dr. martin luther king jr.'s speech calling for equality, there has been change on the national level, but what about here in california? political analyst larry gerston joins us with a look at the past century, and what have we seen in terms of racial ecallty in california? >> we have seen change, kris, no doubt, but not without a struggle, lots of struggles. a couple moments come to mind. in 1963, that's the same year as king's speech, the california legislature passed something very innovative, the fair housing act, which made it illegal to discriminate against african-americans and other racial minorities hoping to buy houses. in those days, it was very, very important. in 1964, the voters repealed that act through proposition 14. that was a bitterly contested ballot initiative sponsored by the california real estate association. and just a year or so later in 1966, the state supreme court declared proposition 14 unconstitutional, and in the process, restored the legislation. now, that was an incredibly big

dr. martin luther king shared his dream for america with america. dr.ng was the passionate voice that awakened the conscience of a nation, and inspired people all over the world. the power of his words resonated because they were spoken out of an unwavering belief in freedom and justice equality and opportunity for all. let freedom ring was dr. king's closing call for a better and more just america. so today people from all walks of life will gather at 3:00 p.m. for bell ringing events across our great country and around the world as we reaffirm our commitment to dr. king's ideals. dr. king believed that our destinies are all intertwined, and he knew that our hopes and our dreams are really all the same. he challenged us to see how we all are more alike than we are different. so as the bells of freedom ring today we are hoping that it's a time for all of us to reflect on not only the progress that has been made, and we've made a lot, but on what we have accomplished, and also on the work that still remains before us. it is an opportunity today to recall

dr. martin luther king, jr. that. before kevin finally came home and the first grandchild arrived, before the sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and brad's brief brush with the law... man: smile. before the second british invasion... before katie, debbie, kevin, and brad... before they became a family, there was a connection that started it all and made the future the wonderful thing it turned out to be. we know we're not the center of your life, but we'll do our best to help you connect to what is. >>> the following limited commercial presentation is made possible by bank of america. >>> as dawn broke on washington, d.c., 50 years ago today, no one knew what to expect. dr. martin luther king, junior had been up most of the night in his room writing and rewriting the speech he was to give that day, though the most sub lime passage would never appear on that page. the earliest press reports that morning suggested that only about 25,000 people would show up. organizers of the march on washington for jobs and freedom were ne

dr. martin luther king, jr. delivered those famous four words.housands heading to the national mall to commemorate his iconic "i have a dream" speech >>> the syrian ambassador is asking the word body to investigate his claims that rebels were behind the chemical weapons attack. >>> iran's nuclear program is now expanding. it has installed hundred thousand centrifuges. the stockpile of uranium gas is still below the red line. >>> in new jersey texting while driving could mean fines if you cause an accident, it could mean prison time. and it's not just the drivers that can get in trouble, but the senders as well if they know the person sending the text is behind the wheel. >>> how much would you say for a bowl? a few dollars? how about $10 million? a ware blue and white bowl from china being auctioned off next month, estimated value $10 million. it comes from 15th century china, during the chin wa period. if the bowl is purchased at its estimated price of $10 million that would set a new auction record. and just in case you are curious, it is not m

dr. martin luther king, jr.rested and put in jail in birmingham, alabama, the charge, protesting without a permit. there he writes the famous letter from the birmingham jail that was the moral duty to break unjust laws that images of brutality of broadcast around the world, gaining sympathy thought civil rights movement. naacp field operator medgar evers is murdered outside his home. dr. king gives the speech, that famous i have a dream speech. on july 2, 1964, president johnson signs the civil rights act of 1964, which was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since reconstruction. later today, history will come full circle. president obama is going to address the nation. he is the nation's only black president, and he will speak at the very moment that dr. martin luther king gave his speech. joining us now to assess the king legacy is dr. thomas jackson, a king biographer and associate professor at the university of north carolina. more black men are in jail now than when dr. king was alive, the unemploym

dr. martin luther king's i have a dream speech delivered 50 years ago today. good evening, i'm chris hayes, joining me tonight on this special edition of all in, martin luther king, iii, eleanor holmes norton. and an organizer of the 1963 march. and reverend al sharpton. founder and president of the i have a dream network. your father was speaking to the crowd, he was always -- knew that he had one of the largest audiences he was probably going to have. who was the audience to that speech? >> i think the audience has become different than who it was. that day the audience was not just the crowd, but it was congress. it was the president. it really was a nation. now it's become the world in a real sense. even though it was a dream he shared for this nation. >> there's a repeated return to a very insistent tone, that if you think we're going to blow off steam and go away, he manages to do this in a way that it is very deftly done, but what comes through is, we are not moving. >> one of the things you have to think about, when you hear the speech in its entirety,

dr. martin luther king jr's i have a dream speech. was delivered on the steps of the lincoln memorial. but there was another message from dr. king that historians agree set in motion a revolutionary movement, one which lead to the march on washington. tonight the story of the letter from a birmingham jail. >> when you were coming to birmingham in 1963, you were coming to ku klux klan country. birmingham had nor unsolved bombings of negro homes and churches than any other city in the nation. the ku klux klan and racial segregationalists were not about to let some negro preacher from atlanta or some group of demonstrators either in birmingham or outside the state to come and change their way of life. this is our place. this is our power. how dare you come in and want to take -- share our power from us. >> it was some very dark days in birmingham, alabama. >> in birmingham then the police fear. >> they had intimidated the working black people, and dr. king knew that. the movement was stagnated. it was dead. >> i'm going to say to you, wai

dr. martin luther king in particular.e was convinced the entire movement was a communist front manipulated by russia to overthrow the united states of america. david korn at mother jones magazine published a reminder that two days after the march on washington, two days after the i have a dream speech, the fbi circulated a memo summing up their reaction to the event and how they plan to respond to it. tim winer turned this up for his fbi history. the fbi memo two days after the speech said, in the light of king's powerful demogoging speech, we must mark him now, if we have not done so before, as the most dangerous negro of the future in this nation, from the standpoint of communism, the negro and national security. that memo, the most dangerous negro memo was circulated all over washington, capitol hill to the white house. official washington's view of martin luther king, especially after the i have a dream speech, he was a communistic threat to this nation. the march was in late august, that fbi memo was two days after t

dr. martin the talking. 50 years ago, -- today dr. martin luther king dr. martin luther king dr. august 28th, 1963 dr. martin luther king had a dream. 50 years later, michael yaki is joining us and you are also a member of several rights. this new poll from the washinwashington street journal saying that 54 percent there ithis is a country that people are judged on their character based on their color. and we should add that those percentages have declined since barack obama took office. what do think of the country now? >> there is a lot of hope. however, after the campaign we had people that were emotional and people were chanting racial epithats.. which was not appropriate. however, the tone has changed. you can see like issues for voting, they are really targeting and focusing on the progress made. >> we can see that this file footage is 50 years ago. there were people of all colors that filled the national mall. yet, the affirmative action do you think that the tone has changed because we have an african-american president? >> there is a bit of a division between rich and poo

dr. martin luther king jr.elivered those four famous words, thousands today are on the national mall to look back at his iconic "i have a dream" speech. president obama is set to speak in are a couple of hours--in a f hours. we'll bring that to you live. >>> the syrian ambassador has asked for investigate on chemicals weapons used on the syrian army. >>> iran is expanding it's nuclear program. iran has installed 1,000 centro huges for advanced uranium enrichment, and they are working on a reactor to create a bomb. they stock pile uranium gas still blow the red line israel has referenced that would invoke military action. >>> if you cause an accident, it means that you spend time behind bars, now a state appellate court says it's not those who are reading texts who could be in trouble but the person who sent it as well. if they know the person who received the text is behind the wheel and is still driver. a teen was texting a driver who then crashed into a motorcycle, leaving them with severe leg injuries. >>> t

dr. martin luther king jr.'s legacy, then and now, the highlights of today's big event, remembering the march on washington. you're not made of money, so don't overpay for at insurance. geico, you're not made of money, see how much you could save. too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. >>> welcome back. time for a quick check of the headlines. a military jury is sentencing army staff sergeant robert bills to life in prison for killing 16 afghan civilians. relatives of the victims say they are far from satisfied with the sentence. the south african government saying former president nelson mandela's health has become unstable at times. the 95-year-old antiapartheid leader was admitted to a hospital in june because of a recurring lung infection. >>> and a memorial service held for the mother and brother of hannah anderson today, police saying family friend james dimaggio killed the pair and kidnapped hannah triggeri

dr. martin luther king's. president obama making reviving the middle class his theme not just for today. he will keep it for the tough political fight ahead over the budget. live in washington. i . >>> fewer cops, more counselors. a report sponsored in part by the aclu finds black students in oakland are much more likely to be arrested than their peers. as a result it is recommending the oakland unified school district reduce police officers to patrol in and around schools and hire more school counselors. >> i believe it will not make our schools safer because many black youths in oakland are coming into contact because of stereotypes. >> disagrees when it comes to bhie black youths are arrested more frequently and what more oakland unified can do about the problem. >>> now to a developing story. president obama announced today the u.s. has concluded that the syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack last week that killed hundreds. u.n. inspectors are in syria to investigate the alleged attack.

dr. martin luther king jr.'s legacy, then and now, the highlights of today's big event, remembering the march on washington. you're not made of money, so don't overpay for at insurance. geico, you're not made of money, see how much you could save. too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. >>> welcome back. time for a quick check of the headlines. a military jury is sentencing army staff sergeant robert bills to life in prison for killing 16 afghan civilians. relatives of the victims say they are far from satisfied with the sentence. the south african government saying former president nelson mandela's health has become unstable at times. the 95-year-old antiapartheid leader was admitted to a hospital in june because of a recurring lung infection. >>> and a memorial service held for the mother and brother of hannah anderson today, police saying family friend james dimaggio killed the pair and kidnapped hannah triggeri

dr. martin luther king. he opened by singing an old spiritual here on the stage.n old southern minister himself. let's listen in. >> -- taken down to reedsville penitentiary in the middle of the night and thought it was going to be his last night on earth. he went through the battles and came out victorious. but we knew that the fight was just beginning. and we knew that we had a long, long way to go. and thispove [ dog growls, barks ] bring your dog to work day. not our best idea. [ barking ] george! stop it! stop. oh. it was a nice thought. [ male announcer ] some business decisions are better than others. the best decision is switching to verizon. you're good to go. that was fast! thank you. [ male announcer ] choose verizon fios and get 100% fiber optic fast internet and business class phone both with 99.9% network reliability on an unparalleled fiber network. you'll get consistently fast speeds and unlimited internet usage that's never capped. all for just $99.99 a month with a two year price guarantee. plus get an additional line included. hurry and call 1.8

dr. martin luther king jr. changed history with his i have a dream speech. he had a vision for equality and economic progress and issued a challenge to america -- to live up to its democratic ideals. how does america measure up today? i'll ask our guests, civil rights pioneer and georgia congressman john lewis, mayor of newark, new jersey, cory booker, and develop nor of louisiana, bobby jindal. also, we'll explore the overall state of american dream -- civil rightses, the struggle of the middle classes, issues at the heart of our political debate. our roundtable weighs in. host of msnbc's "politics

dr. martin luther king jr. delivered words that made history. >> because i have a dream. >> reporter: and together, these americans, 250,000 strong, forced action. >> a year later, of course, congress passed in 1964 the civil rights right. >> reporter: d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton was a law student in her 20s at the time, a nonviolent activist and one of the march's few female organizers. >> this was a march in the spirit of non-violence in every sense of the word. it was full of joy and exaltation. finally this was happening. >> reporter: david blaha was among a quarter of the marchers who were white. today he came back with his family including his granddaughter, who is 11 years old, the same age he was on that historic day. what is that like for you as a grandfather? >> well, i'm -- it's very emotional. because i'm thinking when she's my age, she'll have her grandchildren at the 100th. >> while the country has made progress, these marchers say there is more work to do in the wake of trayvon martin, th

dr. martin luther king jr.old us his dream for america, we are reminded of how far we have come and how far we still have to go. just as 50 years ago today started with a march. thousands of people walking, some hand in hand, demanding jobs and justice. >> on the steps of the lincoln memorial where dr. king gave his most famous speech, we heard from congressman john lewis, the last surviving speaker from the 1963 event. members of the king family and former presidents bill clinton and jimmy carter also addressed the crowd. >> bells rang across this country at 3:00 this afternoon. 50 years after dr. king called upon america to let freedom ring. president obama honored those who marched for all that we have today but he also said the march isn't over. >> the universe may bend toward justice but it doesn't bend on its own. to secure the gains this country has made requires constant vigilance not complacency. whether by challenging those who erect new barriers to the vote or ensuring that the scales of justice work

dr. martin luther king, jr. delivered his landmark speech. >> i have a dream today! orter: president obama stood in the same spot where dr. king addressed a crowd of 250,000 in 1963. >> because they marched city councils changed and state legislatures changed and congress changed and, yes, eventually the white house changed. >> reporter: those here 50 years ago echoed calls to keep king's dream alive. >> we must never, ever give up. we must never, ever give in. we must keep the faith and keep our eyes on the prize. >> reporter: tens of thousands joined together in the rain for speeches, music and dance on the national mall. many weren't alive when king gave voice to the struggle for racial equality and others are civil rights veterans. this person helped organize the lunch counter sit-ins in mississippi. >> i had my arm in dr. king's and that was special. >> reporter: hundreds commemorated the 1963 march for jobs and freedom with a march through the streets of washington. >> this march and that speech changed america. >> reporter: a half century later, it was a day to

dr. martin king, jr.'s historic speech. really begins with what happened after the speech. >> thank god almighty. >> reporter: it was the place going berserk. what happened then? >> people started to stand and i walked over and he was just folding the paper and i said dr. king can i have that copy of the speech. >> reporter: did he hesitate? >> he turned and handed it to me, just as he did, a rabbi came and congratulated him and it was over. >> reporter: the words dr. king spoke that day are legendary but as for the three pages they were written on, rabbling took them away in a biography of truman. he embarked as a successful career of a basketball coach. >> for over 20 years i never looked at the speech again. >> then one day in 18984, local news paper reporter interviewed raveling about the significance of being the first african american coach at iowa. >> he said to me, "were you ever involved in civil rights movement?" i told him the story and said you have the speech. >> reporter: they found the speech where he left it

dr. martin luther king. >> something you may not have known about dr.e a dream" speech revealed 50 years after it was delivered. >>> in the next half hour, how kate, the duchess of cambridge, is trying to be a normal, everyday mom. you are watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world n ♪ we shall overcome someday >>> the year was 1963. dr. martin luther king jr. had distinguished himself as a towering force in the civil rights movement. >> pressure was on to deliver a transformative speech. he had to try something new, but the words "i have a dream" were practically an afterthought. abc's diane sawyer has the story. ♪ freedom >> reporter: at the feet of abraham lincoln they sang and they waited. offstage, the 34-year-old reverend martin luther king seemed a little tired as he told abc news he hoped to reach the hearts of good people of all races everywhere. >> now that conscience allows and is a result of this discipline, dignified and determined protest and demand for freedom now. >> reporter: but at first when king walked to the podium he seemed re

dr. martin luther king jr.elivered words that made history. >> because i have a dream. >> reporter: and together, these americans, 250,000 strong, forced action. >> a year later, of course, congress passed in 1964 the civil rights right. >> reporter: d.c. delegate eleanor norton was a nonviolent activist and one of the march's few female organizers. >> this was a march in the spirit of non-violence in every sense of the word. it was full of joy and ex-ali exaltation. >> reporter: david blaha was among a quarter of the marchers who were white. today he came back with his family including his granddaughter, who is 11 years old, the same age he was on that historic day. what is that like for you as a grandfather? >> well, i'm -- it's very emotional. because i'm thinking when she's my age, she'll have her grandchildren at the 100th. >> while the country has made progress these marchers say there is more work to do in the wake of trayvon martin, the supreme court's decision to scale back the voting rights act and wi

dr. martin luther king jr.'s dream alive. >> i am joined by one of the courageous young men standing up for his education, ajean johnson. he is a chicago public schools student is and speaker at today's march with his mother, shonice reynolds and randi weingarten. congratulations. 50 years ago, john lewis was 23 years old, the congressman, he was the youngest person ever to speak at the rally and now you have that dubious distinction. and you had a lot to say. ajean, congratulations. what was it like standing up there on the mall the in front of all of these folks? >> i felt pretty proud of myself, just to know that i have changed the world and i have made a big difference in my life. >> well, it has made a big difference. where do you get the guts at a young age to speak up, at the age of 9 years old, getting up there and telling it lying it is? >> well, i think i get it from my parents and my great grandfather. he was at this march when dr. martin luther king spoke. i feel really proud to know that my grandfat

dr. martin luther king's speech for the ages. doug mckelway live from the washington monument with more details. what's the atmosphere there? >> just a spectacular crowd here, kelly. a huge, huge crowd. you know, i often wonder what the reverend dr. king would think if he were to step into a time machine and plopped down at this time and place today. one thing that he would notice, just -- about three, four blocks behind me, is a brand-new monument carved in stone and likeness, memory. standing alongside those in washington, jefferson and lincoln. another thing he would notice is that huge crowd. probably rivals of that of the day he spoke here in 1963. there are no official crowd estimates, national park service doesn't do that after being criticized by overestimates some crowds and underestimating other crowds. he would be saddened by some of the sacrifices so many people made to get to this point in time. people like herbert jackson. elderly man i spoke to today from houston, texas, who described to me as a little boy, he had

dr. martin luther king's speech. look under hot topics. >>> the federal government released a claim that it failed, claiming two protests including antisemetism speech. the u.s. department of investigation concluded the protests are constitutionally protected teach. the student's lawyer is considering an appeal. >>> a military jury sentenced major nidal has an to death. -- hasan to death. he will now know transferred to the prison at fort levenworth kansas. his automatic appeals are expected to take several years. >> a group of hackers is claiming responsibility for the cyber attack on the new york times. >> the site was down for several hours today. it warned on twitter that, quote, the media is going down. the hackers also managed to tamper with twitter's administrative administration. >>> san francisco twitter is expanding making a deal with the new york company called trender. trend are says it tracks what people are saying on social media about tv content and providing that information in real time. wall street

dr. martin luther king jr. delivered the historic speech. organizers expect thousands to turnout to show that dr. king's dream still lives on. a day will begin with prayer at the shiloh baptist church. >> we were behind where dr. king's shoulder is, we were close enough to be able to hear all the speeches. >> lynn was just 16 when she attended the 1963 march on washington, dc, and hopes today's speeches inspire younger generations to keep fighting for justice. >> what is disturbing is to see that even with the black president we still have a long way to go. >> congressman john lewis a young student agoer and a line still resonates. >> "let freedom ring." people across america if their hearts believe freedom should ring for everyone. >> this afternoon, bells from church towers this washington to government buildings an the world will ring in honor of the famous phrase "let freedom read." >> thank you very much. stay with abc7 news and we have continuing cork on the march on washington the 50th anniversary when president obama speaks from the

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dr. martin luther king, jr. spoke at the lincoln memorial, president obama and other dignitaries will stand on the same steps to commemorate the march on washington, the same steps where dr. king delivered his "i have a dream" speech to a quarter of a million people and thousands are expected to gather there today. we will have much more on today's events throughout our time on the air. >> top story now. a fox news alert. preparations for a strike on syria. right now u.s.-led air or missile strikes, they're looking all but certainty point. the timing is still unclear but the obama administration is working out we're told all the details. the u.n. security council, set for a showdown. and britain is saying it will put forward a resolution seeking authorization for military action. russia calling the move premature. and american ally israel is bracing for possible retaliation. it is already been threatened. all of this happening as u.n. chemical weapons inspectors in damascus are saying they need at least four more

dr. martin luther king was invited to come to birmingham to help with the situation. >> as difficult as it is we must meet hate with love. >> dr. king was arrested on good friday, april 12, 1 19 1963. he was jailed for parading without a permit. he said have you seen this? i said what is this? he holds up a newspaper and in that newspaper there is a full-page ad signed by eight prominent white clergy men from birmingham. he was angry, he was hurt, but he was motivated like i'd never seen him motivated. i didn't pay any tensio attentio the letter. didn't even think about it. it was not in my mind until i suddenly learned that i think the quakers were going to public the letter in one of their newsletters, and that the letter using today's terminology, the letter went viral. >> i think the most important document of the 20th century, very much like the gettysburg address. >> dear fellow clergymen, while sitting in the birmingham jail i read your letter calling our activities unwise and untimely. >> your statements i'm sorry to say fail to express a similar concern but the conditions tha t de

dr. martin luther king jr. delivered his i have a dream speech. you would hear from the reverend holder, then, eric reverend al sharpton, among others as a picture butte to the events of the day -- as they pay tribute to the events of the day. >> for those of us from the south, 50 years ago we received our marching orders when dr. martin luther king jr. quote it the prophet isaiah, i have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill should be made low and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the lord should be revealed and all flesh. and this is the faith that we go back to the south with and those are our marching orders and this is the faith that we go back to the south with. yes, the south. where some are still trying to fight the civil war. where we areh witnessing this vicious attack on voters, voting rights, and the blatant voting suppression i .ne particular political party yes, the south where young teenage african-american boys cannot walk the streets of his fa

dr. martin luther king told hundreds of thousands he had a dream. the first black president will remember king's live and legacy standing in almost the very same spot at the lincoln memorial as we look at that live right now. president obama will be joined by former presidents clinton and carter and celebrity rights and leaders as well. 50 years after one of the greatest speeches in political history, the president is expected to touch on the very same themes of justice and equality and opportunity. he will praise how far we have come but acknowledge how far we have left to go. perhaps he'll take a page from dr. king's book and transform words we have heard so many times into something unforgettable. "my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee i sing. land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." >> let freedom ring. the theme for today's event as the president prepares for this speech, he'll also be juggling everything else that is going on around the world. topping that list is sy

dr. martin luther king jr. his famous i have a dream speech on the steps of the lincoln memorial, today thousands rallied in washington paying tribute to historic anniversary. today's march is not just about martin luther king jr. it's about remembering and paying tribute to an unforgettable moment in time when the civil rights movement was the national conversation. cnn's chris lawrence has extraordinary moments from today's march on washington. >> reporter: for thousands of people from all over the world each with their own story to tell and reason for coming here, it's hard to sum it all up, so here's a look at some of the sights and sounds from today's event at the national mall. >> keep dreaming of the constitutional right to vote, stop the madness in texas, keep dreaming. keep dreaming about the war in poverty. keep dreaming. to go from stop and frisk to stop and employ. stop and educate. stop and house. stop and choose schools over jails. keep dreaming. >> as we gather today, 50 years later, their march

dr. martin luther king, jr. and other leaders that would become icons.t saturday's rally to kick off the 50th anniversary, johnson wears the pin she got at the first march in 1963. >> it was just a warm feeling then and it's a warm feeling noup. -- now. and i'm pleased to come and commemorate dr. martin luther king. >> thousands gathered for a celebration of freedom in washington, d.c. passionate speakers paid tribute to those who fought for racial quality and those who continue to fight for various issues. > he says there has been a lot of progress in the passing time and change moving forward is everyone's responsibility. >> all of us, it doesn't matter whether we're black or white, latino or native american. it doesn't matter whether we are straight or gay, we are one people, we are one family, we are one house. we all live in the same house. >> a march and anthem reminiscent of the scene five decades ago. a memory cher risched to this day. >> this day made everything we went through. it's a blessing. president obama and form irpresident clinton and c

dr. martin luther king, jr. e of that era's preeminent pas pacifists on the of military action on syria and the many trayvon martin t-shirts and people saying i am trayvon martin and the president last spring said if he had a son it would look like trayvon martin. that resonates with this crowd today but it offends many many other americans and the president has to strike that balance. one other aside quickly, a lot of gospel music you can hear in the background. that was something that was absent in 1963, when most of the music was provided by white folk singers, people like jo ann bye's and others who expressed concern for singing. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. >> joining us to reflect on the past 50 years, dr. ben carson, professor emeritus at hopkins university author of america the beautiful. and mayrilyn williams, attorney and host. welcome to you both. dr. carson, i know you have written a piece looking over the last 50 years and what has progressed and hasn't. let's look at a lot of positive strides. i kn

dr. martin luther king jr. delivered his iconic "i have a dream" speech. today, president obama plans to honor the man and his legacy. nbc's tracie potts is on the national mall. any early arrivers you've seen this yet. >> reporter: richard, good morning. on the national mall to show you where everything is happening today, president obama delivering a speech on the same steps of the lincoln memorial where dr. king delivered his "i have a dream" speech. thousands moving to the memorial for that and on the tom joyner radio program the president talked about what he is go to say "when it comes to the economy, when it comes to inequality, whether it comes to wealth when, it comes to, you know, the challenges that inner cities experience, he would say that we have not made as much progress as the civil and social progress that we've made and that it's not enough just to have a black president". >> reporter: and take a look at this. the bell from the 16th street baptist church in birmingham has been brought in to be part of the program. it's the bell that rung

dr. martin luther king jr. re back today, retraitsing the steps taken by a quarter million americans seeking equality and jobs. it's also today where the first african-american president, arguably the personification of dr. king's dream addressed the crowd in the shadow of greatness. dr. king's speech was incredibly just under 17 minutes long. 1651 words, he was only 34 years old. a speech delivered in a different age at the time carried by just a few networks without the power of the internet or twitter or facebook to help spread that message. it is a speech that the king family closely protects, making sure to preserve the legacy of an iconic leader. now, 50 years later, on this historic anniversary as we remember that pivotal moment msnbc has the opportunity to share those remarks in their entirety. >> i am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. >> five score years ago, a great american, in whose symbolic shadow we s

dr. martin. sorry--ellingham. dr. ellingham. hello. >> it's fine, dad. >> let's go around to the car and put him inside. >> you know, your father's condition is probably treatable. has he been like this long? been getting worse lately? >> yeah, he was getting worse, you know? all the mood swings and all, just-- [wallace sighs] he usually got better quicker than this. >> they always this bad? >> no, it was never really this bad. and i didn't know what to do. i was just trying to--trying to look after him--after all of us. >> wallace, what about your mother? >> she left us. we haven't heard from her in about--i don't know--8 years? and dad was worried we were going to get taken into care, see? he just wanted to make us like a normal family, like everyone else. >> right. >> watch your head. >> you're a good boy. you give your mom a hug. >> i've never seen that before. >> hmm. >> what do you think happened? >> it appears to be a disorder precipitated by abandonment. >> he was trying to be doreen? >> well, i think the trauma of her l

dr. martin luther king jr. was born in 1929 in atlanta, georgia. he became a leader who dedicated his whole life to fighting racial discrimination. he delivered his "i have a dream" speech at the lincoln memorial in washington, d.c., on august 28th, 1963. >> i have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. i have a dream today. >> his historic speech electrified millions of americans who were fighting for civil rights. he received the nobel peace prize the following year for his tireless work, but during a visit to tennessee in 1968 he was shot and killed. he was just 39 years old. on saturday, thousands gathered in washington to commemorate his historic speech. >>> the vision laid out by dr. king has been remembered and celebrated around the world. in tokyo, a concert was held to honor his dream. ezra brown is a saxophone player from the state of mississippi. he arrived in tokyo on august 28th to commemorate the historic day. th

dr. martin luther king spoke 50 years ago. >> do americans feel the division martin luther king laid out has been real honest? >> i talked to amanda earlier today who said dr. martin luther king would have never, ever imagined speaking of an african- american president because he would've never thought it would come true within 50 years, yet here we are. on the other side, many feel the dream is still unfulfilled and parts. current things contribute to that, for example, a young african-american teenager got shot in 2012 in florida. the verdict this year was that he was not -- that he was shot in different -- in self-defense and many people in america feel it would have been different if it was a white teenager. as the supreme court overturned a very important piece of legislation -- the voting rights act which helped african- americans to vote area does, that is why many say here that the dream has come a long way but there are still a long way to go. >> max, thank you very much. >> when martin luther king gave that spake -- that speech 50 years ago, many like people -- a shot at the wh

dr. martin they were inspired by the march on washington and dr. king's speech which subsequently has passed on to me. my mother was among the 200,000 people who joined dr. martin luther king on the march on washington 50 years ago and stood up for the rights for freedom.as a teenager growing up in washington as a teenager growing up in washington dc, she and her church did people demonstrations leading up to the march in washington where they would go in front of the white house. you have to remember, the time. this was the time they would go there and racial epithets were thrown at them and people would come up and spit on them and they had to practice turning the other cheek. a very very scary time.but both of my parents, made me fully aware of the importance of that speech and importance of education and but both of my parents, made me fully aware of the importance of that speech and importance of education and the future of black america. as the first woman's and african-american city administrator i bow to do the best job i can possibly do fo

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dr. martin luther king jr. walked in and he said i just left your hometown, and i'll never forget, he said your parents wanted me to check on you to make sure you guys were okay. are you guys okay? and sat down and talked with us for 20, 30 minutes. he wanted to know what our dreams and thoughts were, what did we want to do, what we wanted to be. >>> coming up, worrying about the worst. >> they put the national guard on standby. they had a draft drawn up declaring marshal law. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. live the regular life. phillips'. >>> freedom now movement, hear me, we are requesting all citizens to move into washington to go by plane, by car, bus, any way that you can get there. walk if necessary. please join. go to washington. >> while we have a feel for 100,000, and i think we'll have that many and go over that figure. >> bayard rustin