About this episode:
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. More than 250,000 people gathered to hear Dr. King speak from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that day, for the original March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Fifty-seven years later, organizers are taking to the nation’s capitol again. This time, they are calling the gathering the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington, an urgent reflection on the national uprising against police brutality.
In commemoration of that first march, host Trymaine Lee talks with Dr. Clarence Jones, a legal advisor, speech writer, and personal friend to Dr. King. Back in 1963, Dr. Jones wrote the first seven and a half paragraphs of the original speech, and is the only surviving member of the 1963 March on Washington planning committee. Dr. Jones reflects on the racial progress made since that day, and the urgency of the current movement for Black lives.
Find the transcript here.
Further Reading:
- March on Washington reconfigured to comply with virus rules
- What to Know About Friday’s Commitment March in DC
- Rev. Al Sharpton announces march on Washington on 57th anniversary of original event