WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream

By: Rebecca Sheir // January 17, 2011
Play associated audio
comments
Julian Bond was the 23-year-old communications director for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee when he attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Doug Knutson
Julian Bond was the 23-year-old communications director for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee when he attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday dedicated to the civil rights leader who was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

In August 1963, King was part of The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was organized by several civil rights organizations, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King helped start in Atlanta.

A highlight of the March was, of course, King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Some 250,000 people were there, on the National Mall, to hear it, and millions more watched on their televisions at home.

History books will tell you the speech was a critical moment for the country and the civil rights movement. But for the people gathered that day, the event was a life changer and there were many local residents who saw King's speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Related Links

Arts & Culture

NPR

HBCU President Asks Dr. Dre, Why Not Us?

Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine recently donated $70 million to the University of Southern California. Many people are applauding their generosity, but some aren't so happy. Host Michel Martin speaks with Walter Kimbrough, President of Dillard University, about why he thinks an HBCU should have gotten the money.

Food

NPR

Canned Peaches Are As Nutritious As Fresh. Really?

What's more, when it comes to some nutrients, like vitamin C, canned peaches pack an even bigger punch than fresh, researchers say. The reasons have to do with how the canning process alters the fruit's cell walls. So eat 'em up!

Politics

NPR

CBC Chair Marcia Fudge Wants Caucus To Be Heard On The Hill

Ohio Representative Marcia Fudge is still relatively new on the block. But she's established herself as the new head of the Congressional Black Congress. In the role, she's already been very vocal about whether the President is doing enough for people of color. Host Michel Martin talks with Congresswomen Fudge about her ideas for America.

Technology

NPR

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.