODAY THAT AMERICA HAS DEFAULTED ON THIS PROMISSORY NOTE INSOFAR AS CITIZENS OF COLOR ARE CONCERNED.

>> EVEN WHEN YOU QUOTED FROM THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH, THAT WASN'T THE MOST RADICAL PART OF HIS AGENDA.

THE FACT THAT HE WASN'T POPULAR WHILE HE LIVED.

I THINK BECAUSE HE TALKED ABOUT THE THREE EVILS, RACISM, ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION AND MILITARISM.

HE NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, NOT JUST IN THIS COUNTRY ABOUT HOW THESE THREE FORCES RESULTED IN THE SUBJUGATION OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE AND POOR WHITE PEOPLE.

ONE OF HIS MORE POPULAR SUBSTANCES BEFORE HE WAS KILLED HAD TO DO WITH THE VIETNAM WAR.

HE CAME OUT AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR AND ARGUED THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE THREE AXIS OF EVIL, RACISM, ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION AND MILITARISM, WHICH MADE HIM RADICAL PARTICULARLY IN THE EYES OF THE F.B.I.

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF J. EDGAR HOOVER.

>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SPEECH CALLED BEYOND VIETNAM, A TIME TO BREAK SILENCE, AND IT WAS DONE ON APRIL 4, 1967 AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY, AND IT WAS EXACTLY ONE YEAR TO THE DAY THAT HE WOULD BE ASSASSINATED IN THE NEXT YEAR.

BUT WHAT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS IS THAT HE TOOK A STAND, AN EARLY STAND, I THINK, IN OPPOSITION TO THE VIETNAM WAR, AND THE SPEECH DESCRIBED WHY HE WAS OPPOSED.

IT ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE FELT THAT HE HAD TO TAKE THIS STAND, BECAUSE HE LINKED PEOPLE OF COLOR, BLACK PEOPLE, POOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES TO THE POOR VIETNAMESE PEOPLE AND HE TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY WERE THE VICTIMS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE CONTINUING WITH COLONIAL IM, CONTINUING WITH SEGREGATION AND RACISM, AND THAT WE HAD TO BE OPPOSED TO THAT, BECAUSE THESE KINDS OF THINGS LED TO WAR, OR THEY FOMENTED WAR AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE FELT HE HAD A DUTY TO TAKE THIS ON AMONG OTHER REASONS, BECAUSE HE WAS A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER.

WHO DO YOU THINK THE REAL MLK WAS?

I WANT TO ANSWER THAT FIRST.

I DON'T THINK HIS AGENDA WAS RADICAL AT ALL.

I THINK IF YOU BELIEVED THAT ALL LIVES MATTER, ESPECIALLY BLACK LIVES, ESPECIALLY BLACK QUEER LIVES, THEN I DON'T THINK THAT'S RADICAL.

I DON'T THINK IT'S RADICAL TO WANT TO SEE A WORLD WHERE RACISM, ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION AND MILITARISM DON'T EXIST, SO I DON'T THINK HE WAS RADICAL.

I THINK HE WAS A PROPER PERSON IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHRISTIANITY THAT WE ALLEGEDLY ESPOUSE, BUT WHO DO YOU THINK THE REAL MLK WAS?

>> HE WAS MAJESTIC IN HIS HUMANNESS.

>> AND ON THAT NOTE, THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO END.

THANK YOU R. THANK YOU, STANLEY FOR BREAKING DOWN THE REAL MLK AS WE CELEBRATE THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN HIS HONOR.