Thousands mark 50 years since King's landmark "I have a dream" speech
- 11 years ago
Thousands gathered in the rain to mark the 50th anniversary of a pivotal moment in the nation's history
…
... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s landmark "I have a dream" speech.
They were joined by dignitaries and civil rights leaders to commemorate a speech that came to symbolize America's struggle for equality.
President Barack Obama commemorated the moment by calling economic injustice the "great unfinished business" of the civil rights movement.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:
"The men and women who gathered 50 years ago were not there in search of some abstract ideal. They were there seeking jobs as well as justice…For what does it profit a man, Dr. King would ask, to sit at an integrated lunch counter if you can't afford the meal?'"
That theme was echoed in the crowd, some of whom were at the original march in 1963.
SOUNDBITE: UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, SAYING:
"We were here with our college friends, and we just thought we
…
... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s landmark "I have a dream" speech.
They were joined by dignitaries and civil rights leaders to commemorate a speech that came to symbolize America's struggle for equality.
President Barack Obama commemorated the moment by calling economic injustice the "great unfinished business" of the civil rights movement.
SOUNDBITE: U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:
"The men and women who gathered 50 years ago were not there in search of some abstract ideal. They were there seeking jobs as well as justice…For what does it profit a man, Dr. King would ask, to sit at an integrated lunch counter if you can't afford the meal?'"
That theme was echoed in the crowd, some of whom were at the original march in 1963.
SOUNDBITE: UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, SAYING:
"We were here with our college friends, and we just thought we