[ father ] whoa, what are you doing? thought these were electric? good morning everyone. i'm alex witt. here's what's happening. he changed the world and today, martin luther king is officially memorial liesed on america's national mall. we'll bring you live coverage. he stood side by side with dr. king in the fight for civil rights. the reverend jesse jackson. we'll talk with him for reflections on those times and how the u.s. has changed for everyone. on the road again. after delivering an address at the mlk memorial, president obama heads to some key states to push his jobs bill. on the gop trail, more 999 talk. build a big long fence, lots of cash and almost no cash. an eventful day for some of these republican candidates. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." it's 10:00 on the east coast,

7:00 a.m. out west. we begin with a new era on the national mall. the dedication to martin luther king, jr. is the first time a nonpresident has been celebrated with a monument on the mall, making this also the first monument to a black leader. president obama will deliver a speech at the dedication ceremony just after 11 a.m. eastern time. it's been under way for two hours. members of king's family are reflecting on the symbolism on this day. >> this is a day that all americans can be proud of and may i remind you that this is not just a celebration for african-americans, but for americans and citizens around this world. >> i'm joined now by mike viqueira who is at the mall. mike, good sunday morning to you. >> good morning rg alex. >> so far this morning what's happened? >> reporter: honestly, it's been a day of joy and inspiration here on the national mall. i'm glad you played that sound bite from bernice king, the

daughter of dr. martin luther king. her and her brother, martin luther king, the iii. they brought it back to the economic circumstances of day and the injustice they think their father would see in today's society. so far, that's been the theme from some of the speakers that we've seen. that's not so much a reflection and joy and celebration of dr. king's life and of all the things that you cited and the fact that this memorial is in existence and being dedicated today, but also a reminder of the principles that he stood for. it's seven weeks late. hurricane irene washed out the first plans for the ceremony. august 28, 1963, that was the date 48 years later that they hoped to have this ceremony. obviously, hurricane irene came along seven weeks later. here we are on a beautiful sublime day on the national mall. president obama will be speaking later. one more thing, if we can get that shot back up of the

memorial itself. in the 1963 speech. he set het his hue a stone of hope. you can see the symbolism, the granite mountain of despair pulled from the center of which is the stone of hope and on that the sculpture bearing the likeness of dr. king himself. symbolism all around. another small point here, actually a large point. it's situated in the base innear the jefferson memorial, midway between the lincoln and washington memorials. amid the cherry blossoms that bloom in cited in the literature is when he was assassinated in memphis in 1968. a day of joy and inspiration, a day of reflection all around and president obama will speak around the 11 o'clock hour. 11:05 i believe. >> i'm so glad that you explained ha that memorial is.

it is so profound in its description. it is just beautiful. it's powerful, absolutely spectacular. mike, i want to ask you about martin luther king, iii. who i believe was speaking earlier. we have some sound from him, correct. >> reporter: i don't know. do we? >> i guess we do. we'll play a little bit of that. here it is, everyone. >> the young people of occupy movement all over this country and throughout the world are seeking justice. justice for the employed searching for month for jobs and those among them haven't given up in despair. justice for everyone who are simply asking the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. you see, sometimes we get caught up in the brand of my father, but we forget to focus on the believes of my father. >> and there, mike, that goes from the civil rights movement to actually what's happening

today. the millionaires tax. >> reporter: exactly. >> all right. mike, thanks so much. >> reporter: yeah. that is the theme of the day, alex. you're absolutely right. >> appreciate it. we'll see you again later. meantime at the bottom of the hour for all of you, we'll speak with the reverend jesse jackson about his relationship with martin luther king, jr. we'll talk with him about what today's dedication of the memorial means to him. we, of course, invite you to watch live coverage of the ceremony. our coverage begins at the top of the next hour. let's go to politics on meet the press, herman cain said his 999 tax plan would raise taxes on some americans. moderator gregory asking whether americans paying more, including the people who don't pay taxes would support his plan. >> you think those people are going to rally around tax reform where the wealthy pay less and middle class and lower income folks pay more? you think that's going to be a grassroots support? >> yes. if they do the math on your individual situation, people are going to benefit several other

ways other than whether they pay more in taxes. the fact that they're not going to have a cost of filing and compliance. that's a $430 billion bill for all of us every year. >> meanwhile, michele bachmann held the bachmann takes it to perry rally. an event set up in the town of perry, iowa. she pressed her platform to secure the border and criticized perry's position of offering children of illegal immigrants instate tuition. on saturday, she became the first candidate to sign a pledge to complete a border fence by 2013. >> as president of the united states, i will build the fence on the southern border. every bit of the border i will build the fence, we will have border security guards, they'll be fully resourced and they will enforce the laws. >> and there's money trouble for two republican candidates, newt gingrich is in debt for more than a million dollars and his campaign has less than $400,000 on hand.

meanwhile, jon huntsman needs to find more than $500,000 to pay off his debts. that after dumping $2 million from his own pocket into his campaign. new reports this morning suggest almost all u.s. troops in iraq could be leaving by december 31st. that's what the new york times and associated press are reporting today. originally, the u.s. planned to keep several thousand troops in iraq past the beginning of the year. now that number could be as low as 160 soldiers. official white house and defense department statements say, not so fast. nbc's at the white house. what are you hearing from the white house about the withdrawing of our troops in iraq? >> reporter: good sunday morning to you. alex. officials are pushing back against the reports. they say nothing has been decided yet. discussions are ongoing. we have a statement from the obama administration to read. if we could put that up. this is according to tommy veeder who says president obama has repeatedly made it clear that we are committed to keeping

our agreement with the iraqi government to remove all of our troops by the end of this year. at the same time we're building a comprehensive partnership with iraq under the strategic framework agreement, including a robust security relationship and discussions with the iraqis about the nature of that relationship are ongoing. that's really the key there, alex. that the discussions are ongoing. pentagon -- physicians released a similar statement saying no final decision has bp made. here's the sticking point. the obama administration had been in discussions with the iraqi government about leaving, about three to a,000 troops -- 5,000 troops behind to help train iraqi forces to help with the transition process. about a few weeks ago, the iraqi parliament said they wouldn't be able to provide legal immunity to those troops who stayed behind. so that seems to be the sticking point as these discussions are ongoing. there are still about 40,000

troops in iraq. more than 4,000 soldiers have been killed since the start of the war. it is a region that's still unstable and there's a lot of concern that if all of the u.s. soldiers leave, it will only become more unstable. president obama hits the road for a three-day bus tour. he'll be focused on his domestic agenda. beginning of the week but they will field a number of questions about the reports as we try to determine exactly how that withdraw process will be carried out. alex? >> chris ten before you go, there are a number of people filing out of the white house. that's not typical for when we're speaking with correspondents in the morning. are those people that are going to the mlk dedication or i also heard that they've opened up the white house for tours today in a way they don't usually do? >> reporter: i haven't had a chance to speak to those people, alex. but it's quite possible that a number of them are headed to the mlk dedication. as mike viqueira just talked

about, that was postponed. a lot of people were disappointed about that. h so there's a lot of excitement about that dedication under way today. >> kris ten well ker from the white house. a weekend of con fron tragss and arrests as occupy wall street spread around the world. including times square and new york city where the movement began. right things here at zuccotti park are -- it felt like new year's eve in times square. thousands of people gathered for what was billed as an occupation party. the size of the crowd surprised organizers themselves. they thought the whole thing would be over in an hour. an hour after it started, group of people were still streaming into times square. they were carrying signs, signs that said we got sold out. continued protests against big banks and corporations.

there were 92 arrests. police say a lot of people taken into custody were trying to charge police barricades. two officers were injured in times square yesterday, one with head injuries, one with foot injuries. they were both treated and released. yesterday's events here in new york were part of a global day of protests. we saw them all over the country. hundreds gathering in atlanta to pittsburgh to phoenix and los angeles. also, all around the world. tens of thousands marching in several cities in europe. most of them by and large were peaceful. however, in italy things did turn violent with groups throwing rocks at police, torching cars, breaking store windows and the like. about a dozen were arrested the organizers of all of these events say that the global reach shows just how far this movement has come in less than a month. alex. mara shaf cam poe in lower manhattan. from there to weather. if you're in new york, you have to wait to lace up your skates. ice skating season is just outside this building. but it's being delayed because

of this lovely warm autumn. management says the higher the normal temps and humidity force them to postpone opening the rink which was supposed to be this weekend. it's supposed to be later this week now. what's it going to be like outside today. alex wallace has the details. look at all the orange and yellow colors. >> we saw a lot of this over the summer. seems like summer is striking back. check out memphis. 88 degrees. the record is 87. shreveport may hit 95 degrees. so a lot of hot stuff out there for us. some big changes on the way. it all starts here as we start off the week across the plains states. big dip in the jet stream starts to take over. as that happens some cooler air slides on down. by midweek, remember, memphis upper 80s today. we're talking 59 degrees come wednesday. almost a 30-degree drop in temperatures and a lot of the eastern half of the country will chill down. wet weather into florida. that's going to continue throughout the workweek.

we have a lot of tropical moisture continuing through tuesday as well as wednesday. some of the totals out there over the next couple of days could reach over 5 inches in miami. alex? alex wallace, man you thanks for that. the defense does a 180 in the trial of michael jackson's doctor. what to expect when court reconvenes tomorrow. on the road again. president obama continues the push for his jobs bill as this trip is also a part of his reelection campaign? >> the funny folks at saturday night live poke fun at the gop debates. it's our one minute playback on "weekends with alex witt." ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place.

that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. o0 c1 ♪ ♪ ♪ when your chain of supply ♪ goes from here to shanghai, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ chips from here, boards from there ♪ ♪ track it all through the air, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ clearing customs like that ♪ hurry up no time flat that's logistics. ♪ ♪ all new technology ups brings to me, ♪ ♪ that's logistics. ♪ helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria

to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health.

the l.a. sheriff's department is investigating a deadly jet ski crash that killed three women in southern california saturday afternoon.

officials at the pudding stone reservoir in san deem as say the victims were riding together when it crashed headfirst into a motorboat. four people on the boat were badly hurt. three were airlifted to nearby hospitals. there's an old saying. when you hear hoof beats think horses not zebras. turns out that's not always true. as they found out in boston saturday. two zebra as got loose. the baby busted through an electric fence so the mom followed and that's when the chase began. >> we were waiting outside and she ran right by us. there's three golf carts chasing him. >> fortunately, no one was hurt. zookeepers cleared the area until both animals were returned to their pen. speaking of app mals gone wild, a far cry from pamplona, but this was in arizona. 200 people joined two dozen

steer during a dash on a private fenced-in strip on cave creek. all of them wore red and white, others sombreros and biking helmets. nobody messed with the horns. that's always good news. doesn't always happen over there in spain. tomorrow president obama kicks off a three hp day bus tour to sell his jobs bill. it begins monday in asheville, north carolina. then going to hampton virginia on wednesday. this will be the second time he's pushing the plan. the senate voted down that bill last week. abby philip a politics reporter. abby, good morning. >> hi, nice to be here. >> i'm glad you're here. let's start in north carolina. they're going to be key states in the election next year. how strategic is a tour like this one, looking forward to his reelection campaign? >> it's hard to underestimate the two states for the president.

he won north carolina by a very slim margin and virginia was really important in getting him to the number of electoral votes that he needed to clinch the nomination. what the president will be doing is talking to the folks hardest hit by this economy. north carolina has been -- has lost a lot of jobs to the loss of manufacturing in the state, off shoring. so he's going to be really pushing his jobs plan to the people who might be the most receptive to wanting washington to do a little bit more about the unemployment rate in the country right now. >> right. you make that point about north carolina hit pretty hard. 10.1%, a full point over the 9.1 national average. the president won their north carolina in 2008 by less than 1%. so this early push right now to north carolina, is that why? this one could go either way? >> there's no question about it. i mean, mad to the difficult economic climate, he's dealing with significant political headwinds. it's hard to see how he's going to get a lot done in washington

right now and that skepticism, perhaps pessimism is shared by a lot of voters out there. the marchin that he won north carolina by is so slim. when he was well -- for a long time seen as a big front-runner in 2008. now he has a lot of stiff competition from the republican field. so he's got to really push. i think the fact that he's spending two days in north carolina is evidence of how important the obama campaign thinks that state state is. >> as we look at virginia now with you abby, the president was the first democrat to carry that state since lyndon johnson in 1964. now we've got a republican governor there, the former popular democratic governor tim kaine is saying this is going to be a tough win for president as he's running for senate there. a frequent stop for the president over the next year? >> he's been there quite a few times in the last few weeks. he's made a number of stops just down the street to richmond from washington, d.c. where i am right now.

i think that that's no accident. the president is going to be in virginia all the time. not only because he needs to win that state but also because there are some down ballot races that the white house would like to influence. you mentioned tim kaine running for senate in the state as well. the president is going to be there a lot. he has a o lot to say to virginians. he managed to make it a swing state in 2008. it's really an open question whether that will be the case again in 2012. okay. politico's abby philip. many thanks. we'll see you again. >> my pleasure. in our one-minute playback. we wanted to give you saturday night live's take on the gop debate. not surprisingly, the new front-runner got special attention. you're watching marriott tv. the in-room guide to everything our hotel has to offer. up next, live from conference room five in the cedar falls courtyard marriott it's yet another gop debate. >> we've rearranged the seating from past debates based on the

recent polling result and therefore the likelihood of each candidate winning the nomination. in the center, the new leader in the polls, herman cain. >> i'm as surprised as you. [ laughter ] >> next to him is former governor, mitt romney. >> herman cain. you guys are killing me. >> out in the parking garage, it's texas congressman ron paul. [ laughter ] >> the original goal of the 999 plan was to get me a show on fox news at 9:00. but if america is looking for catchy unworkable solutions to complicated problems, herman cain will keep them coming [ laughter ] how to fight terrorism, my 555 plan. for every terrorism, we'll send five airplanes, five soldiers and five of those dogs that caught osama bin laden. how do we fix healthcare, the 333 plan. every time you get sick, you get three pills, three days off and three chicken noodle soups. >> this guy is a giant.

all you debate and snl watchers, expect more material this week. there's another presidential debate on tuesday night. mean tile, you're watching "weekends with alex witt." [ female announcer ] instantly smooth wrinkles with a shot? wait a second... with olay challenge that.

new regenerist wrinkle revolution... relaxes the look of wrinkles instantly, and the look of deep wrinkles in 14 days. ready, set, smooth... regenerist. from olay. whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪

big bucks for mad birds. it's quick list of number ones. it begins with a list by money magazine and pay scale.com of the hottest jobs in america. software development a right at the top. thanks to a projected 32% increase in jobs over the next ten years. physical therapists second on the list. financial adviser third. both expecting to see employment expand three fold over the next decade. 24/7 wall street puts princeton

atop the list of colleges that guarantee the highest salaries. the highest mid career median salary of $130,000. cal tech is second. california's harry mud college is third. harvard and m.i.t. round out the top five. aaron rodgers is doing fine. mvp quarterback of the packers. given his sudden greatness, his jersey is the top seller in the nfl. >> the second best seller mvp quarterback tom brady, michael vick's jersey is third. the creators of the angry birds are hoping to get a big sale on wall street. robe yoe entertainment is making floons go public with an ipo valued at more than $1 billion. that would buy a lot of bird seed, right? parlaying his "american idol" crown, scotty mccreery's album, clear as day, debuts at the top of the billboard 200 album chart. he's the youngest man to

accomplish that feat by the way. those are your number ones here on weekends with alex witt. capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ]

this is a live look right now at the national mall and a new and enduring tribute to a civil rights hero. the ceremony is under way, dedicating this memorial to martin luther king, jr. the grounds are inspired by dr. king's words. out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. visitors pass through a symbolic mountain of despair to reach that 30-foot tall granite stone carved in king's likeness. speakers at the ceremony include members of the king's family, as well as some of the most influential civil rights ak at this vis in america. one of whom joins me now. the reverend jesse jackson. president of the rainbow coalition. who unfortunately has to join me by phone. you got caught up in the secret

service sweep and couldn't get to the camera. >> caller: i can't get over there. if i go over there, i can't hear the president. i'm caught in the crossfire. but it's a glorious day. beautiful, sunny day. >> it looks absolutely beautiful e.bout your emotions, sir, in particular. as you take part in this dedication, you view this memorial, what comes to mind? >> caller: well, two things. one, 132 miles from here, where the slave ships landed, 132 miles and almost 400 years is a long time to get 132 miles. but we made that journey. both through dr. king and the monument established the peace and reconciliation and for -- that says a lot about growth in america. on the other hand, i was here with him, the living dr. king, who planned a poor people's campaign to occupy the mall to be willing to go to jail until

we made the choice and chose the war on poverty. he forced a change, took the risk and ultimately was killed to make america better. >> i'd like to know what your most poignant memories are of your colleague and friend, dr. martin luther king. >> caller: i can't hear you. >> one more time. your most poignant memories, reverend jackson about dr. king, what do you think about him most when you remember him as your colleague and friend. >> his last birthday, january 15, 1968. we were together. he pulled together some african-americans from the deep south, latinos from new york and native americans and others. and they planned the poor people's campaign. he said we must find in coalition our remedy from racial battle grounds, to the common ground to moral high ground.

we set that in blue jeans and wind breaker jackets talking about how to organize and come to washington. around noontime said you forgot something, dr. king and we laughed. he spent the rest of the afternoon with -- how to end the war in vietnam. even in celebration, he was a free spirit in terms of laughing. but so very fierce. i remember that day very distinctly a fight for jobs and justice. fight to end the war. a war abroad. ha hits me today is that if he were here with so much contrary -- and so many wars and the congressmen -- the poverty, he would be did you say tushd. he would be fighting today to correct the errors of our ways. it strikes me reverend jackson, you describe him wearing a blue wind breaker and blue jeans,yet he had this passion about the civil rights movement. it's as if he was always, always thinking about it. i mean, do you think that is

what propelled him to be at the very top of his game and to be so terribly influential. it sounds like in downtime, he was thinking, eating, breathing all of this. >> at age 14. in the civil and back of the bus from deep south georgia to atlanta, that touched him deeply. he talked about it often. he went to college at age 15. finished at 19. finished seminary at age 26. a very great man. ministry, he consisted of civil rights -- it was his life. it was infusing everything he did. his sense of finding that which connected all people gave him a broad view. even people through a keyhole, up to a door, he was a tough task masters. he also was very tough. >> we have a picture that we just showed. i'll ask him to show it again.

there he is standing on the balcony at the lorraine motel. when you heard news of the death, when it happened, what was the first thing that came to mind? how painful was that for you? >> it was traumatizing. trauma anesthetized your feelings. we had been talking about leaving memphis, going to washington. talking about his family's background, from the time his grandmother and his grandfather met at his mother and his father married. was talking family talk, having a real joyous day. that night going to have dinner and then on to the church. i was coming across a courtyard. i shall never forget it. he says jesse rg we're running an hour late. you don't have on your necktie for dinner. the true rec which -- not a necktie. he said you're crazy. we laughed. he said to his friend below the night playing my favorite song, he said i will. as he raised up, pow, he was hit

in the neck and killed on impact. i heard someone say get low, get low. whoever was shooting, if they had been scattering shots could have hit us in the courtyard. several of us at the same time. i remember running toward the steps. you just pictured us -- we're saying that police are running toward us withdrawn guns. the bullet came from that way, that way. that way. so it was just a real -- we determined then even in our pain we would not let one bullet chill our struggle. so we came on to washington and filled up the poor people's campaign. through our pain, fighting for poverty. i remember while we were here, june 5th. dr. king april 4th. we had the double hit of dr.

king and -- all was bedlam. we lost for a moment. we never stopped fighting ever. so from the movement of the death to barack obama occupying the white house, we never stopped fighting. we never had -- since the fruits of my labors, from memphis to the white house to the 40-year journey. >> you speak about president obama who will also be speaking at this memorial in less than an hour. as you look back at election night 2008, it was so moving to see you there at grant park, tears streaming down your face. we're showing it now. you were watching this victory. did you feel that president-elect obama was not alone on that stage? were you on that stage? was dr. king on that stage? were the others who fought along for you for civil rights on that stage? >> what hit me was both of the joy of the moment.

i knew we had won a big victory. the journey that got us there. the people who made that night possible were martyred or couldn't afford to be there. i wish dr. king, i wish they could have been there for 30 seconds to see their work. i thought about them. i thought so much about mrs. boynton. who is 100 years old in selma, alabama. i thought so much about her. nameless, faceless people by the name of james orange, turner. made the night possible. because the -- there were no lawyers on that march except -- there were no movie stars on that march, no bright lights, just the blood and grit of fighting for democracy. i felt them in my bones and

watched them come on that stage for the joy of the moment and the jurn i i'm so glad for that victory. >> as you talk about today, reverend, the headlines dominated by the occupy wall street movement, clearly taking inspiration from past civil action, but it brings to mind the poor people's campaign in 196. that tent city known as resurrection city was to be set up on the washington mall. dr. king had planned to take part. it was set up prior to his death. what do you make of occupy wall street? the more recent civil action? >> i was a mayor of resurrection city. occupied -- occupation of the mall. put the focus on poverty and choose to fight poverty and not unnecessary -- i remember it so well and so occupation wall street is 43 years later, it's the same struggle. all this is saying on wall street, they search for a clearer message, a language.

the message is we all deserve sharing in economic security. too few got too much. too much unnecessary wars. too many youth killing youth and too much poverty in the land of plenty. why can't we wipe out malnutrition today? we got americans food insecure. we got 48 million in poverty. millions of americans on food stamps. we can wipe malnutrition today. we have the most overproductive system in the world. why can't we do this now and end obstruction of education paced on lack of money. the things we can put fort now and put forth that agenda right now. and those occupying these places, making that message, if they remain nonviolent and turn their occupation into legislation, they will prevail. >> yeah. these are not rhetorical questions you're offering up. these are questions which deserve solutions and answers. reverend jackson, i'm bringing in to join us in our conversation washington post

columnist, u yeen robinson. i'm sure a dear friend. as i ask eugene about this. your reflections on mlk. reverend jackson's sentiments, when you share as well. >> i remember the day when dr. king was killed. i remember the reaction in my hometown of orangeburg, south carolina. what a blow it was. then, of course, the riots an the violence that followed all in 1968 a year in which everything happened. too much happened. >> what a year. >> you know, this is -- it is amazing to me. one of the sort of pinch yourself moments. that this monument is dedicated to dr. king today. i don't know if you've been down there, alex, to see it. one thing the cameras don't capture, i think, is the way the monument kind of opens to the tidal basin. opens to the water. there's a feeling of kind of

serenity in this enclosed space that opens toward the water and faces, of course, the jefferson memorial as if it's a -- you know, so much of dr. king's work involved making the nation live up to the stirring words that thomas jefferson wrote in the declaration of independence. so it is a fitting space and a moving, i think in many ways, profound space. >> also, geno owe it's already the most popular monument here on the mall. >> i can believe that. because as eugene is describing the serenity, peaceful space, there is a power to it. it has to make such an impact to comes to see it. >> washington lincoln, jefferson, dr. king he's the global figure on the mall.

people are coming here from china, they're coming here from asia, from africa. he is the global -- he's the big city on the mall. >> he's not a president. he's the only one to not be a president. that is substantive right there, reverend jackson. >> in some sense, the role of the reason for change is by dr. king. he took the risks. very few presidents are transformative. i would say lbj is in that category, everything from food stamps to title 7, title 9. the right to vote. child nutrition act. few transformative presidents. they use administrators of sorts and politicians. dr. king was freed of that burden and he used it wisely. >> reverend jackson, is there a role in today's world for that

sort of activism? we have occupy wall street happening now. no one has emerged as a charismatic, that's perhaps an overused word. charismatic forceful leader of this new movement. am i kind of thinking of bygone era and are we past the stage where a figure like dr. king needs to emerge, or do you see someone like that emerging? >> do you know, eugene, when dr. king died -- you would be -- many whites had learned to hate him. they had been taught that way. many blacks were afraid of him. as it got more into the war, many church doors closed in his face. he was an unpopular man.

he was -- somehow his unearned suffering and his innocent blood made something form up in us gene. today you have more leaders. i remember you would have to go to detroit to do the big civil rights rally. the mayor, city council people. you have to go to the loa to do the big civil rights rally. today there's four or five generations of leaders at every level of government that the leadership has been -- the field didn't exist. he came on the same -- >> right. that's -- at the same time, these are officials and as you said, administrators and in many ways bureaucrats who are constrained by the structure in a way that dr. king was not. >> well, president obama as a candidate had the gifts, the skills and the timing. he gained more popularity dr.

king never had. because he tore down walls and broke up old structures, he was a -- from -- to being shot. those who build bridges are not as attacked as -- once he became president, being candidate of substantial pure constraint from the candidate than our president. he had the gifts but the predicament is quite different now. >> reverend jesse jackson, we thank you so much for yu time as you make your way to see the president speak at the memorial dedication. thanks for speaking with us. have a great day. eugene robinson, you'll stay with us. you can take a short coffee break. we'll have you back at the top of the hour. we'll invite you to watch the official dedication service of the king memorial. our live coverage begins with eugene's reappearance at the top of the hour. new twists this morning. we'll tell you more about dr. conrad murray's trial after a short break.

and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ for fastidious librarian emily skinner, each day was fueled by thorough preparation for events to come. well somewhere along the way, emily went right on living. but you see, with the help of her raymond james financial advisor, she had planned for every eventuality. ...which meant she continued to have the means to live on... ...even at the ripe old age of 187. life well planned. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. that's why i recommend crest pro-health clinical gum protection. it helps eliminate plaque at the gum line, helping prevent gingivitis. it's even clinically proven to help reverse it in just 4 weeks. crest pro-health clinical gum protection. with advanced power,

the verizon 4g lte network makes your business run faster: smartphones, laptops, tablets, mobile hotspots. but not all 4g is created equal. among the major carriers, only verizon's 4g network is 100% lte, the gold standard of wireless technology. and while other carriers may have limited lte coverage, verizon is the largest lte network in america and ever-growing. with verizon 4g lte, you can invent new ways to upgrade your business using real-time group meetings from remote locations, video conferencing, mobile credit-card payments, lightning-fast downloads, and access to thousands of business apps. plus, verizon has the largest selection of 4g lte devices and the most 4g lte coverage for your business. all on america's fastest, most reliable 4g network. no wonder more businesses choose verizon wireless than any other wireless carrier. verizon. mushroom smothered beef burgers.

hearty chicken and noodle casserole. so easy, you just need campbell's cream of mushroom soup to make them and a hungry family to love them. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

it has been a long time coming. the dedication of the martin luther king, jr. memorial. of course, delayed by the effects of hurricane irene from august. but it is happening today in a very big way. we're going to take you there live after a very short break. we listen to some beautiful music. a cadre of speakers coming up, including the president of the united states. that's coming up on "weekends with alex witt." it's new! ahhh-ahh-ahh!

it's nice 'n easy colorblend foam! permanent color with tones and highlights. now in a delightful foam. just three shakes, foam it, love it! it's foamtastic! new nice 'n easy colorblend foam. your right color. you noticed! these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. set out to create a different kind of cold remedy using powerful medicine and natural ingredients from around the world. he called it vicks vaporub. today, the vicks journey continues. introducing new vicks nature fusion cold & flu syrup. powerful multi-symptom medicine flavored with natural honey instead of artificial flavors and dyes.

so you can feel good about what you take to feel better.

the war of words between the u.s. and iran is escalating over a potential nuclear threat. they denied involvement to -- president ahmadinejad did the same thing today. the new york times report

that analyst evan coleman. good morning to you. >> good morning. the president wants tougher actions on all of this. he also is asking for see kret information from the u.n. from the weapons inspectors as to what iran has right now. >> yeah. it's unclear what this is going to do in terms of resolving the underlying issue, which is the terrorist plot uncovered over the past few months. and it's unclear what additional sanctions would do either. i mean, there are so many sanctions already on iran without the cooperation of states like russia and china and aggressively punishing iran. you kind of wonder at this point, what is the u.n. really going to do that it hasn't already done. >> any reason to believe russia and china would flip previous votes? >> look, i think it really is going to come down on the u.s. being able to substantiate this plot. in the u.s. can provide evidence to saudi arabia, to china and to russia, which is just definitive, i think they'll have a difficulty then. not in terms of responding to but in terms to responding to

the kingdom. they didn't take it likely or kindly. and they won't take it kindly to any state treating this as another development or conspiracy by the united states. to what extent is the united states' credibility tarnished in this arena? we all remember what was happening in 2003, weapons of mass destruction, the push for its existence in iraq. >> this is part of the problem. every since the yellow cake incident and colin powell going to the u.n. and claiming iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the world has been skeptical when the u.s. comes forward with charges like this. there's a slight wrinkle. this is the department of justice, this is not the department of state. doj rarely files charges like this unless they have a ton of evidence. really, it is incumbent upon the u.s. government to come forward with the dee fin sif evidence and really prove its case. not just to the states

themselves. but in a public arena. because that's really, it's very necessary for the u.s. to make sure that its credibility is 100% here. we don't have the luxury of going forward and making charges without substantiating them. evan coleman, great speaking with you. >> thank you very much. we continue to watch the crowds gathering for the dedication of the martin luther king, jr. memorial. our live coverage begins at the top of the hour. as we remember his life and work, here's dr. king in december 1955 speaking in montgomery, alabama, during the bus boycott. >> there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him that it is right. just one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day

helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. [ female announcer ] starbucks via® is planted the same... ♪ ...harvested the same... ♪ ...and roasted the same as our other premium coffees. ♪ it only makes sense it would taste the same. so, try it for yourself. buy a pack of 100% natural starbucks via® ready brew. we promise you'll love it or we'll send you a bag of starbucks coffee. it's the starbucks via® taste promise.

look for it at starbucks stores and where you buy groceries. when you pour chunky beef with country vegetables soup over it... you can do dinner. four minutes, around four bucks. campbell's chunky. it's amazing what soup can do. ♪♪ [ female announcer ] the road is not exactly a place of intelligence. highway maintenance is underfunded, costing drivers $67 billion a year, and countless tires. which drivers never actually check because they're busy, checking email. this is why we engineered a car that makes 2,000 decisions every second. the new audi a6 is here. the road is now an intelligent place. ♪

so i come back to alabama 12

years after we started here dealing with the humiliation of the system of segregation saying that we must move to a new level now and grapple with the economic problem facing negros all over our country. >> he inspired the nation and gave courage to millions. today in washington, it is the dedication of the martin luther king, jr. memorial. it's a moment to reflect and to rekindle the spirit of the man, his compassion and his priorities. >> i hear my father saying, what we are seeing now all across the streets of america and the world is a freedom explosion. the deep rumbling of discontent that we hear today is the thunder of disinherited masses rising from dun johns of oppression to the bright heels of freedom. >> we must stand up for social

and economic justice. i know we're here to celebrate of life of my father and commemorate my father, but we need to try to live like him, to love like him and to care like him. >> keep protesting, remain nonviolent, stay disciplined, stay focused. don't just fortify the system, restructure it. march on for an even playing field, public rules, clear goals, fair referees and transparency. >> people ask me over and over again, whether the election of barack obama is a full fillment of martin luther king, jr. dream. i only said no, it's just a downpayment. we're not there yet. we're not there yet. >> good morning everyone. i'm alex witt. welcome to our coverage of the dedication ceremony for the new martin luther king, jr. national memorial. what you saw there was a sampling of speeches from the early portion of the program. but in the hour ahead, we'll hear from the president with the keynote address.

today's ceremony will also include a video of dr. king's i have a dream speech as well as a musical performance by aretha franklin. in a few minutes, the opening remarks will lead up to the president. we'll bring that to you live. first, i'm joined by ms nbc melissa harris perry and professor at tulane university as well as analyst eugene robinson, a columnist for the washington post. esteemed guests. perfect having you. melissa, the first question to you. it feels like this dedication has been a long time coming. why now? >> certainly the dedication itself has been a long time coming because of the hurricane. >> delayed because of the hurricane. >> the idea of having this particular memorial to this american individual is really historic for lots of different reasons. think about the mall. think about the memorials that exist on the mall. they're either to american presidents or they're to the ebbs tent they're to ordinary

americans, they are to soldiers for the most part. to those who risked their lives to protect their country in the context of foreign wars. this is the first time that any individual of any race has been dedicated on the mall on federal land in this way for working to protect his country on the inside. in other words, from doing the work of actually helping the country to become more fully itself, more fully american, more fully encompassing its own promise through the work of social action. so it's a pretty extraordinary moment. >> just to that, though, i think i would add a slightly different twist. because the memorials to presidents are also to ideas. they're also -- and the jefferson memorial is a memorial to his soaring words about freedom and lincoln, the union, the preservation of the union. and of course, washington, the

founding of the country and its ideals. in that sense, the king memorial fits into that continuum because it is a memorial to this idea of justice. of justice for all. regardless of color. in that sense, i think it took time perhaps for that idea to become as cemented enough in the american consciousness and the american way of life so that we could have this memorial. >> i know. i think about the man and certainly the memorial being appropriate to him. but to pick up on your point about soldiers, he was a soldier. this was a fight. this was a battle that he was in 24/7, an uphill one. the end of which by many people's accounts has yet to be resolved. >> sure. i mean, he said that when he was to be remembered, he wanted to be remembered not for his nobel prizes or for his

accomplishments in the academy or in political life but rather as a drum major for justice. he wanted to be remembered for precisely these ideas. i think it's important also for us to recall that he is perhaps our leading figure in this movement. but just as soldiers are always there together with everyone who is doing the work, so too was king one of the most critical voices, one of the most identifiable but only one of all of this kind of infantry of people who had been doing this work both before him and continue this work after him. >> eugene, i want to ask you about the significance of having an african-american president, being present here at this dedication. you and i were speaking last hour with reverend jesse jackson. we brought those pictures back from grant park in chicago the night of the election 2008. he was crying. there was so much passion that he brought to that evening, the emotion for him because he was talking about all the backs upon

which this president was standing. >> absolutely. when you think back to 1968, you think of dr. king's assassination. where the nation was then. the idea that there would be a black president of the united states is -- you wouldn't -- it's not even unthinkable. it wasn't even unthinkable. because you wouldn't have thought about it. you wouldn't have said it couldn't happen, because you wouldn't have entertained the possibility. >> yeah. >> and i too think of that image of reverend jackson when i saw him in the park with the tears streaming down his face. i thought of him on that balcony of the lorraine motel. the next day, i was writing a column about election night and found tears streaming down my face as i thought about just the emotion, the historic emotion of the moment. >> that's why your columns are so good. you really get into that. that's part of the deal. we got that.

>> i can't do that with all of them. when i think about monuments, melissa and this one in particular, there's a sense of permanence there. >> yeah. >> this takes up the space, it is strong, bold and yet as eugene referenced earlier, there's a serenity and peace from it as well. when you talk about the permanence of dr. martin luther king and the way we think about him, isn't it still evolving the way we look at him and reflect on him? >> i actually hope so. in fact, i think it would be a tragedy if, by casting him in stone, we actually cast him in stone historically. he was an incredibly complex thinker. he was an intellectual as well as a political leader. so, you know, you always -- when you talk about king, you need to say king when? in the mid 1950s. the 1960s, the end of his life. he is an evolving thinker. in part because he's a symbol. the different symbols we need, we'll make differing use of him. obviously, he's a symbol over

which we fight. there's a way in which both the left an the right, for example, use the language of content of their character to support very different kinds of public policies for example. it's important that we continue to engage not only king but jefferson. >> exactly. >> and washington and lincoln. all of those. >> right. we have same fights over jefferson and lincoln, over washington. we'll fight over king as well. it gives you a sense of the size, i think, and the scope and importance of his legacy. >> one with thing we won't fight about is how bernice, dr. king's daughter paid tribute this morning to her mother's effort to preserve her father's legacy. let's take a listen to thatment. >> in many respects, she paved the way and made it possible for a man who was the most hated man in america in 1968 to now be one of the most revered and loved men in the world.

>> talk about that. eugene, he was vastly unpopular at the time. >> he was -- >> he was feared by so many. >> he was sort of beset on all sides. obviously, there were those who from the beginning hated him and everything he stood for. also, he was under pressure from african-americans who saw not enough progress. who wanted to push harder. malcolm x said, it's criminal to teach a man who is being brutaliz brutalized not to strike back. the black power movement was rising. there were moments when he felt leery and when he said why am i doing this? yet, he persevered. at one point he said, well, i think that and then i feel the holy spirit again. i go back at it. he did persist until the end. but yes,he was not at his moment

of peak popularity. in fact, he was arguably on the decline of his popularity when he was killed. >> there's analogy to be made, melissa, with the black community in america putting this same sentiment on president obama. the hope, the change we can believe in, in 2008 and now there's a level of discontent. i mean, are there parallels to be drawn here and that perhaps down the road they will look and see the tremendous advantage that -- and paving the way that president obama has made and it will be a little bit softer on reflection. >> i think we want to be careful on the parallels that we draw between dr. king and president obama. >> in terms of likability. people wanting an expecting more from him. >> right. >> we want to be really careful. i want to kind of put that out there. i suppose history tends to be kinder to our great leaders who were reviled in the moment of

their leadership in general. i think it's generally true that when you're doing the work, whether it's electoral, political work, whether it's leading an organization in the way that king did that history can look back and remember your accomplishments. i was speaking earlier on chris hayes' show that it's important to remember that in 1967 after the passage of the civil rights act in '64, after the voting rights act, king writes where do we go from here, chaos or community? so even after he's accomplished all of the things that we think of as the capstone civil rights legislative accomplishments, he's pausing and having exactly this sort of moment that gene was talking about of saying is it possible that we're about to decline into chaos? and now we look back and remember those previous accomplishment as the great accomplishments of his time. >> it took a while for the accomplishments to filter down, for example to orangeburg, south carolina, where news of brown versus board of education seems to have been delivered by pony

express or something. didn't get there for a while. just about president obama, i think you have -- his place in the history books is secure and was secure on election night really. the first black president and so that's kind of already there. it's going to take, i think, much longer for us to figure out what his ultimate legacy is. >> but it is hard to look at this particular event without considering the struggles going on right now. the record unemployment, the housing crisis. does the broader context change the tone of what's happening today at all? >> i think it does in a way. thinking of dr. king gives sort of another touchstone, another reference point for the demonstrations that are taking place for the general economic climate that we're in now where rich get richer, poor get poorer. and i keep wondering if we're not at a moment of when the

atmosphere changes and kind of general feelings about how should the economy be structured. how -- what do we think about wealth and class and how do we see our future. i think there's a change happening. it's not going to be clear for a while. >> i mean, take the grant park memories that you're having a few years ago and now the occupy movement, apparently a hundred people arrested in grant park. we were just talking about sort of how it felt to weep on that night around the symbol i am of the election of the first black president. in certain ways maybe it's better that the king memorial occurs today rather than in august. that it's occurring in the context of the occupy movement because there is a kind of touchstone moment here to remember, for example, that king is leading that civil rights movement and having -- when he

has a friend in the white house. lbj is undoubtedly a friend in the white house, yet he gives that speech in riverside church, that anti-war speech against a war that is his friendly president's war. his friendly president to help pass this critical legislation and so maybe there is an important model here about the end of king's life and how we can simultaneously support and engage an administration that is on the one hand doing many important things but also may be falling short of the goals of a larger pop list movement. >> i appreciate your point about the occupy wall street movement. i know in the march, many of the demonstrators in d.c. joined the throngs, i i'm sure many are here as well. we're going to take a very short break. things are running a little bit heavy. about half an hour or so behind. that doesn't mean we'll let either of our two esteemed guests take a break. you need to stay right there. short break. we'll be right back with more.

the young people of the occupy movement all over this country and throughout the world are seeking justice, justice for the unemployed, searching for months for jobs and those among them haven't given up in despair. justice for everyone who are simply asking the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. you see, sometimes we get caught up in the brand of my father but we forget to focus on the believes of my father. we're america's natural gas and here's what we did today: supported nearly 3 million steady jobs across our country... ... scientists, technicians, engineers, machinists... ... adding nearly 400 billion dollars to our economy... we're at work providing power to almost a quarter of our homes and businesses... ... and giving us cleaner rides to work and school... and tomorrow, we could do even more.

cleaner, domestic, abundant and creating jobs now. we're america's natural gas. the smarter power, today. learn more at anga.us. [ woman announcing ]bsite there's an easier way. create your own small-business site... with intuit websites. choose a style, customize, publish and get found... from just $7.99 a month. get a 30-day free trial... at intuit.com. gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back! i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up. shouldn't have made it rain. whose non-stop day starts with back pain...

and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪

never confuse hope with desire. they're two different things. desire has an i quality. hope has a we quality. and therefore, genuine hope can never be selfish. dr. martin luther king, jr. speaking back in 1955 there. as we give you a live look at this magnificent memorial, which is officially being dedicated. that service is under way right now, as it has been for a few hours. we've had a number of dignitaries and speakers, lots of beautiful music on this sunday morning. i will say the event is quite profound for those who are taking to the podium. we're running a little bit late, little behind schedule. the president was scheduled to begin speaking about now. nonetheless, we're staying live with this and we'll certainly bring you the president's speech. we have mike viqueira joining us from on the national mall. talk about this morning and the

music itself has got to be so inspiring, let alone all the words. >> reporter: alex, it has been a morning of music, reverence of dr. king and all the things he said. as we heard from the sermon that you played coming in to me. it's also been a moment to think about the principles that dr. king stood for and bringing them up to the present day. to that end we heard fiery rhetoric from bernice king, the daughter of dr. king. reverend bernice king bringing it all back to today. talking about the social injustice that she and many of the other speakers and many in this vast audience on a beautiful day think exists in america today. talking about how the dream, my father talked about the dream and we are still working to accomplish that dream. even though this memorial here is being opened today, there is plenty of work to be done and a lot of speakers picking up on the theme beyond just martin luther king, iii and his sister. we're steps away from the

lincoln memorial, alec. let's talk about the symbolism surrounding this memorial. it was in 1963 that dr. king gave his iconic i have a dream speech. it was august 28th. on the 48th anniversary of the speech, that was the original date, as you know to dedicate, to have this ceremony. it was washed out by hurricane irene. today, seven weeks later, a sublime day. what i want to mention, as part of that speech and the theme of the monument and its design and construction, dr. martin luther king said during that speech, hue from a mountain of despair, a stone of hope. you can see that reflected in the memorial itself. a very large block of granite representing that mountain of despair. the center of which is brought forward towards the horizon. the stone of hope that bears the likeness, the sculpture of dr. martin luther king. as andrew young said a colleague andy sipe will of dr. king, now he's 30 feet tall looking down

on them. >> there's certain poetic justice there. mike, give me an idea of the description of people in the crowd. are there children, are there those you think parents will be bringing them to something like this so they don't forget. as we look at the president, he was just getting to the location there. do you see families together? >> reporter: you know, as i was coming in this morning, at about 7:30, there were -- that was the first thing that struck me. people with young children coming down independence, crossing the mall. alex, i got to tell you, they expected a significantly smaller crowd than they were planning for on august 28th. for obvious reasons a lot of people made special plans to come around from all over the country to attend that. but this is an enormous crowd here. you can see a sea of these white caps of martin luther king, jr. memorial celebrate the dream legacy. all of them wearing that. we have seen a lot of children. we've seen some speakers.

just a moment ago, an emotional speech from a 12-year-old girl speaking of some children who died in a firebombing during the civil rights struggle way back in the '60s. talking about how they wanted to have meaning for their lives and the young girl pledging that her life would be a meaningful one. it really has been an inspirational day. you can hear this music. i mean, it really is a moving ceremony. as you mentioned, the president is on the premises now. the crowd is really working into a fever pitch at this point. >> i can tell you, i feel like i'm in church. i'm being inspired by this. we look to the president as -- a morning in church with his wife and sasha and malia. i believe his mother-in-law is there as well. extended family members. the president is coming over your way. we know he's upcoming to speak. mike, talk about what you expect to hear from the president. have you been given a pre

preview of his remarks. >> no, we haven't. we expect him to speak for 20 minutes. many of the other speakers have noted the symbolism of the first african-american president coming to speak at a memorial here on the national mall, alex. the first such memorial not only for an african-american but for someone who isn't a president. for example, just next door to this memorial is. fdr memorial. this lies on a line midway between the lincoln and jefferson memorials. a lot of people making the obvious reference to the fact that without dr. king, the presidency of barack obama may not have happened at all. >> all right. mike viqueira, thank you very much for giving us a live look at what's going on as we await the president who is on location. he'll be taking to the podium. we'll take you there live of course. we're going to take a short break on "weekends with alex witt." stay with us. we'll be right back. gomery and abigail higgins had...

...a tree that bore the most rare and magical fruit. which provided for their every financial need. and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but with their raymond james financial advisor, they had prepared for even the unthinkable. and they danced. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. until i tried this. nothing helped me beat arthritis pain. it's salonpas. pain relief that works at the site of pain... up to 12 hours. salonpas. i refer to her as "that woman with the great gums." as jill's dentist, i know that her gums are a foundation of a healthy smile. jill knows that, too -- so she uses

crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste. it helps eliminate plaque at the gum line, helping prevent gingivitis. it's even clinically proven to help reverse it in just 4 weeks. and it protects these other areas dentists check most. crest pro-health clinical gum protection. because healthy smiles are built on healthy gums. life opens up when you do.

is teaching my patients how to start taking insulin. and i've learned a lot from patients who use levemir flexpen. flexpen comes pre-filled with my long-acting insulin, and i dial the exact dose of insulin i need. my flexpen is discreet and doesn't need to be refrigerated. and flexpen goes wherever i go. levemir is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not take if your blood sugar is too low. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, such as body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat or sweating. ask your healthcare provider about levemir flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com.

flexpen, insulin delivery that goes with you. we are looking at moimts moments ago as the president and his family were being given a tour of and showing the details around her father's memorial. we're all live on the martin luther king, jr. memorial. the dedication today. a few weeks in coming. it was scheduled for the latter part of august. the 28th to be exact. the anniversary of the civil rights speech, i have a dream there in washington. that was done away with, unfortunately, by hurricane irene and all of its effects. as was noted early on the broadcast by melissa harris perry, it's more poignant that we have the present day occupy wall street demonstrations having gone global an the significant messages from those demonstrators, the i am the 99% all being given voice here as well at this dedication here of

the martin luther king, jr. memorial. so welcome back everyone. i'm alex witt on "weekends with alex witt." our special coverage. we're joined on the set by msnbc analyst eugene robinson and a columnist for the washington post in addition to melissa harris perry, professor of political science at tulane university and columnist for the nation. you think about this president and you heard me ask mike viqueira as to what will be in the president's speech. we were not given a preview of that. there are those who would suggest this is going to be a very passionate speech by the president. he's really going to speak from his heart. that's what his friend and adviser said. >> that's what i would expect. the sense of moment in this occasion is such that i think the president will probably get up there and just express his feelings. >> but look what's happening right now. this is a live picture. the president looking up at that face. i mean, that's got to have just

a profound impact, whether or not he's had the opportunity or this is the first time that he may be right there looking at this monument. the expectation of what he's going to say coming from the heart. certainly not unexpected, that's for certain. i was thinking also about what this moment might be for sasha and malia obama. obviously, the king children who are now obviously adult with their own children. but it must be a particularly sort of important connection between those king children and these obama children in that they grew up in the shadow of a father who did great things, was not just criticized but ultimately assassinated. we don't expect that for president obama. but to be a child who loves a parent who has done great things but is also roundly criticized, i wonder if there is some advice, some giving of --

passing of some historical legacy from the king children to the obama children about what it will mean to grow up with the last name of obama as they did with king. >> it was a bumpy road for the king children. they didn't cruise to where they are now. they all had twists and turns and detours and failures as well as successes. it was a tough road for them. it's a difficult position. >> yeah. but you've got to wonder what malia and sasha must be thinking and how their father -- don't you love thinking about what the president of the united states/their daddy says to them in the car with their magnificent mother coming over here and try to explain what this means to them. you got to bet that all the school kids are talking about it in washington this week. that's for sure i also think about on the sidebar, chelsea clinton these days and how we're looking at her potential future and what she has being the progeny of these two outstanding parents, both of whom had their own rocky roads. not the same that king had himself. but it can be a burden, a boon

and a baine i think for children. >> the picture of the first family walking by the monument, whenever i see a shot like that, i think of how those pictures changed the national consciousness and when you see the first family going out to the helicopter to go to camp david or doing some official ceremony and they're african-american. you know, we're visual creatures. that visual, i think, penetrates our consciousness and changes it in ways that we probably won't appreciate for years. >> in ways that matter. >> i was talking about the fact that the young people i teach in college, came of age, the only secretaries of state are madeline albright, colin powell, condoleeza rice and hillary clinton. only either women, women of color or an african-american man. as secretary of state, right, this is not a small side kind of job. for them to grow up in a world

where the bodies that have these sorts of positions are different. these of course, are both democrats and republicans. i think that it actually does matter for reimagining what constitutes citizenship. >> exactly. >> it matters that this memorial ends up on this mall in part because it says our citizenship story is bigger. it is not just about one race. it would be better if there were more women as well. memorialized on the wall. >> that would be good, wouldn't it? it's a reminder that the year before the mayflower landed, the ship bringing the first slaves to jamestown landed. >> yes. >> 1619. >> i love talking with the two of you. it's like history and politics and sociology mixed into one. i'll ask you to continue waiting with us. we'll ask our viewers to wait as well. we're going to take a very short break and bring you back on the other side of that live to the national mall for the dedication

of the martin luther king, jr. memorial. stay with us. honoring dr. martin luther king is honoring something who fought for change and paid a massive price for it. we model values and moral behavior by the stories that we tell about our past and by the heroes that we honor. in honoring dr. king, we continue to teach the virtue of nonviolent disobedience that he taught the nation. we also honor the things that he taut fought for, the things that we won as a country. the things that he fought for that we have yet to achieve. it is a very proud thing for us to have a grand monument to dr. king in washington, d.c. but it took too long. [ applause ]

all right. the president arriving on stage there. he'll be talking in just a few minutes. we're going to take a short break. stay with us. how about the bt of a healthy heart? campbell's healthy request soup is delicious, and earned this heart, for being heart healthy. ♪ feel the beat? it's amazing what soup can do. whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain.

way to go, coach. ♪

welcome back everyone. the official program has gotten under way. you're listening to her man skip mason. secretary of the interior's ken salazar. introduce to you the honorable ken salazar, secretary of the interior. [ applause ] > . >> thank you, skip and good morning to all of you. on behalf of president obama and the united states department of the interior, i am humbled and honored to celebrate with you the birth of dr. martin luther king, jr. on the national mall as the nation's 395th national park.

[ applause ] in all of our lives, we have seen and understood the legacy of dr. king. that as citizens of earth, we are all one people and have a duty to stand up for equality and justice for all. today the department of interior and the national park service have the honor of serving as one of the custodians of mesh's h america's history. we have a duty to make sure that all of america's story is told, not just a part of it. with the dedication of this memorial, we're honoring a critical chapter in america's story on the march of civil rights and the struggle to create a more perfect union. dr. king pushed the struggle of civil rights for all people into the consciousness of america and the world. millions of disenfranchised americans found new hope, dignity and opportunity to share fully in the blessings of our nation. so as i stand here before you

today as distinguished audience, my president and the first family, my vice president and his family, leaders of the civil rights movement, members of the king family, members of congress and my colleagues on the cabinet, i know we're all indebted to dr. king and those who spearheaded the civil rights movement who came before us. they gave those of us in my generation the opportunity that had been denied to generations before them. i know that we're also painfully aware that dr. king's dream of equality and dig mitt for all people continues to elude us. discrimination is still present in communities and places around our country and around this world. it is also at the root of the divisive battles over immigration here in america. this memorial today stands as a testament to dr. king's struggle for civil rights continues today and is very much alive. that we share his dream that one

day we'll all live in a world where there is dignity, respect and justice for all with no exceptions. when our children and grandchildren visit this place, this memorial, they will share in dr. king's story, which is a story of america. it is a story that teaches us as individuals in the face of long odds and centuries of injustice that people can summon up the courage to change the world. in dr. king's own words, i say to you, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, i still have a dream. it is a dream deeply rooted in the american dream. and in the view of my humble vision, president barack obama is a personification of that american dream. thank you. [ applause ]

ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage, aretha franklin. [ applause ] [ applause ] good morning everyone. what a pleasure it is to be here with you and to be a part of this mag unanimous and most historical day of remembrance

for a man who was so great and so lovely. good morning christine. how are you? i'm going to sing something that dr. king often requested and, as a matter of fact he requested it the morning that he was going to billy kyle's for dinner. may we have the track, please. ♪ good morning. ♪

♪ precious lord, take my, my hand ♪ lead, lord lead me on and let me, let me stand ♪ lord i sometimes i get tired and i am weak ♪ ♪ lord i get worn through the --

lord, lord through the night ♪ ♪ lead me, lord lead me on to the light ♪ ♪ take my, take my hand,precious lord ♪ ♪ and lead, lord lead me home ♪ nprecious, precious lord, yes

sir, lord would you linger near ♪ ♪ and i put my life in your hands ♪ ♪ hear my call call ♪ lest i fall ♪ take my hand, precious lord

and lead, lord lead me home ♪ at the river, at the river, yeah ♪ here i stand, yeah, my feet -- will you, will you, will you hold my hand ♪

oh, precious lord, take my hand ♪ and lead me -- lord lead me home ♪ hallelujah [ applause ] god bless aretha franklin. august 28th, that week we had a

earthquake and then a lady named irene paid us a visit and it was indeed a dark day for me. but joy cometh in the morning and what a glorious morning this is today. as i stand here and look across the transformed landscape, i see a wonderful example of what we can accomplish with this faith and with a stone of hope. we come together today to honor and celebrate the ideals of an humble man who understood that all humanity is linked together. and we come together to dedicate the martin luther king, jr. memorial, our memorial, the world's memorial. many of you seated here throughout this day and throughout this country have

contributed years of your time, talent and money to help us build the memorial we we dedica today. it has been both humbling and up lifting for me to be part of this magnificent undertaking. our hope is that through this memorial, that the king's legacy will continue to touch those who walked with him, those inspired by him, and future generations who will get to know him. on behalf of the martin luther king jr. national memorial project foundation, i want to thank everyone for doing so much so long to help us arrive at this triumphant day in history. once more i thank you to my family and the staff of the mlk memorial, a small group of folks who worked tirelessly to make king's dream a reality right

here at the national mall. so it's indeed with great pleasure and honor that i have to introduce to you the president of the united states, president barack obama. >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you very much. >> thank you. please be seated. an earthquake and a hurricane may have delayed this day, but this is a day that would not be

denied. for this day we celebrate dr. martin luther king jr.'s return to the national mall. in this place, he will stand for all-time. among monuments to those that fathered this nation and those who defended it, a black preacher, no official rank or title, who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas. a man who stirred our conscience, and there by help make our union more perfect. and dr. king would be the first to remind us many this memorial is not for him alone. the movement of which he was a

part depended on an entire generation of leaders. many are here today. for their service and their sacrifice, we owe them our everlasting gratitude. this is a monument to your collective achievement. some giants of the civil rights movement, like rosa parks and dorothy height, benjamin hooks, they have been taken from us these past few years. this monument attests to their strength and their courage, and wil we miss them dearly we know they rest in a better place. and finally, there are the multitudes of men and women whose names never appear in history books. those who marched and those who

sang, those who sat in and those who stood firm, those who organized and those who mobilized, all those men and women who drew countless acts of quiet heroism help bring about changes few thought were even possible. by the thousands, said dr. king, faceless, anonymous, relentless young people, black and white, have taken our whole nation back to the great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the formation of the constitution and the declaration of independence. to those men and women, to those foot soldiers for justice, know that this monument is yours as well. nearly half a century has passed since the historic march on

washington. a day when thousands upon thousands gathered for jobs and for freedom. that is what our schoolchildren remember best when they think of dr. king. his booming voice across this mall calling on america to make freedom a reality for all of god's children, talking about when a day will be turned into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. it's right that we honor that march, and we lift up dr. king's "i have a dream" speech, without dr. king's glorious words we might not have had the courage to come as far as we have. because of that hopeful vision, because of dr. king's moral imagination, barricades began to

fall, and bigotry began to fade. new doors of opportunity swung open for an entire generation. yes, laws changed, but hearts and minds changed as well. look at the faces here around you, and you see in america that is more fair and more free and more just than the one dr. king addressed that day. we are right to savor slow but certain progress, large and small across the nation, every single day as people of all colors and creeds live together and work together and fight alongside one another. and they learn together and build together and love one another. so it is right for us to celebrate today dr. king's

dream, and his vision of unity. and yet it is also important on this day to remind ourselves that such progress did not come easily, that dr. king's faith was a hard one, that it sprung out of a harsh reality and some bitter disappointments. it is right for us to celebrate dr. king's marvelous or tory, but it is worth remembering that his progress did not come from words alone. progress was hard. progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blast of fire hoses, it was bought with days in jail cells, and nights of bomb threats. for every victory during the height of the civil rights

movement there were setbacks and defeats. we forget now, but during his life dr. king was not always considered a unifying figure. even after rising to prominence, and even after winning the nobel peace prize, dr. king was vilified by many, and denounced as a agitator, a communist and radical, and he was even attacked by his own people, by those that felt he was going too fast or those that felt he was going too slow. we know from his own testimony the doubts and the pain this caused him. and that the controversy that would swirl around his actions would last until the fateful day that he died.

i raise all this because nearly 50 years after the march on washington, our work, dr. king's work, is not yet complete. we gather here at a moment of great challenge, and great change. and the first decade of this new century, we have been tested by war and by tragedy, by an economic crisis and its aftermath that have left millions out of work and poverty on the rise and millions more struggling to get by. and before this crisis struck, we had endured a decade of rising inequality and stagnant wages, and too many troubled neighborhoods across the country, and