of amazing grace." for once he was blind, but now he can see. if you are blind, a guest today, you are blind 10 minutes ago, you are blind 10 minutes in the future. see -- see what the lord is putting in front of you know. can we bring up the bagpipes? [bagpipes playing] airlin >> that saved iraq's like maine -- a wretch like me?

i once was lost but now i'm found was blind, but now i see ♪ amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me i once was lost, but now i'm

found was blind, but now i see 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed

amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me i once was lost, but now i'm found was blind, but now i see ♪ [applause]

>> trusted divine providence. a year ago i stood with my staff in my office and i told them, we need to have an event that the lincoln memorial. i am not quite sure what is yet. and we stood. three weeks ago, because of security and because we knew the event was getting bigger and bigger and so did the wonderful national park service, our costs when up dramatically, and i had all that i wanted to give the sowf and there was no way to

reach that goal. i had just come from a fund- raiser and i had given my last measure, we were out of everything we could do. we were out of time. and we were short $600,000 to meet our goal. we were at $3.1 million. and for the first time, i started to challenge him a whole little bit. and i was on the plane and i will never forget sitting next to my wife, i looked up at the top of that airplane, and i said, lord, we do not have anything else left. we do not have anything else left. it is up to you know. wo days, without saying a word to anyone, $600,000 came in. i am proud to announce thanks to

you, as of right now of the money is still coming in -- we have raised $5.5 million. in that same meeting, they said two main -- they said to me, what happens if nobody comes? my response was, we will stand with the lord wants us to stand and he will provide the people if it did what it is supposed to happen -- that is what is supposed to happen. we are a nation that has terrible, terrible scars, but we must look past them. the must look at the person inside, the country inside, all the potential. to close tonight with a prayer,

i wanted introduce you to dave weaver. he is a vietnam veteran. he was on a mission and he pulled up phosphorous grenade. it went off in his hand. up phosphorous grenade is 5000 degrees pg half the temperature of the sun. his face was horribly scarred. he told me that he actually put his head in his pillow and he screams because he did not want a had anyone in the hospital here have been screened. he removed his face from the pillow and he did not care who heard him scream because his face was left in the pillow. he tried to kill himself because he talked my wife will not want

me, no one will, what is left of this scarred man? i am happy to say he has turned his life over to god, and his wife stood by his side, and as he said, kissed him in the one part of his face and looked into his one good eye, and together they have made their way. dave reaver to offer our closing prayer. >> god in heaven, we recognize that there is a reflecting pool down here on earth. this one is all not only of

water but there is a second one. it is a pool of people gathered in your name. and we reflect you. we are your reflecting pool. and we may base card, some with limbs missing, and we recognize the pain of war, but god, you are the healer. and our nation at war needs a healer today, from baghdad to wherever our troops are in harm's way, may hundreds of thousands of people and protectig statick

our troops to have protected us this very day to celebrate the freedom they have fought for us. god, bless this nation. we thank you for our president, we thank you for our congress, we thank you for our land, if but god, we thank do you rule in the hearts of these people and all things work together for them that love god and are called according to his purpose 1 8/28 of the book of romans and on this glorious day. god, not only will you bless those veterans that are returning, but in this crowds are tens of thousands of vietnam veterans that never got a welcome home. god, give them a welcome home. [applause]

god, i pray that you will bless people as they go home and peace, as they drive carefully to their place of abode, and i pray that you will give glenn beck a huge blessing for what he is done in our country today, and sarah palin, and for all these ministers and those of worked so hard, god bless david barton. and i thank you for a man that loves his country like this one does. we love you, jesus. your the best and most wonderful gift of the human race. lord, i prayed these things in the name that we love so much, the name of jesus. amen. >> amen! >> america, your choice is clear. we can only concentrate on the

scars or we can see what happened -- what is and and what lies just ahead. make your choice. set people free. and spread the word. god bless. good night. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

>> all the glory and honor oand praise how we praise thee how we raise thee you heal me and love think about the lord how he lifts me up hallelujah thank you, jesus, for all the glory and all the honor and all the praise

hallelujah, thank you, jesus lord, you are worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise we praise thee we raise thee we feel thee heal me you fill me you raise me you fill me you heal me save you he'll fill you he'll heal you

hallelujah thank you, jesus lord, you are worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise hallelujahal thank you, jesus, lord, you are worthy of all the glory and all the pout -- all the honor and all the praise the lord, you are worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise

hallelujah thank you, jesus lord, you are worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise ♪ >> up next, a rally with the rev. al sharpton to commemorate the i have a dream speech. and then virginia governor bob mcconnell and dick morris, conservative activists at the american for prosperity conference. tuesday on "washington journal," a discussion on the obama administration plan for overhauling the tax system. our guest is the former assistant treasury secretary.

and then a look at china's growing economy. frank lavin joins us. our series on politics continues. we will talk with the president of the campaign media analysis group and look at some political ads. "washington journal" takes your phone calls and e-mails every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. israeli-palestinian peace talks resume this week in washington. later in the day, we would get a preview from the washington institute for mere east policy. -- near east policy. >> yesterday i signed a at disaster declaration for the state of louisiana. this morning i signed a disaster declaration for the state of mississippi. >> at the gulf coast marks the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina, look at how the federal government responded to the crisis online at the seized in video library. all three, every programs is

1987. it is washington your way. >> the rev. al sharpton was joined by other civil-rights leaders at a rally saturday honoring martin luther king, jr. it marked the 47th anniversary of his 1963 march on washington where he gave his "i have a dream" speech. this event is about two hours and 40 minutes. ñ?? >> the principle of this historic great school, sumner high school, please give stephen jackson a warm applause and welcome, the principle of dunbar

high school. >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. welcome to dunbar senior high school. how're we doing up there? first of all, i want to thank the rev. al sharpton and the organizers of this great event for having the vision to mobilize to commemorate and celebrate the memory of one of our greatest leaders, the rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. with that said, we would like to welcome each and every one of you to one of the great historical institutions in america, and that is dunbar high school, the first public african-american school in the country.

in our 140-year history, we are celebrating many great in achievements from this school. one of the first is the first black general, the first black judge, the first black aviator, the first blacks senator since reconstruction, senator edwin brooks, and we include in that range eleanor norton homes, our congressional delegate from the district of columbia, and one of our great civil rights leaders, and of course one of the greatest doctors that have ever practiced medicine, dr. charles drew. these are some of the great leaders in their fields that have graduated from this great

school. very quickly, throughout the world, we have many problems, but it is our job as educators to ensure that we teach our young children, we must love them, we must care for them, and we must guide them so that they can become our next leaders. that is why we're here to let them know, that never again will we allow our history to be stolen and robbed by other people. and on that note, i want to introduce my friend, george leonard, currently running dunbar senior high school. let's bring them on with a round of applause. george leonard.

>> hello, my brothers and sisters. let's hear it for reclaiming the dream. they say that 75% of white male students do not graduate from high school. dunbar has proved that that is not true. last november we learned that as well as anybody in big black man can learn as well as anybody. some of the best students in the world are the students to attend dunbar, and they are here today, and i pledged and i predict and i demand that the graduating class of this year, we're going to graduate 100% of the black males from this school in this united states of america. we must understand that dr.

martin luther king had a dream, and his dream was for an equal playing field for all people. and we are going to make sure that with this great day, we're going to show america today that not only are black students as great as anyone, but if you give us a chance, we will outdo everyone. and with that being said, we're going to reclaim the dream and it will be fitting that i pass the torch to the young people, and before i do that, i say to all the black males out there today, pull your pants up, take the gold out of your mouth, and put the gold in your pocket. now and address representing the young people of black america. >> it is an honor on this day to

be a part of the people with such a rich history of triumph. my name is beyond the farmer and i'm a senior at paul norris dunbar senior high school, the first african american high school in the country. i come from a family that has been in instilling in be the pride and significance of what goes before me. -- what does before midday. i want to add to their legacy and to add to my community in hopes of being better and achieving for what they strive to sacrifice. my vision of reclaiming the dream is to continue to overcome the odds. we have a black president, but we must be fearful of stopping there. there was always room for improvement in each of us. we must never forget our champion such as rosa parks, dr.

dorothy height, malcolm x, harriet tubman, house sharpened, and jesse jackson, and dr. martin luther king jr., and what they endured it is here. -- to get us here. the dream lives on. it is championed by new heroes, our teachers, counselors, administrators, mentors, parents, and our grandparents who lift us up, protect us, and remind us of our history and what our future can become. today i reclaim the dream. joining me and together we can reclaim the dream of our fathers, mothers and grandparents. we can reclaim our families, we can reclaim our schools, if we can reclaim our streets, we can reclaim our pride. we will have a better tomorrow. i challenge my peers, brothers,

and sisters to remember how far we have come and to not allow our legacy to be put in vain. reclaim the dream. thank you. ♪ >> let us now bring to the podium -- one of the things that you will notice, i will not get into long biographees. everyone here today is a vip. can we agree to that? everyone out there is a vip, and everyone who stands here is a vip. it is not the title, it is not the provision, it is the action. let us now prepare for our opening prayer. please welcome the rev. dr. of the nationals scanne

american -- african-american clergy network. >> brothers and sisters, let's move quietly, every hand, the crab hand in the spirit of the unity that will be required for this. shhh. god of abraham, isaac, jacob, esther, and cheeses, we have come from many diverse backgrounds to day in the scope and for our great american poet, paul laurence dunbar, to reclaim and reaffirmed dr. martin luther king's dream for america nearly 47 years ago. and because few reigned over all kingdoms, nations, political power, and earth with powers, we

have come to a knowledge that apart from you we are utterly dependent. we have nothing but what you have to give as, oh, god. you are creator of heaven and earth. your name is wholly and matchless and we've come to praise your name. all power is within your hands, o god,. no earthly power can withstand you. our hope is not and pundits or poles but our eyes are on you, lord. we thank you god for having raised the dr. martin luther king, a junior spot, coretta scott king, rosa parks, dorothy irene heights, and so many trailblazers of every race and background. they gave their life blood for building and america for the practice of democracy is real. forgive us, god, all of us, for not living that dream, for

letting level playing field in america, for black and white and red and yellow. forgive us for wallowing in negativity and name calling. the job loss, the plan forecloses, up of black on black crime, the present rates, and that jobs moving overseas rate escalade, forgive us god. and like dr. king 47 years ago, we have come to reject the shameful conditions. we refuse that the bank of justice is bankrupt and that opportunities doors are closed. thank you, god, for raising up a new generation of dreamers. they will continue this fight, this right to struggle for jobs

and freedom, thank you, god, for raising the president barack obama has a down payment on that dream. thank you, god, said this man of faith who believes in the lord jesus christ has enough love in his heart for all people. today, god, we pray that you will be with us in this struggle, until justice rolls down like mighty waters and righteous was hasn't ever flowing stream. we praise you, and we thank you in jesus' name, amen. ♪

>> what do you do? when you have done all you can it seems like it is never enough what can you say when your plans turn away you're all alone, all alone tell me >> what do you hear? all,en you've given your it seems like you cannot make it what you say when there is nothing left to do? you just and, watch the lord see you through after you have done all you can you to stand -- just stand

tell me how to deal handle, tell me how you deal with this course marked and how can you smile when your heart has been broken? filled with pain, filled with pain tell me >> what do you do? it seems like you cannot make it through what do you say when there is nothing left to do? you just stand, watch the lord see it through when you have done all you can

just standn you just stand got has a purpose god has a plan when you have done all you can and it seems like you cannot make it through child, you just stand stand, stand, don't you dare get up stand to the fire stand through the rain stand through the heart ached

stand through the pain. do not give up don't give then hold on and it will not be long. you know you can after you have done all i say, after you have done all you can ooooh, oooh, oh, ♪

[cheers and applause] the national action network choir. if you can start moving more to my right, moving around, we have got a bottleneck of people trying to get in, so over here to my right, if you can start moving around the track, thank you widget that will relieve the bottleneck. that is still wrapped around the corner. everybody cooperate. if you have to, moved to my left, -- move to my left, and

make sure everybody has got space. we would just fill this place up, that is all. the rev. sharpton is not here yet, so i can get away with that. all right. the chairman of the board has come always which has come all of the way from florida, dr. handfield. >> hello, i am with the university in daytona beach, florida. it is an honor to take part in this historic event, as we celebrate the dream of dr. king. when you think of some 40 years later, we can realize that part of the dream has become a reality, but other parts of not.

sure, we can go to the greatest schools today. we can go to the restaurants of our choice. we can even elect a black president. but as i look around today, there are cities were less than 30% of black males are graduating from high school. far less are going on to colleges and universities. so, therefore, the dream has not been totally complete dr. king gave us a dream with a vision. he gave us hope. i stand here today that we still have hope, we still have a better tomorrow to look forward to. when i think about the founder of bethune-cookman university, she found that university with a $1.50, but she had hope and faith and knew that the only way to improve the lives of black

americans was through education, so why we knew that hope today, that we have to go to our high schools and let our elementary schools realize that there is a better day tomorrow today and that they have to pick up a book instead of picking up a gun. all things are possible. i stand here today as coming from the intercity without a father to know, but a mother who cared, and an institution who cared about not only educating me but giving me a sense of responsibility to make a difference in our community. so as we celebrate today, and as we recommit ourselves to the dream, let us give that a young child hope for a better tomorrow today. keep the dream alive.

god bless you. [cheers and applause] >> a round of applause. way to go. bethune-cookman college. we are on time. again, that bottleneck, to spread it out. we want to get all of the speaker is in. let me now introduce two speakers. ladies and gentlemen, donna payne, with the human rights campaign, and reverend williams.

>> good afternoon. my name is donna payne, and i am here representing the lgbt community. i am here as an african-american lesbian. we are all here together, the national gay and lesbian task force, the national blood just as coalition, and human-rights campaign because we want to -- the national coalition, and the human rights campaign. we live in the same house. when in justice -- injustice knocks, it is at our house. it is an honor to stand in solidarity with other activists,

reclaiming the dream today note sparking the same desire in our souls of what dr. king wanted for us -- reclaiming the dream today, which sports the same desire in our souls -- which sparked the same desire. andlth care, employment, not freedom. our participation in the civil rights movement is nothing new. in fact, an openly gay man was a trusted adviser to dr. king. lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people have been and will continue to be actively engaged in the fight for justice and socio-economic equality. our support is with you. united, unstoppable force that we have, we will be with you to

honor the dream for all of us. thank you. [laughter] -- [applause] >> good morning, my brothers and sisters. my name is t.j. williams, and i am a member of a church. at liberty university, i remember being told by the staff at that institution and the campaignsjesse helms' -- note keeping the african- american community distracted on gay marriage. so they can complete their real commission, which is to roll back the civil rights act of 1963. this is precisely what they mean

when they talk about limited government. the 21st century push for states' rights to resurrect jim crow laws. but god is in the midst of this kind of stuff, and it is god who cosmos -- who calls us. .said it in isaiah -- god said it in isaiah. this kind of corporate unity lives in all of our traditions. ♪ calls on us to be in relationship to get there. god bless you. really, give the speakers -- really, give the speakers -- many of them have cut their

speeches short. many have cut their speeches real short. and so, we have got to make sure that they are appreciated, but i still have, if you take a look, turn around and look. it is still wrapped around the block. you can start moving down here to my left. believe me, we will make sure that you hear and see everything, but there is just that bottleneck, and if you can gradually moved a little two or three steps, that will relieve the pressure -- if you can gradually move a little. i know what to bring to the podium the board member of a

campaign to prevent gun violence, police, a round of applause for mr. robert bates. [applause] >> good morning. welcome to my alma mater, dunbar high school. the brady campaign to prevent gun violence as a vision of america, -- has a vision of america, a vision where all are safe and free from gun violence at home, at school, at work, and in our communities. we envision an america when know when can buy a gun without a brady criminal background check, where guns no longer flow from corrupt dealers to the illegal market, where guns cannot be accessed or used by children.

to reclaim the dream and to truly commit ourselves to dr. king's dream, brady insists on common-sense legislation to stop some of the violence and bloodshed that occur too often every day. to be true to dr. king's legacy, we must insist on responsibility and accountability for those who own guns. was's nonviolent movement sixties, when we marched on this date in 1963. his vision needs to be resurrected. let us resurrect the vision for nonviolence. i believe we must beat the drum for america to eliminate easy access to firearms and where we

go at it for anybody who wants them. i believe we can have much less gun violence. let us reclaim the dream and beat the drum for a safer america. i thank you, and god bless america. [applause] >> it is not too often that you get to tell the bishop of a zion church he only has three minutes. but he has got three minutes. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome bishop dennis. >> he is right to. it is very tempting, but it is imperative that we only say a word, and the word we bring to you from the zion church, the

church of freedom, the church of harriet tubman and frederick isglass and sojourner, it wonderful to list our history, but history with doug destiny leads to apathy and lethargy -- but history without destiny. i was here as a 9-year-old with my father. to remember the inspiration, the innovation, and, indeed, the motivation that comes when people tied their interest to gather, the church, the union, civic organizations, the national council of negro women, we all pooled together, the story of a young man taking a shortcut home one evening through a cemetery. he fell into a freshly dug grave, could not get out of the hole.

the next morning, a young girl was going to school, skipping rope, and she heard the young !"y call, "help me, help mee she said her rope was not long enough, so she would go get help. another boy came along, and his was not long enough. n the hole said, " why do you not tie your rove's together, so it will be long enough to get me out of the ditch -- why not tie your ropes together, so that it will be long enough to get me out of the ditch?" god bless you. >> i would like to raise in

applause the name and spirit, because i know she would be your note -- be here, dr. dorothy. she was there 47 years ago, and if anybody can claim the march on washington, it would be dorothy, and the national council of negro women. let me introduce now the woman who has the utmost responsibility -- the responsibility. she is now the chair and president of the national council of negro women, along with the executive director, please welcome dr. barbara shaw.

>> good afternoon. as the chair of the national council of negro women, i am truly honored to be here, along with our executive director, and we are here to greet you on behalf of our executive board. over 4 million women of color, an organization founded in 1935 by a doctor, and for almost five decades, the late dr. dorothy chaired the board. the mission of the national council of negro women is to be

an advocate for women of african descent as they support their families and communities. we fulfill our mission through research, advocacy, and national and community-based education and economic empowerment services and programs. today, i am filled with mixed emotions as i remember being a young woman, traveling from baltimore, md., with the council of the naacp to the march on washington. we have progressed in the area of civil rights. we have made progress as a nation. but the road ahead of us requires much. they made major contributions to

the advancing of social justice. for over half of the century, dr. dorothy has provided leadership to the struggle for equality in human-rights for all. her life exemplified her passionate commitment for a joint society and her vision of a better world. 47 years ago, dr. dorothy.shared the platform with dr. martin luther king -- dr. dorothy shared the platform with dr. martin luther king when he gave his speech. this is so she and i can stand here before you. we thank you for the support of the council and continue to pray and support for us. remember, the call for action goes forth.

ñçñññññ >> ac of duty. -- a sea of duty. do not let anyone tell you that they are taking their country back korea i remind you that this is our country, too -- take their country back. i remind you that this is our country, too. a dream that we will make a reality. thank you. >> all right, time to step up for the podium. i know we are in how would country, but what can i say? [cheers and applause] i have to say that because i paid four years of tuition, room, and board. am i happy that is over. anyway.

here is your president of morehouse college, dr. robert franklin. >> god bless you, reverend al sharpton, for this important moment in history. for all of those present today, i stand as a member of the higher education community, representing the 105 historically black colleges and universities in america. we are not going anywhere. and i stand here to remind us all that when martin luther king jr. arrived at morehouse college, february 1944, there

were no expectations by people in the community, and schools like howard, hampton, and all of our 105 historically black colleges, we have high expectations, and young martin luther king jr. learned things that you heard on august 28, 1963. and so, we say there is hope for our young, black man. let us all we commit to mentoring. -- recommit to mentoring. all of us are students can learn to become well read, well spoken note -- all of our students can learn to become well read, well spoken, well-traveled.

the five wells that will be our people to excellence. as i take my seat, i am delighted to note that glenn beck -- to know that glenn beck is here on this day. this is something we can all celebrate, standing on common ground, but in preparing for "i have a dream," he read the words of jesus, to care for the poor and incarcerated. the world is equally balanced with a good and evil, and your next act will tip the scale. thank you. ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> they are still coming in. they are still coming in. keep moving down, and gradually -- let me now born to the podium from a baptist church in detroit -- let me now bring to the podium from a baptist church in detroit -- you know what? i am sitting up here looking. big time baptist church in detroit. please welcome the reverend christian adams. >> we bring you greetings from detroit, michigan, and we thank god for those who made the drive from detroit, michigan, and from

every state. we are going to march against injustice. people ask us, why are you still marching? in 2010? well, my mind went back to september of 1963, after the march on washington. we had a terrible tragedy. the dream turned into a nightmare. . were blown up , murdered in birmingham, alabama at the 16th street baptist church. and when martin luther king, junior, preached the you'llology, he said that those four little girls, though they were dead, they were living and speaking. speaking to the politicians that serve their constituencies

, the stale bread and spoiled meat of racism. speaking to the clergy that were hiding behind their stained glass windows and cloistrd hallways. speaking to all who stood passively on the sidelines instead of engaging in the struggle for justice and they are speaking to us today. they are telling us to march on. and that's what we'll do. march on as one family. march on as one nation. march on as one people until freedom is won. remember, don't be afraid. alicia said you've got to have an empire state of mind and have big dreams, big goals. and we must remember king who

said we will learn to live together as brothers and sisters or die asools alone. >> john boy, it is absolutely ashame that the black farmer had not gotten the settlement for their lawsuits. the man who has fought that fight and is still fighting, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the black farmers association, please welcome dr.

john boyd. >> hello, weashed washington, d.c. i want to say today to dr. king our rld leader, the founder, the originator, the emancipator, the man who paved the way for blac in this country and paved the way for america to be what it is today, let's give a hand for dr. king. let him hear today. let dr. king hear us today. and dr. king gave us a miracle in 2008.

he gave us the first african american president in history. we ought to let that be known today. we support our president. you know, in the early 90s i made so many trips no washington, d.c. about the plight of black farmers, the plight of land loss for black people in this country. and you know something, people? a landless culture is a power lines culture. those who -- powerless culture. my plight is your plight. what is the connection from black farmers and african americans in this country? we have to be able feed ourselves. and if we don't own any land, people, we can't feed ourselves. can we? or you all ain't with me today. that ought to be important today. and we march to get a settlement in 1999.

that settlement gave us the largest settlement in history for black people. the black farmer settlement, where 14,000 black farmers received compensation for discrimination at the department of agriculture. now, dr. king gave a speech that said the president has the power, and he spoke about discrimination 53 years ago. and today, we're still talking about discrimination. people, we've got a ways to go today. or you all aren't with me today. we ought to be celebrating in one aspect. ready to fight in another aspect. and on the other side of washington talking about the constitution. i want you to know today that the constitution exists for black americans integget exists for black americans. we want all those things too.

the constitution doe't belong to one group of people. it doesn't belong to one person in this country. the constitution was written that said all men was created equal. as we celebrate the dream. i want you to do something for black farmers when you leave here. monday morning, i want you to call your u.s. senator and say pass the black farmers bill. they've been waiti too long. they've been fighting too long. too many have died. and as i close, i want to say to my good friend shirley sherod, god is with you. god is but. god is but. -- with you. i said there were 80,000 black farmers who filed complaints

against the department of of agriculture and nobody was fired. here was this lady that god chose that day pulled over to the side of the road and was asked for her resignation because they thought she had done something wrong to a white . but god fixed it so, he picked a good soldier that day and showed the goodness of her trying to do something right. and i ask the question today, how could someone be fired on the spot and for decades not somebody been fired for the abts of discrimination against black people? something is wrong with that. and as i leave today, i want to tell you, don't give up. when we've lost all our land, don't give up. we've lost the fight for our land but we will win the fight for 1.25or black farmers across the country. thank you. god bless you.

>> it takes one heck of a long time for plants to grow. so three minutes to him is like, you know, watching corn grow, man. and reverend adames is sitting over here saying i finished early. any how, i've got toring up another rerend. all right. you all are going to be full of the spirit today. and we were on time about six minutes ago. anhow. is everybody all right? all right. drink plenty of water now, please. plenty of water. drink plenty of water. all right, please welcome all

the way from newark, new jersey the pastor of metropolitan baptist church, the reveren david jefferson. >> good morning. brothers and sisters. the measure of a man is not simply what he does for himself , but rather the sacrifice that he is willing to make for others. we must not forget our purpose. we must not forget our cause. 47 years ago, they came from

the farmlands of louisiana, north carolina, and georgia. they came. from the streets of the inner cities, they came. with chicken wings and chicken legs in brown bags they came. they came when they didn't have a place to stay and they could not ride in the front of the bus. but they came. and they came because not for themselves but they came that we might have the opportunity that we have today. there is an awesome spirit in this place. there is a spirit here today that commemorates the legacy, the life, but more importantly the dream of dr. king. and there are those in his days who were tempted to make him

think that he had arrived and there are those today who would make us think that we ha arrived but we have not arrived. we have not arrived until every kid in our country has access to a good education. we have not arrived. we have not arrived until we have jobs in our inner city and throughout the united states of america. we have not arrived. we have not arrived until there is justice for everyone. we have not arrived. and today must be more than an activity. today must be more than an event and an episode. but today must go beyond reclaiming the dream. we must reclaim our communities. we must reclaim our families. we must reclaim our homes. we must reclaim ourhildren. and so we have comeoday. not to preach but to simply say let's go back to our various places and let's make a difference in the communities from whence we have come.

god bless you. power to the people. power to new jersey. thank you all. god bless you. welcome, george gershman, president of 1199 sciu and michael mel brew, president of the united federation of teachers labors in the house. good afternoon. thank you for being here. it's a beautif day. isn't it? my name is jamie conterrories and i'm with 36r7b26r7b b -- 32 bj in the house. and it's an honor for me to be

here with my brother from 1199 new york. it's also here other labor leaders. first of all, let me say this. why are we here today? why is sciu and other labor leaders here today? because it is ashame what's happening today at the lincoln memorial where the great martin luther king gave the i have a dream speech. shame on them. right? today civil rights leaders, union leers, religious leaders, and others are joining together to commemorate to really commemorate martin luther king's 47th anniversary of the march on washington and the i have a dream speech. we still have a dream. right? we are here to let those folks at the lincoln memorial know that they don't represent the

dream. they sure as hell don't represent my dream. and they don't speak for me and they don't speak for all americans. they represent hate mongering and angry white pe. that's who they represent. now, the happy white people are here with us today. right? i say again to those people at the lincoln memorial, shame on them. today black, brown, and working people in general are joining forces to let those people -- i have another word for those people but i'm not going to say it. those people know that enough is enough. and we will not let them stand in the way of the change. community leaders, civil rights

leaders, labor leaders, religious leaders and all of us are here today to say no more immigrant hating by passing laws like the law that they passed in arizona. we need comprehensive immigration reform. we are also here to let them know that we need to let -- we need to end it. we're here to let them know to invest in job creation and not x breaks for the wealthy. we're here to let them know to invest in education for our children, no more working people hating in this country. enough is enough. i'm going to -- just one more thing that i want to say to you all. in 2008, we stood together and

we voted for change. right? and we still need some of that change to happen. right? on that day, november 2008, we stood together as a people and we won. right? what does that say that peopl united, that people united will never be divided. that people -- thank you vo >> in washington, d.c. we live on this last plantation of america, but it won't be too long. we are out to free d.c. so that our congresswoman can

have the vote we pay taxes, we send people to war, and we send one of the best quim, men, delegates -- congress women, men, delegates in america up on capitol hill. ladies and gentlemen, eleanor holmes norton. >> oh, thank you, my good friend the black eagle. on behalf of the 600,000 residents of the district of columbia, i am pleased to welcome all of you to the nation's capital. where the residents will not rest until they get their voting rights, and until we are admitted to the union as the

51st state. i want to thank reverend al sharpton the leadership conference on civil rights, the national and local leaders who have worked to bring us together for an occasion appropriate to the dignity and memory and meaning of the 1963 march on washington. i appreciate that you have gathered at dun bar high school, the first public high school for black students in the united states. famed for its excellence, not withstanding segregation and for its acheevers such as dr. charles drew and senator edbrook. i was fortunate to attend dunbar and was sitting in one of those segregated classrooms when the principal announce

that had the supreme court had just declared segregated schools unconstitutional. when the march on washington occurred in 1963, dunbar was not segregated but schools all over america still were segregated and public accommodations was segregated and housing was segregated and blacks in the south didn't have the right to vote. so the march on washington changed all of that. glenn beck's march will change nothing. but you can't blame -- you can't blame again bleck for his march on washington envy. too bad he doesn't have a message to match the place that is worthy of the march. as a kid, i spent part of the

summer in greenwood, mississippi, and part of the summer working for the march on washington as i watched the crowds from the steps of the lincoln memorial i saw my country coming together across all racial and class lines. king's movement for equal rights stood for racial reconciliation, black and white together. we shall not be moved, not glenn beck's message. we will not -- we will move right over you on this 47th anniversary of the march that changed america when our country reached to overcome the low point of its racial history. we will not be wrouth.

>> they've got a new trick. all right. so now when you hear the piano and you don't go to the last paragraph of your speech, they turn off the mike. i've got to tell you all, you all have got some nerve turning off the mike on the congresswoman. all right. it's time for my main man. big ed. ladies and gentlemen, welcome the ed show star. >> thank you. what a wonderful day. what a wonderful crowd. give yourself a hand.

this is awesome. i've never had a three-minute timetable, but i'll try. the job market in america, it starts right there in that building. that's where it starts. let me tell you about ed. i went to a black high school. i'm a product of forced busing for racial equality. i know what it was like to be on a black football team. i know what it was like to go undefeated in a regular season. i know what it was like that night we went to the playoff game. and instead of bringing one bus like they did all season long, we're in the playoffs now, they decided to bring two buses. and all the white kids got on this bus and all the brothers got on this bus. and i was the last one out of the locker room and i knew the political climate, i knew why i

was there, and i want you to know i got on the bus with the brothers and i've been riding with them for the last 40 years. and while the political forces in this country tell thause that building is not worthwhile, that there's no hope for public education, and that we should defund it and we should go to school vouchers, ask yourself the question, is that what dr. king wanted? ask yours the question, is public education important to us fixing the job issue in this country? let me tell you, and i talk about diversety. i am a proud product of the middle class. i am a proud product of racial equality and forced busing. and i want to tell my white brothers and sisters and my asian brothers and sisters and

all the walks of the walk in america, it works pt don't be afraid of it. it works. one final word. i'm not in the tv business. i'm not in the radio business. i'm living the life of telling the truth about america. they just happen to put a microphone in front of me. god bless you. let's go. yes, we can. yes, we can. yes, we can. god bless america. thank you. >> i had to see how much he learned on the bus. that's all.

still got to work on the coordination there. that's all. we have just one more announcement. you know, they're still coming in. they're still coming in. real quick, marshals, we have an announcement here just real quick. a little house-cleaning right here. good afternoon, everyone. all right. all the marshals, and that's all of you who obviously have t shirts on that says marshals that signed up to be marshals because you know the other part of the day is we're getting ready to march. we're going to meet all the marshals by the rider truck right in this corner over here so if you can make your way over there so we can give you all of the instructions we're going to need when we get ready to line up and start to march. thank you. let's welcome now to the podium the pastor of new mount missionry baptist church in

west garfield, chicago, illinois, please. reverend marshall pact. >> thank you. chicago in the house. god bless you, brothers and sisters. today we are not so much concerned about standing in the same space that dr. king stood in 47 years ago, but we are concerned about bringing the same spirit that dr. king had 47 years ago. we are not concerned about taking america back. we are concerned about moving america forward. somebody say forward. with the moral vision. listen, no serious patriot can claim to love america without talking about maximum investment in poor black latino and white children and closing the funding and achievement gap

in education. make no mistake about it, america has no future without the success of these children. we cannot compete in the global economy without these children. we cannot rebuild the american economy without these children. we cannot reestablish american values without these children. we cannot defeat global terrorism without these children. we cannot even fund social security in the future unless these children are gainfully employed. without them, there is no america. we believe that the moral vision means we can do what is good and what is right at the same time. too much of our human potential is in underfunded schools and overcrowded jails. too many young men who now run illegal drug cart teles and do battle with the police have the ability to run for tune 500

countries. many of our young ladies on chicago south side, all of them have the capacity to be the next michelle obama. we must invest in our future. and so our success represents our future success is invested in these children. let me be done. but on the south side of chicago, chicago urban prep, and this past spring 108 young men graduated with an acceptance let tore a four-year college and university. i was at that graduation. and i found out that in the beginning, 108 of them, at the end 108 of them went out. it can be done. we can do it. god bless america. >> the president of the

leadership council on civil and human rights. we're all going to be back here october 2nd. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome wade henderson. >> good afternoon, brothers and sisters. good afternoon. good to see all of you. i'm wade henderson, i'm president of the conference on civil rights a national coalition working to build mirk like the vision of dr. king, one where quality and brotherhood are the standard of the day. there are a lot of people in washington today who think they know what dr. king would be saying and doing if he were here walking among us. i'm not one of them. i don't know what dr. kink would be thinking and saying. i do know that his vision far exceed it had expectations of his day. that's why, when barack obama was given the nomination to be

the democratic party candidate for president, it happened on the same day that dr. king gave his i have a dream speech. his vision exceeded everything. so i do know this. there are four things he would probably be working on. one, he knows that jobs are the issue of the day. that means creating a million jobs immediately to put all of us bark to work and to make that the top priority. second, we heard about education. dunbar is a symbol of what a quality education can be even in times of discrimination. but that's not it. whatever zip code your daughter or your son lives in should be a zip code where quality education is available for all. and that's got to be the standard. third, we would be lifting up the need to fix our broken immigration system. it's wrong to pit poor black

workers against poor latino workers and to say they've got to fight it out for the nonsense jobs that are available and that don't work for any of us. we need to fix that system. we need to make that work. and then, lastly, we've got to lift up the dignity of work. the truth is dignity is found in work. if it weren't for the unions, we wouldn't have a five-day workweek, if it weren't for the unions there wouldn't be no march on washington because who pays for the buses to come? here's the final deal. dr. king knew that we were the change we wanted to see happen. that was the message he gave from the lincoln memorial steps so lift up your voice, lift up your votes. because if you don't vote, you don't count. turn this expectation of a stumesie in november around. make it work for everybody.

>> i would like to bring to the podium now the national president of the delta signature ma thatea -- sigma theta. >> hello. as the national president, i believe there are some deltas in the house, we come today on this historic day. we are gathered to commemorate the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our great nation. we are here to reclaim the dream that our great dr. martin luther king junior and so many others, she ros and heroes of the civil rights movement, fought, bled, and some died for. we are also here today to shed

some light on the key issues that have diminished the dream. a few of those like health care, quality education, economic empowerment. as a public service organization commited to uplifting and empowering african american communities, delta sigmathatea has been involved in every social movement that has taken place in this country since our inception 97 years ago. deltas were very active on the march on washington. in fact, our beloved presidents stood as the only woman on the steps of the lincoln memorial. i also stand here today as the chair of the council of presidents of the divine nine. i stand and roachting my brothers of -- representing and sisters of all the

organizations, come today knowing that as african americans we are at a pivotal point in history where we can either remain complacent under the guise of a post-racial society or we can continue to fight for policies that can move us forward and not push ut back wards. we must continue to bring to the attention of all the issues of our community. others want us to believe that there is no discrimination. others want us to believe that there is no need for rallies and cries. others want us to believe that all is well in the united states of america. this is what others want us to believe. but we came today to say that is a lie and the truth is not in it. it is up to us to fight for change. it is up to us to make change happen. it is up to us to declare reclaim that dream. it's up to us.

>> i am seeing like a whole new wave of people coming in, and those are the ones that just got up. it's 20 minutes after 12:00 now. they got up and said i'm going to will b late. so they're still coming in, ladies and gentlemen, when i'm off the air at 10:00 a.m. on wo l radio one. you there's another guy, you never know where he is, please give it up for warren valen tine. >> what's up truth fighters. >> wait a minute. >> he does four hours talk.

so we've got to hold him to three minutes. i just want you all to know that. >> i'm going to be less than three minutes torks be honest but. i applaud for everybody coming out. give yourselves a round of applause. i want you to repeat this with me. a dream without a plan is nothing more than a wish. dr. king had a dream. he had a vision. but all we've been doing is wishing. we've been looking for the government, we've been looking for everybody to save us. you are the heroes of today. we've got to start thinking about what we're going to do with our money, people. every tribe of mankind is in your community is getting rich and you don't even realize it. if we want equality, if we want to be standing strong, it starts with our money.

the politicians want us divided because, you know what? republicans and democrats make money off of us that way. the country wants us divided by us being racially divided. why? because there's big money in that. but i will say what dr. king once said. we may have come here on different ships, but right now we're all in the same boat. and until we realize we need to start paddling, we will all go down. so i challenge you all today not just to wish, but to plan and make tomorrow better. god bless you. i love you with the love of jesus. >> give him a round of applause. less than three minutes. national council of laraza, she is the president. give it up for laraza.

>> good afternoon. it's an honor, a true honor for me to be here today but to pay tribute to the life of the legacy of dr. martin luther king, junior. you know, august 28, 1963 is a date that is re veered and celebrated in the latino community as well. thousands of latinos marched in solidarity with dr. king and other civil rights leaders that day including my predecessor, the man who led this organization for 30 years, we've been there together. we know what it's like to walk the walk together. the reason we were there that historic august day was that we knew dr. king's dream spoke to everyone, and it spoke to us in the latino community. it spoke to every community. today it is more important than ever to remember and reaffirm that dr. king's vision of

america and americans included every race, every ethnicity, every religion, and every community. dr. king sent a note of support to a very famous latino community icon, caesar chavez that said, our separate struggles are really one, a struggle for freedom, for dignity, and humanty. that still rings true today. we reaffirm that promise that was made and we commit to live to that promise together. and while much has changed since dr. king's time, the struggle continues. that is the reason that, for 40 years, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in the african american community to promote equal opportunity for all

americans. as dr. king noted, we cannot walk alone. i am a child of dr. king's hope and it is his hope and his positive vision for america that we need to remind everyone here today and across this city at the other end of the mall that it is a positive message of hope that we have for our future, and together we know there is more that unites us than divides us. we commit as latinos to working with our african american brothers and sisters to live his dreams. thank you very much. yes, we can. >> ladies and gentlemen, please

welcome the assistant secretary of the united states labor department, william sprigs. >> thank you very much. yes, howard university. so, i am glad to be here. this is not -- this is not the counter rally. i am happy to be here at the rally, because no one else can claim our vision or our dream. now, when dr. king came 47 years ago, the original march was organized by a philip randolph. and he organized that march because he wanted jobs.

and that is still what we are about today. and that is what the u.s. department of labor is trying to do today, is to restore good jobs for everybody. but we have a big challenge. there are some people who would like to have us move the economy and put it into our. we want to put the economy and not go into reverse. we want to put the economy into drive. in 1993 , when the secretary of labor took their position under bill clinton, there were 109 million americans on the pay roll. when the secretary left as the second secretary of labor under

bill clinton there were 132 million americans on the pay roll. when the baton was passed to hilda solis, the daughter of immigrants, the daughter of a team ster local president, when the baton was passed to her, there weren't 132 million jobs on the payroll. after eight years there were fewer americans working than when secretary chow had been handed the baton. we are not struggling about just the recession. we are struggling about eight years of running up the biggest deficit of anybody in american history and delivering fewer jobs. we are here because dr. king's speech had a lot of where ases

before he got to the, therefore, i have a dream part. the where as that started it said that, you know, we don't even have the right to vote. we don't even have somebody to vote for if we could vote for. but you elected that person we had the chance to vote for. and now we need your help to keep moving the country forward to keep that dream alive, to keep the dream alive. >> dallas, texas is in the house. board members and national action network, please welcome the reverend frederick haines >> reclaim the dream. what happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a

raisen in the sun, fester like a sore and then run, or does it stink like rotten meat? or does it just explode? those words of course come from langston hughes, a colleague of paul lawrence dunbar during the harlem renaissance. what happens to a dream deferred? ask those for whom the american dream remains an elusive nightmare. what happens to a dream deferred? ask 40 million who still find themselves beneath the poverty level. i ask my man can give it to you like this. it's like a jungle. it's like a jungle. sometimes it makes me wonder how i keep from going under. ask those who find themselves in schools that are factories of failure that feed the prison pipeline so that we now have in this country what michelle alexander calls the new jim

crow. what happens to a dream deferred? we are here to reclaim that dream. why? because we dare to believe with dr. king from 47 years ago who against the backdrop of a negative nightmare of jim crow aparta dared to declare we have a dream. so, yes, we are reclaiming the dream. why? because dreams still come true. they come true because 1963 led to the passage of civil rights legislation in 1964. dreams do come true because marching feet from sell ma to montgomery led to the passage of voting rights legislation. dreams do come true because rossa parks sat, jesse ran,al sharpton stood, obama won, and now we can all fly. dreams do come true, because now in the white house we have malia and sasha playing in that white house. because dreams do come true. because if god before us who

can be against us? dreams do come true because no weapon formed against us shall prosper. dreams do come true. and we shall overcome. peace. >> and he walked off the stage like james brown. >> executive director of d.c. votes. please welcome him to the stage. >> what's up d.c.? what's up d.c.? when i say d.c., you say vote. d.c. d.c. when i say d.c., you say vote. d.c. d.c. america, we are here to reclaim

the dream that is true. but in d.c., we're still trying to achieve the dream of full democracy and voting representation. that is our message to the rest of the country. we're trying to achieve that dream. earlier this morning, we were down to the tea party and we handed out tea bags. on the tea bags it said end taxation without representation in d.c. and people took those bags. they're like, oh, yeah. end taxation without representation. and they were tea bags so the tea baggers were all excite about them. but here's the thing antithat, folks. the tea party wasn't about taxation. it was about taxation without representation. we've had us a tea party in washington, d.c. for a very long time. so we're here to demand democracy. if you have the sign hold it up. i am d.c. i demand democracy. i am d.c., i demand democracy.

i am d.c. i demand democracy. give it up d.c. thank you. >> a little of the d.c. flavor. let me welcome and bring to the podium the chairman of the d.c. city council mr. vince gray. >> good afternoon, everybody. welcome to the historic paul lawrence dunbar high school where i'm a proud graduate, went here for three years, graduated from dunbar that gave me the launching pad to be able to go forward and help people in this city. as we talk about education, let's reflect back on 47 years ago when dr. king not only talked about the then existing

conditions among frin americans in this country. he pated the greatest vision ever to move us forward. and 47 years later, we still have the challenge and the charge before us to right the wrong that has befallen people who are minorities in this nation. we know we need to improve public education so that our kids graduate and have the ability to get a job in this society. we need to improve employment. in this city when you go to the eastern end of this city, ward 8, 35% unemployment. ward 7, 19% unemployment. and it is time for us to be outraged and get our people back to work again. everybody desoist to work. -- deserves to work. and also, the district of columbia deserves to be treated with equality. we pay the same federal taxes as everybody else in this nation. last year we paid $3.6 billion in taxes and we can't even get

a vote in the congress for one of the most outstanding representatives in this nation, eleanor holmes norton. and so, instead of jist fighting for a vote, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to stand up and fight to become the 51st state in the nation. it is time for us to be outraged. those of us who live in the district of columbia, let's demen strait our outrage. and those who live outside the city, go back home wherever it is and say it is time to right the wrong in the nation's capital that we can't fight for democracy in foreign places and we can't fight for it at home. ladies and gentlemen, let's right the wrong. let's make dr. king's dream come true. let's have equality in our nation's capital. thank you all very much. >> we are now in the final

banks ft pee speakers. they're all -- banks of the speakers. reverend sharpton is here. bell is here. they're all standing by ready. we've still got people coming in. but we're not going anywhere until we hear from the chairman of the board of the national action network, the reverend w. franklin richardson, pastor of grace baptist church, mount vernon, new york. >> good afternoon. i want you to know that we are really grateful to have you here. it's important that we are here not far from here 50 years ago a great american articulated the hopes and dreams of his generation. and we are here because we have picked up that generation. we have picked up their hopes

and their dreams. we believe that we are testifying to the souls of those who fought before us. we testify that we will never forget their sacrifices. we will never forget their being bruised and indignified for our hopes and dreams. we will never forget them. but we are also here to celebrate the accomplishments of the last 50 years. we have watched many doors open, new opportunities have arisen for us as a people. we have a lot to be proud of. but we are also here because the work is incomplete. there's still yet much that we must do. some have asked why are we here and the other group is at the mall? this is america. all groups ought to have the opportunity to speak and to give their particular point of view. i happen not to agree with their point of view, but i would fight for their right to speak at the mall. but let me tell you, we have

been at the mall for the last hundred years we've been at the mall. it's all right with me that they're at the mall today because we are at the white house. and as long as -- [cheers and applause] as long as they are at the mall, it's all right with me if they let us be in the white house. the challenge before us is to make sure that we are a competent people, that we bring to the table great competence, great commitment, excellence. martin king said this, in 1871, if you can build a better mouse thap than your neighbor even if you build your house in the woods, the world will make a path to your door and this becomes increasingly true. we must not set out to be a great anything ro doctor or barber or buetigs. what we do already float the ma trick lation examination into the university of integration. if it falls, on your lot to

sweep streets, sweep streets like shake spear wrote poetry like beethoven wrote music, so the whole host of heaven and earth will say here live as great street sweeper. get together children. don't you be weary. >> the next speaker is head of the oldest largest civil rights organization, the naacp.

ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ben jo lis. give a round of applause. >> fired up. fired up. fired up. all right. let's try a different chant. [inaudible] that's right. raise your hand if you were here on january 20th, 2009. raise your hand. and raise your hand if you stayed home and watched it on tv because it was too cold. you all are the smart ones.

the rest of you, it was cold that day. and you know, i was fortunate, i got the forecast two years earlier. and i said to my grand father, grand dad, i think we've got a winner this time. he said what's his name? i said barack hue sane balm obama. and my grand father said barack who? i lived my 90 years as a black man in this country, tell you something. don't put your heart too much, because it will be a cold day. and there i was 12 rows behind the president with a skull cap pulled down and i said grand dad, you're right. it's a cold day and barack obama is president. you know, i remind us of that

day because it was a day when the entire country felt united. it was a day when we felt our country was a place of big hearts and big minds. and for a year and a half we've been subjected to small hearts and small minds on our small screens. and starting with this day, we will remind the country that the majority of people in this country believe in hope, believe in progress, believe in unity, believe in universal human dignity for all people. and that's what dr. king talked about. i hope the media here sees the signs at our rally, because across town they told them not to bring any signs to their rally. imagine that. imagine dr. king having to say, well guess what, when it

happens. number one on their list is don't bring their sign. number two on their list is don't bring your gun. what is our country coming to? and that's why we all have to stand together and say we have come too far to pass health care reform, we have come too far to narrow the sentencing disparity between crack and powder 80%, we've come too far to save 160,000 teachers jobs. we have come too far to turn back now. we will not sit down, we will not be counted out, we will be there on 11/2/10 and that's why we need you. and we need you back here on 10/2/10, for the one nation rally that reverend sharpton and others, and clergy across this country are helping us to

organize. it is time to make sure that our country, when they turn on the tv, sees it self-reflected back, sees the hope reflected back, sees the unity reflected back, and the urgency to put our country back to work and pull our country back together. thank you. and god bless. . . .

>> [applause] >> melanie campbell is the executive director and ceo of

the national coalition on black civic participation. and one of the co-sponsors of weedy me the dream. please welcome melanie campbell. -- redeem the dream. >> thank you. for call in on us to redeem the dream of martin luther king jr., your father. repeat after me -- i am the dream. i am the dream. you are the dream. we are the dream. reclaim the dream. i bring you greetings on behalf of the national coalition and the black women's roundtable and black youth both. i want to recognize a delta sigma theta. i also bring you greetings on behalf of my 81-year-old mother

who is down in minnesota watching us today. i'm honored and humbled to be with you today to celebrate the life and legacy of dr. king and those leaders who joined him at the 1963 march in washington for jobs. can you say jobs? justice and equality. there are folks who are 100 -- over 250 rich and poor who came to washington, d.c. to ask our government to cash a check and that was marked insufficient funds. dr. king said to cash a check that would give this the riches of freedom and the security of justice. we are also gathered here today to renew and rededicate

ourselves to completing dr. king's dream, to make real the promises of our democracy and open the doors of opportunity to all god's children. can i say amen? dr. king gave his i have a dream speech here in the nation's capital. he declared that 1963 was not an end but a beginning. change was needed to achieve his dream of economic and social opportunity for all our citizens. dr. king urged his followers that day to stay positive and return home and start working on change. dr. king, in the 1963 march, said this situation can and will be changed. they left this city determined not to wallow in the valley of despair. they followed dr. king's leadership and said to focus and change. everybody remember 2008.

what did we do? we've voted for change. we voted for health care and in 2010, we won that fight for health care for all americans. can i get an amen? just like 1963, there are those that would not embrace change. they want us to go backward, not forward. today, august 28, 2010 double we are here to declare and move forward for change and as president obama declared, we are here to build a new foundation for economic recovery and prosperity for all americans. can you do this for me? turn to york neighbor and say it is cool out here. we get it. you showed up. one thing i will talk about and then i will sit down. one thing that he talked about

when he talked about the mountaintop, why are you marching? why are you out here in this heat? here is what we said. when we stop marching is when we do not see mass of cooperation of our young people. when will we stop marching? when we do not see massive unemployment. when will we stop marching? when we will not see excess of consumption. when will stick we stop marching? when we see people without access to health care. when will we stop marching? until we will see people still drowning economically five years after hurricane katrina or the bp oil spill in to retrieve -- in louisiana. when will we stop marching? when our grown men will lift up their hands.

we love you my brothers. we will stop march and when our young people can live the american dream. i will close out and just say that when you are ready to go back, back to mississippi, go back to florida my home state, california, louisiana, howard university students over there, north carolina, virginia, continue for change when you go back come. repeat after me, make sure you vote in 2010. make sure you go to the polls. d.c. anybody care from ward 8? you need to start voting on monday, august 30, 2010. tell that young girl her black is beautiful. tell that young man you can be anything you want to be thanks to the 1963 march in washington, you can be

prosperous in the united states for a repeat after me -- i am the trade. you are the dream. we are the dream. reedy the street. we claim that craig. thank you and god bless you. let's reclaim the dream together. the lead in the power, thank you very much. [applause] >> we have two more speakers and the rev. sharpton and we will get ready to march. wow, look at them. they either can't get in or they don't want to get in. they probably want to jump in front of the line. ladies and gentleman, my main man, you see him a lot now that they are talking about the five- year anniversary of katrina, there are probably a lot of people in new orleans who wished he was still the mayor of new

orleans but we are pleased to have him on the civil-rights front. you can come on up. thank you. there you go. you got it? all right, ladies and gentlemen, we are glad to have him on the civil-rights front and equally glad to have him as a c0- in the near of this effort for it but your heads together for my main man and president and ceo of the national urban league,mark h. >> good afternoon, brothers and sisters. i am grateful to see each and everyone of you and i am equally grateful to the rev. al sharpton and martin luther king iii for bringing us here today.

we gather on this day at this historic school named after the great poet paul laurence dunbar. this school, the first public school for black children in the history of the united states, this school, which educated charles drew, edward brooks, judge williams hastings, as well as eleanor holmes norton, we gather on this, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the national urban league, the 47th anniversary of dr. king's historic march on washington in a week where we celebrate women's suffrage which happened 90 years ago we gather. we gather at a time when fourscore and seven years ago,

dr. martin luther king and his colleagues whitney young and roy wilkins and james carter and john lewis a/ philip randolph and others gathered with 250,000 men, women, children of all races, creeds, colors, and religions to affirm a new vision for america in the 20th century. they gathered because they wanted to affirm those words embodied by the founding fathers of this nation that all men -- that all people are created equal. and all people, all people are endowed with certain inalienable rights, the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to the pursuit of happiness. let the word go forth -- we are

here today as the children and grandchildren of the generations of dr. martin luther king. let the word go forth -- that in this crowd are also many who truly march with understood and understood dr. king's vision of 40 years ago. let the word go forth that we are here to reclaim that dream. , to reclaim that dream once and for all invest the 21st century. we've reclaim that dream because it is a dream of health care for all. it is a dream of access to affordable housing for all. he is a dream of good schools with good teachers for all children everywhere. and it is a dream of good jobs with living wage for all people. we reclaim the dream for our

seniors, for our mothers and fathers, for our children, for our grandchildren, we reclaim that dream for everyone who is fighting to make ends meet, but are struggling to send their children to school and college, to teachers who are on the front lines. we reclaim that dream for health-care workers as public servants everywhere in this nation. we reclaim that dream for entrepreneurs and small-business men and women and we reclaim this dream for the 21st century. let the word go forth -- that we will not stand silent as some seek to hijack and some seek to distort and contort and some see to bamboozle and confuse the vision of dr. king's. . wheat do not care -- we do not

care if their names end in an a or b. we don't care if their names and in o or a p. we do not care if they are members of the tea party, republican party, democratic party, the coffee party, or if they are at a cocktail party. let the word go forth as we reclaim the dream of dr. king for the 21st century. [applause] we reclaim, we reclaim this tree because we are here to say that we must be one nation. we must be one nation under god indivisible with liberty,

justice, and economic opportunity for all. we must be one nation under god with liberty, justice, economic opportunity, and educational excellence for all. we must be one nation empowered to assure that every child is ready for college, work, and light. we say yes. we say no to the achievement gap. we say no to the graduation gap. we say no that there are more black men in jail than in college or we say no to a world where majority of all children cannot read or do math at grade level. we say yes to a future where because our children are educated, we can bulldoze all the prisons. we say yes. we say yes to teachers that are well paid. we say yes to teachers that are accountable. we say yes to a future where

there is economic opportunity and equal education for all. we must be empowered. we must be empowered to ensure that we are one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and economic opportunity and justice for all to ensure that every person has access to a good job that pays a living wage with good benefits. we must be empowered. to ensure that we are one nation under god. today we say wake up america and we stand on the shoulders of martin luther king. we stand on the shoulders of fannie lou hebert. we stand on the shoulders of shirley chisholm, branch rickey, jackie robinson, ted kennedy, then folks, roy wilkens, thurgood marshall. we stand on the shoulders of our fathers and mothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers.

reclaim a dream. reclaim the dream. reclaim of the dream. we are empowered. [applause] >> ladies and gentleman, i only have to use two words to introduce the next speaker. i would say that i get up in the morning to listen to him but hell, i am doing my own show. ladies and gentlemen, tom joyner. [applause] >> hey, everybody, how are you doing? are you ready to march, i know i am? and excuse me, i need to do a photoop here.

sybil? do you have a real wide lens? not that i need a real wide lens. back in the day, when the civil- rights movement was marching just like we are marching today, how do you think they got the word at to get 40,000 people at the lincoln memorial? they did not have to see an end, they did not have social networks, it was black radio.

we would stop the music. we would give the microphone to dr. king, reverend abernathy or whomever and they would tell you when when, where, and why we would march. i was with dr. king on the last leg of the selma to montgomery march. and i am marching out just like i did a bed. i am glad to be here today. it is hot out here. it is getting late and it is time to march. the rev. al sharpton will fire us up. thank you, i love you, black people. [applause] >> let me bring this young lady up because she will take my place in introducing the next speaker and i will tell you why. mary pat hector will introduce

the secretary of education. this young lady raised enough money to bring three buses [applause] from stone mountain, georgia. [applause] stunned mountain, ga. it sure has changed, hasn't it? >> arne duncan was handpicked by the president of the united states, barack obama. he raised standards and student performance. as secretary of education, he believes that education is a civil-rights issue of our generation. he wants everyone to go to college. he says that is the path to the quality. he was in atlanta to listen to everyone. he was in atlanta to listen to

me, students and educators. i want everyone out here to listen to arne duncan. please help me and welcoming arne duncan [applause] >> can we have another round of applause for mary pat? she is the future [applause] . thanks to all of you for coming out we had to educate our way to a better economy and this is the civil-rights issue of our generation. if you go back and look at the dr. martin luther king's speech when he spoke here, the world did not change overnight. after he spoke, the governor of alabama, george wallace said there would be a new funeral in alabama. three weeks after the speech, a church in mobile, alabama was bombed. four beautiful black children

will killed and 20 others injured. it is up to us to reverse this violence. it is up to us to demand excellence. it is up to us to make sure that every single child in this country gets a world-class education. we have to march together. we have to work together. we have to make sure all of us are accountable. parents, turn off those television that night and read to your children. be part of the solution. educators, we have to stop making excuses. we have to stop talking about other people's shoulders. these are our children. we have to work together. pastors, if you're churches are full on sunday but empty monday through saturday, you are part of the problem. open up those charges. bring people in the [applause] community members, every school has to be a great school whether you have children at school or not. tudor, a volunteer, coach,

mentor, the part of the solution. the students themselves, give a hand to all of our young people today. [applause] we are here for them. they are the future. our young people have to take their education very seriously. if they work hard, they go to college, they have a world of opportunity. if they don't, if they drop out, there are no options. the dividing line in our country today is not a round white and black but around educational opportunity. it is the civil rights issue of my generation. if we can get every single child in this country and education, our country will move to a different level. we will not continue to struggle. we have waited too long. we have been too complacent. we have been too satisfied to have second-class schools. we have chosen complaisance and

drop as part we can no longer do that. we have to step up and work together and a demand excellence and now, not 40 years from now, not five decades from now, now, we have to fulfill dr. king's legacy. god bless and thank you for your hard work. thank you [applause] . >> ladies and gentlemen, let us now get ready. i would like to bring to the podium to introduce our keynote speaker, the national executive director of national action network. please welcome ,tameka mallory. >> good afternoon, on behalf of the national action network, her chapters and members, i would like to thank all of you for your presence here today. for those of you who have traveled from as far as los angeles or as near as

mississippi avenue se washington, we thank you. we thank you for your partnership in this ongoing dirty as we continue our quest to reclaim the dream. it was 47 years ago that a great american stood here in the united states capitol to claim his dream. the rev. dr. martin luther king jr. had a dream that one day all americans would receive equal justice, justice, not based on the color of their skin but the content of their character. today, i am excited that we can celebrate the many accomplishments of african- americans. people of color still struggle with the plethora of issues that are eating away at the very core of our community. we struggle with inadequate education of our young people which is based on where they live and not what they can become. we struggle with the heads of

our households being under employed or not employed at all we are still the last hired and the first fired. we struggle with minority businesses being marginalized and undercapitalized. we struggle with the recycling pandemic of gun violence in urban centers across america. our children have begun. they are hopeless, misdirected, and the american people choose to stand by and do nothing about it. father was son's murdered, gun violence i made a personal commitment on that day to lend my hand and by resources and my voice to help eradicate gun violence within our young people in this country today,

at national executive director of one of the country's most effective civil-rights organizations, i am asking you to join a national action network in that fight, the fight to save our young people all of the young people who have joined us here today, please go back home and tell the young people, your friends, to put down their weapons, it turned away from gang violence, and turned toward community building. put down your weapons, pick up your books, put down your weapons, pick up your pen, put down your weapons, prepare for your future, chase your dreams, have hope, the future is surely in your hands. finally, as we face the difficulties of the day, we still have a powerful dream to reclaim. it is a dream that is deeply rooted in the promise of american.

together, we can make that dream a reality. in order to do that, we must take back our communities one by one pare and challenge ourselves. we must take back our community so our children are cell. we must show up. show up at your child's school. show up on your job, committed to excellence and a brighter future. show up in our homes of our families are nurtured and protected. we must show at the polls so our voices are heard. most importantly, we must not wait for others to do for us what we can absolutely do for ourselves. in the spirit of dr. martin luther king, i say to you, go back, go back, brothers and

sisters, go back to new york, go back to atlanta, go back to philadelphia, go back to houston, go back to california, go back to your communities knowing that united we will reclaim the dream. [applause] in this coming our, there is a person on the international scene who carries the mantle of civil-rights and social justice. as the legacy passed down from martin luther king jr., this same person not only speaks for the voiceless but acts with power for those who have no power. we are here at dunbar high school today because he has ensured that education, equality the the civil rights issue of our time. this same person embodies the hopes and dreams of the current generation.

sometimes bloody but neverbowed, sometimes castigated but never compromise, confronted but always remaining courageous. i want to bring to you people's leader, a drum major for justice and the president of the national action network, the rev. dr. al sharpton. [applause] >> no justice? no justice? no justice? what do we want? what we want? what do we want? when do we want it? when do we want it? when do we want it? when do we want it? when we want it?

when do we want it? when do we want it? hug the person next to you and tell them to reclaim the drain. eam.e -- a dream. let me thank everyone of you who came from all over the country. this is not a rally, this is a march. we are getting ready to line the streets of washington by the thousands. because others march, we have a different light. we have to keep that going so that our children will have an even better life than us. somebody said why are you all

marching? why are you all rallying? they call as trouble makers. the folks that used to criticize us for marching are trying to have a march themself [applause] . we come because the dream has not been achieved. we made a lot of progress, but we still have a long way to go. i spoke last night at howard university [applause] i am going to have brandon cause be before i leave. i told the students to not mistake progress for rivals. i was on a flight from new york

to atlanta about a half-hour into the flight, we ran into a storm. we got into turbulence. the plane started shaking. the plane started dropping. i looked out the window and could not see because it was cloudy. for about 15 minutes, and we went through a terrible storm. after a while, when we cleared the storm, and i saw sunshine, i did not get off the plane. we just got through the storm, we had not arrived yet. just because we got through the storm does not mean that we arrived. we are still unemployed black to white. we are not there yet. we are still for grades behind in reading and mathematics. we are not there yet. we are still the last hired and first fired. we are not there yet. we are still spending more

money bringing democracy to capitals overseas when we do not have democracy for the citizens of washington, the say [applause] d.c. [applause] . we are not there yet. when we leave here today, we are leaving like they did 47 years ago. we are leaving to say we must have a jobs bil that will close the gap and those that will not vote for us, we want not vote for them. this is not about a one day thing. we need to show up. they think we showed up in 2008 and they are banking on is not to show up now. we know how to sucker punch you. we are coming out in 2010 but we have just begun to fight and we will not let you turn back the

clock the [applause] we need an education policy that will close the gap. we are not interested in throwing away our children. these are our children the new racism is to tell them do not expect to be nothing. don't try to be nothing. i want you to know that i don't care what their background is, they can learn. they can make it, and we will fight with all of our strength to raise their children a. up [applause] our children cannot believe that their only option is to be a thug and a gangster. our children cannot take off their malcolm t-shirts and put on scarred face. we did not come this far to be gangsters. we are the philosophers. we are the astrologers.

we know what knowledge is and we must rise back to the true glory of who we are [applause] we must still come up with the corporations, that come into our communities and make profits but will not do business. we will deal with the private sector. just this week, we met those black and latino advertising firms that unilaterally dismissed burger king. we don't have to have a. walker if you cannot -- would don't have to havewhopper. if you can't do business with us, you can take yourwhopper somewhere else. [applause] let me say this -- there is some confusion. i will say more on the other

side but i wanted to straighten this out for some of my brothers and sisters in the media. there is a story in the bible. where there were some that sought a man named joe. smith -- named joseph. he had a code of many club -- many colors. there were his brothers that were jealous of him. he annoyed them. he bothered them because he kept talking about his dream. and finally, they plotted and killed him. and threw him into the pit and said," let's leave them there." they plotted to kill him.

they thought they killed it. they put him in a pet and said let's leave. what becomes of his dream? well, there was another man named martin luther king who came to washington, d.c. 47 years ago and he talked about a. a dream the left here -- he left here and went to selma and he kept and knowing them. he got us the right to vote. he got us the right to public accommodations. they slayed him and when they him in th epit, we went in with them and started breaking up our families. do not confuse the pit with pit stop because we're coming out of that pit today. i will show you what became of his dream.

when dr. king came here 47 years ago, we came on the back of buses. today, we flew in first class a [applause] . what became of his dream? we could not sleep a. hotel we could not use a restaurant i- 95 north. now, we have a public accommodations. what became of his dream? in 1963, they were asking kennedy to hear them. in 2010, because he went to summer, we have an african american presidents. . what became of his dream? rev. al, you drink too much. if you don't start with a dream, you won't wake up and do

nothing. you have to see what is not there and wake up and make it happen. you have got to see what is thought there and fight to make it happen. we are the children of dreamers. that sauce here when we could not see ourselves. we're the children of dreamers that looked down dogs and fire hoses in the face and defied death singing we shall overcome. we are the children of dreamers that took the most powerful country in the world and never fired one shot but turned the social order upside down. you don't know who you are messing with. we are folks who took something and made something happen. we took food stamps and welfare and reordered the economy. we are the children of the dreamers. why do i believe in the dream?

internationally, i have seen it happen. there was a powerful man named winston churchill. churchill one day heard about one of the colony's rebeling and he had 150,000 tribesmen put into an incarcerated area. one of those men suffered than. incarceration we lived through that area and kept on dreaming. that tribesman that was in bondage, his son is now the president of the united states. [applause] why do i believe in the train? one day george wallace stood on the steps of the university of alabama and blocked a young black man and a young black woman from going to college. we had to get the federal government to open the doors and let them in. george wallace did not know

that the young black girl had a little sister and that little sister watched as they threatened her sister going to that school. that girls little sister grew up and married a struggling young black lawyer. he is now the attorney general of the united states, eric holder. that is why i believe in the dream. [applause] when we announced this gathering, they said to me, "why go to a school because we must close the education gap?" later they told me that others will be at the mall and they will be standing where dr. king stood for it they may have a mall but we have the message. [applause] they may have the platform but

we have the dream. the dream was not about states' rights. in fact, if you read the dream, martin luther king talked about governors whose lips were tripping with the words of interposition and nullification and those who try to take his place are trying to nullify all law. look at arizona. they are trying to nullify state law. they are trying to oppose the civil-rights era just because you have the spot does not mean you are standing up to the drain. if you understood dreaming, you can drill anywhere. we don't have to be at the spot. all we need to be as do we are. we can dream from jail cells. we can dream from hospital beds. we can dream from wherever we are. [applause] while they are down there, they ought to ask a blink in to tell

them why he fought against states' rights print and held the union together. they should read dr. king's speech. then they need to talk to some of us who came up the rough side of the mountain. those that made against all odds. that is why we are marching. somebody said card is there going to be trouble today tax where will be no trouble but we would not disgrace the date by allowing you to provoke us no matter what you say, no matter what you do, we will celebrate those that led down their lives to give us change. [applause] this is not about them. this is about dr. king. this is about dr. height. we will walk together, black, white, latino, asian, straight, gay, it does not matter. those that believe in a dream, we will walk together and we will keep marching until we get statehood for the d.c. and we

will keep marching until we close the education gap. we will mark. together -- we will march together. i want you all to hear me carefully. we are going to line up and i want you to follow the march. do not rush pe. they are all going to act like there are only 2000 or 3000 of us in here. let the line stretched so we can show the world the real dreamers in town. do not be stepping on each other's heels. i am not through. we will do this orderly. if people start heckling, smile at them. if people try to distract you, keep your eye on the prize. we are going to where they're going to build a martin luther

king mondamin. martin luther king iii will speak to us there. i wanted to know before we leave three people coming out as the marchers come up, come out sister jenkins forum stand up for d.c., brandon harris, head of student government for howard university [applause] of thegregreplois teamsters. they represent how we will make this education bill work, education, youth, and independence. i want them to say a word as we get ready to line up. how many of you are ready to march? [applause] how many still believe in the drain? how many of you thank god for martin luther king? [applause] how many of you think dr. height that you can't control your cells. if you are so mad you cannot do what i'm asking, stay here.

do not get out there cutting up by dr. king big. this is not your march. you are not that met. ad. do not act like you cannot control yourself. you control yourself all the time. they want to disgrace to this day and we are not giving them this day. this is our day and we are not giving it away. [applause] we are going to line up. >> thank you everybody for being here to represent a march on behalf of martin luther king jr.. my name is anise jenkins and i represent stands up. i welcome you here to the nation's capital, the last plantation, the last colony.

as long as you have 600,000 people living in the nation's capital paying the highest federal taxes per person in the nation who do not have representation in the house or the senate and cannot get the $2.3 billion that we lose every year because we cannot tax people that work here and don't live here, we need your help. go back, and tell your senators, your congressperson, free the state make us the 51st state. your brothers and sisters are here waiting for your help. freak d.c. --free dc. i would be remiss if i did it acknowledge the 350,000 students from howard university. >> my name is brandon harris.

today we are here not just to reclaim a dream but to realize a vision. over the last 47 years, undoubtedly advances have been made by it is a battle for justice and equality. we must remember that every shovel reaches a turning point. we confront a world on the brink of monumental change, a new administration, accelerated globalization, and a society still unsure of how to cope with the issue of race. if there is anything the king's speech does is that the only way to deal with race is honorably and it directly. we cannot allow the man made and social construct to strip us of our natural god-given humanity. 47 years later, in spite of our technological and intellectual progression, we have begun to socially regroup as wheat usher in a new era where the dream has

been blocked -- dimmed by ms. education. the king's speech was in 1963. within the five years, he began the political and systematic implications of his dream through diplomatic -- through diplomatic reform. the war on poverty is still yet unfinished part of we always mention the speech but we never revisit the mission. yes we are trainers but more importantly, we are achievers for the true essence of leadership is our ability to cultivate one cohesive unit that can make a dream a reality. my generation does not ask for another train. we do not ask for a better speech. we truly just want to finish what king already started in 1963. [applause]

if the civil rights movement was anything, it taught us that our greatest asset is not in our athletic ability, intellectual ability, or musical ability but our ability to unify and speak as one and act as one and move as one. does not for the betterment of ourselves but for the benefit of all mankind. let's reclaim the dream and let's continue the mission, thank you. [applause] >> who are we? who are we? who are we? who are we? i will not take a lot of time because it has been a long dead. thank you rev. for putting this together. it was in 1968, 1968 this great speech was constructed. it was a dream that was bigger

than expected. it was conceived before the assassination of our martin luther king. he had a vision. within 40 years, we have the first black president of the united states. that is not by accident. that is by conception. we need to recognize and reclaim the dream for our kids, our history has been tarnished. this tea party based on fundamental beliefs, how can the reject or demonstrate against dr. martin luther king's chris speech. the very basic ideas that made this country great. do you know what that is like? we had a president who was a great republican. abraham lincoln. that is like them rejecting the gettysburg address.

this is serious. i will not take a lot of time because we have resources. we have relationships with the man who is connecting the dots. it is about building for the future of our kids and our grandkids and keep this dream alive. local 237. >> i will be brief. i will be brief because we all want to go march and we want to hear martin luther king iii space. we should give a round of applause for al sharpton for having this vision to put this together and make sure that we do not lose sight of why we are here. the teachers are here to support rev. dr. martin luther king jr. and his dream to reclaim it. when we needed him, he was here

for us. we stand in solidarity with this social movement and labor and this social civil-rights movement are one and the same period thank you. [applause] >> get a hand to the councilman who made this come together. i wanted to introduce him on the other side. as we get ready to line up, i need the teachers to help us. in the movement back in the day, they used to keep everything going as we line up. there was a song," your change will come." ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [your change will come]

>> in 1963, when we came to washington, we were living in the outhouse. because we kept on marching, today we are living in the white house. keep on march regarded your change will come ver. ♪ [your change will come] ♪ one more time, one more time, i don't think they believe you. !ne more time

♪ your change -- will come v your change will come. oh yes, it will permit i know it well. ♪ your change will come. your change will come. one more time, one more time. your change will come. your change. your change wewill.

your change will come starting with you. ♪ [applause] >> up next on c-span, president obama talks about the u.s. economy. then, in a few minutes, bob macdonald and dick morris speak to conservative activists about the americans for prosperity foundation conference. later, remarks from remarkssotomayor. remarkssotomayor.