President Obama to give speech to mark 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous speeches in recent American history, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream speech” during the March on Washington in 1963. To mark the occasion, President Barack Obama will give a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the same spot where King stood.

According to The Washington Post, the White House said that Obama will speak on jobs and employment, themes that were just as important 50 years ago, on Aug. 28, the day of the anniversary. The speech will be part of an event called “Let Freedom Ring.”

As the AFP notes, Dr. King spoke before 250,000 people packed on the Mall, outlining his vision for relations between whites and blacks in America.

The anniversary will be marked with a series of events in Washington from Aug. 21 to 28.

PBS is also airing a documentary produced by Robert Redford’s Sundance Productions titled The March, looking at the events that lead up to the March on Washington, how it came together and its results. The documentary airs on Aug. 27 and will be accompanied by coverage on NewsHour and content on the PBS Black Culture Connection.

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