>> athena jones, thanks so much, the mall on washington. >> among the crowd there, martin luther king iii, he was there at the rally. before he took off for washington, i spoke with him as well as his sister, reverend bernice king. they drew parallels between the occupy movement and the civil rights movement. >> certainly, we have to applaud young people. number one, because the modern civil rights movement was basically young folk. >> so you see some real parallels between the civil rights movement that your dad and many others, foot soldiers, were involved in. you see the parallels with the "occupy wall street"? >> i certainly see that a movement could evolve from what they are doing. and my prayer is that it always stays nonviolent. if it reverts to violence, that would be terrible but i don't see that happening. >> at the root of both movements, we are talking the frustration of economic disparities, do you think that when you see some of the young people and people of all ages, not just young people but people right in the middle, people who are older, some who have jobs, some who do

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martin luther king iii, on the dedication and keeping the dream alive. "politics nation" starts right now. >>> welcome to "politics nation." i'm al sharpton live from washington, d.c. tonight's lead, republicans are trying to put this economy in reverse. this week, republicans voted against putting nearly 2 million americans back to work. but hear, at least they're consistent. remember this?

martin luther king jr. the civil right's leader memorial was dedicated in washington this morning. i talked with martin luther king iii his sister the reverend berniece king about his father's legacy and what the memorial means to them after 14 years in the making. >> this particular monument took less time than most of them. if not all of them. so i think that speaks volumes, that we were able to move it along in that time period. but, you know, it's the irony is, that his life span in terms of impact in this world was just about 14 years. so there's some kind of parallel to the work that he did as well. >> and more of my interview with the king children coming up. >>> a look at our top stories right now. missouri governor jay nixon is calling for help in the search for a missing 10-month-old baby. nixon is ordering national guard troops to kansas city to help police. 25 soldiers will be deployed for at least one day. we'll speaks to the fbi about the search for lisa irwin in about 15 minutes. >>> the fbi is investigating after a dead newborn was found in a guest cabin on board a carnival cruise ship. the ship was do

martin luther king iii.ou saw it for first time, what was the emotion you felt? >> the emotion i will characterize by words of our daughter, our daughter is 3 years old. and we took her back in may before the monument actually opened. and this is what is amazing about it is exactly how i felt. she said i'm not going to cry. i said, andrea, what did she just say? just as i said, she said it again, i'm not going to cry. she looked up at the monument and said this is awesome. >> it seems like a very poignant location. near the tidal basin. when people go there, whether for the cherry blossoms in the spring or they're running, it is a very peaceful place. and generally it is a place where people keep moving. but now it seems there is a place where you stop, where you take a pause. is that fitting? is that symbolic of who your dad is? >> well, it certainly is. dad was always reflective and -- but he would also warn us not to get caught up in the paralysis of analysis. and we always need to analyze what the situat

. >>> martin luther king iii is also at the d.c. rally. oke with him and his sister reverend bernice king this week. and they see parallels between the occupy protest and the civil rights movement. >> i mean, i certainly think we have implored young people, number one, because the modern civil rights movement was basically young folk. dad was -- >> you see some real parallels between the civil rights movement that your dad and many others, foot soldiers, were involved in, and you see the parallels with the occupy wall street. >> i certainly see that a movement could evolve from what they are doing. and my prayer is that it always stays non-violent. if it reverts to violence, that would be terrible. but i don't see that happening. >> and at the root of both movements, we're talking frustration of economic disparities. do you think that when you see some of the young people -- and people of all ages. not just young people, but people right in the middle, people who are older, some who have jobs, some who don't, et cetera. when they're out the

king's eldest son, martin luther king iii, daughter and youngest child, reverend bernice king and dr. love you! >> thank you. thank you, mr. bond, king family, alpha by alpha and martin luther king's dedication staff, all and all of you assembled here today. i stand before you today as the person who knew martin luther king jr. longer than anyone now alive. in fact, i was there in our home the day that he was born on january 15, 1929. he was my little brother and i watched him grow and develop into a man who was destined for a very special kind of greatness. it's been quite a journey from that cold january day more than 82 years ago on down to today when i first laid my eyes on my baby brother. now, i'm standing here alongside an african-american president at the dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial on the national mall. during my life, i've witnessed a baby become a great hero to humanity, who provides hope and inspiration for freedom loving people everywhere. so i just want to say to all of the young people coming up, great dreams can come true and america is a place wh

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

recently i spoke with ber niece king and martin luther king iii, king's children. >> my point of view-- >> the movement. >> that we've not seen the play. we certainly have seen the script. >> what did you think of the script? >> it's a fictitious production which means that it, you know, the actual writer created a lot of things and nobody actually knows what happened that night. so, i don't know if it's -- i think it's difficult to really create what -- recreate what happens. >> is that bothersome? >> there's a body of work of great work, of who dad was and i believe there's another production as well that actually talks about it. why would you need to make up something that you think may have happened when there's so much already that exists that did happen and people do not know about. so, you know, i think, you know, i applaud the effort. >> what happens in a case like that? can you say, you know what, this really isn't the image that we want anyone to capitalize off? do you feel like as the protectors of your dad's image, of his name, that you're able to do that or because he's a

watching, this is a fantastic day, the atmosphere has been very electric and super charged when martin luther king iii spoke as well as bernice -- reverend bernice king, those are two of the four children of dr. martin luther king and coretta scott king. when they spoke, the crowd just was actually swooning for them because of what they had to say. so eloquently speaking about their father and remembering him. but earlier in the morning, i had the privilege of speaking with reverend jesse jackson, a man who walked and talked with dr. king and this is what he says. >> in jamestown, virginia, where slaves landed to this place 132 miles, to go from the ships to have the statue erected between presidents jefferson and lincoln and washington, that's a big deal. >> reverend jackson reflecting on what this deal is to him, now seeing this dedication taking place. he says it brings everything full circle but there's much work to be done in terms of achieving his dream. eric? >> dan rather was speaking, he covered the civil rights movement and you grew up, kelly, during the civil rights era and we've seen dr. k

martin luther king jr. among those in attendance is dr. king's son, martin luther king iii> the fundraiser turns a tragedy when they get into the fatal crash. >> reporter: it's called the love ride because thousands of cyclists will give them heart and time to fight against autism. but this year as they road the i-5 from glendale over towards the lake, hearts were broken when they saw two of their own on the asphalt near the exit. >> as we were riding, tears are just where streaming down my face, hitting my shield. it was pretty emotional. >> reporter: traffic backed up for miles as cyclists scattered about, and too many became drive-by witnesses. >> the freeways are insane out there sometime. people are in a hurry. >> i see the truck veered over there. the biker didn't have a chance. >> reporter: one bike carrying the woman and man, age is unknown. neither survived. >> the coroner is conducting their investigation, and for their investigation, statements will be taken. >> it seems like an older couple on the bike, knowing that they just passed. finding out right now, it re

martin luther king jr. as first dad, but then as this incredible citizen and american patriot, who wanted to create conditions for all of god's children. >> his oldest son, martin luther king iiifather was murdered. what kind of dad was he? ar >> i remember him coming up the stairs, and i remember him being dog tired, but then you see your children and all of this joy comes through. >> reporter: the impressive 30-foot tall statue of dr. king sits along the tidal basin. visitors enter through parted stone, representing the mountain of despair king once spoke of, which gives away to the stone of home. >>Ñi i was a drum major for justice. where do those words come from? >> these words are words my father echoed and did a sermon around his own eulogy. he talked about i don't want to be remembered for a nobel prize or an honorary degree. i tried to be a drum major for justice. >> this is more than a time stamp for a by gone struggle. >> if you remove negro, and you will say that happened yesterday. he a prophetic manner. >> reporter: words from his speeches are carved along a 450-foot wall. we're a nation involved in three wars. we must not wage war, it is necessary to love peace a

martin luther king, jr., inscriptions of quotes. it's moving particularly for his children. i sat down with martin luther king iii about thoughts. point when you thought, because this has been a 14-year process, this isn't going to happen. you didn't necessarily believe it would come to fruition, there would be this moment? >> no, i think from my personal perspective, there was a specific time when we began to focus on which is really getting ready to happen. i want to add one additional thing, because what is most remarkable is in the midst of presidents and war memorials, we now have a man of peace. >> this particular monument took less time than most of them if not all of them. i think that speaks volumes we were able to move it along in that time period. you know, the irony is that his life span in terms of impact in this world was just about 14 years. so there's some kind of parallel to the work that he did as well. >> martin luther king, jr., memorial dedication ceremony takes place tomorrow. it was originally scheduled for august but had to be postponed because of hurricane irene. stay tune to cnn for complete coverage in

. >> reporter: martin luther king iii was 10 when his father was assassinated in 1968. king children approved the design of the memorial. >> the first emotion i had when the first saw the monument, i began -- i had to fight back tears, tears of joy. >> reporter: there is also controversy. first over the selection of a chinese sculptor, some thought the sculptor should have been african american or at least american. now there is growing criticism over one of the quotations on the monument. the excerpt reads -- >> i was the drum major for justice, peace and righteousness. that's powerful. >> reporter: in his actual speech king condemned people who act like they are a drum major, the leader. he actually said, "if you want to say i was a drum major, say that i was a drum major for justice." maya angelou among others said the truncated quote lacking the word "if" makes king appear arrogant. but many that came here are not bothered over the clash of the inscription, they're here to pay homage to the man. and the national park service and memorial foundation's executive direct

i couldn't help but thing about martin luther king iii there. can you imagine carrying that mantle all of your life? interesting he says his father would be there were he still alive today and there's no doubt he would be. todd johnson, in about the minute we have remaining, tell me about the mood of the crowd there. they have to be fired up. i got fired up listening to reverend al when he took to that podium. this is a man who is born for the podium. he has a way of taking things and taking a crowd of and having them eat out of the palm of his hands. >> reporter: reverend sharpton was at home, you're exactly right, right there at the podium. it's a very exciting and very chilling moment for many of the people gathered around. just talking about how excited they are that even though things are hard, they are proud to be part of such a progressive movement. we talked about the frustrations earlier today, about the jobs bill getting obstructed and that's one part of it. but today is more of a celebration of dr. king and his entire legacy. as they

martin luther king preached about this. he died fighting for labor rights, for jobs, and for economic equity. so martin luther king iii this march tomorrow from lincoln memorial to the king monument. >> al, i have to get your reaction to what happened in new york city this afternoon on the occupy wall street demonstration. there was the showdown that was coming. it seemed very threatening as of this time last night that something really terrible could have happened this morning. no one has more experience in street demonstrations in new york city than you do. were you surprised by this thing being defused at the last minute? >> i was but i was glad. one, because i think -- i was there monday down at the park. i spent most of the day there, did my syndicated radio show from there. and these are very sincere and passionate people. young and old. and i think that what they're raising is important. and i was afraid that if there was a confrontation, they having the righteous indignation of a just cause, being confronted by if you just had one policeman that would overreact, it could cause a problem. i was glad to see for

. >> tune in tomorrow in the 2:00 eastern hour for more of my hour with bernice king and martin luther king iii. >>> even if you can't be at the dedication ceremony, you can visit the memorial online right now in some new ways. josh levs is here. >>> josh, how close is this virtual tour to the real thing? >> it is actually very close. it is really impressive. for so many people who can't be there, you can visit it online. as fred was just saying. take a look here from the website of it. mlk memorial.org. it shows you this 30-foot likeness. i haven't gotten to show you this yet. this is really impressive. this is a time lapse video. you watch this with me. you are now going to see the actual creation of this memorial within seconds due to the magic of time lapse there. as we see it, i will tell you what they did. they took 159 granite blocks and assembled them. once they were all up, the artist came in and did the fine carving in order to achieve that likeness of dr. king. you are also seeing this, the section in the front, dr. king's likeness and the second in the back that is a mountain. there

martin luther king memorial will take place tomorrow. this was originally scheduled to be dedicated back in august. now, it had to be postponed. why? hurricane irene. so earlier this week, martin luther king iiiernice king, mlk's kids, talked to our fredericka witfield about their father's legacy and what this memorial means for them some 14 years this thing has been in the making. >> this particular mom monument took less time than most of them if not all of them, so i think that speaks volumes that we were able to move it along in that time period. but, you know, the irony is that his life span in terms of impact in this world was just about 14 years. so there's some kind of parallel to the work that he did, as well. >> and you'll be able to see more of fredericka's interview with the king's children at noon eastern time today. >>> also tonight, 7:30 eastern, something very special. that i'm looking forward to sharing with you all. an exclusive, emotional and rare interview. six members of martin luther king jr.'s inner circle. got them altogether in one place and that one place was the basement of historic ebenezer baptism church. please join me for freedom's foot soldiers tonight at 7:30

martin luther king iii has this op-ed. martin luther king ii in the "washington post," and live coverage with president obama among those at the event, with performances from stevie wonder and aretha franklin. you can see the have been to in its entirety here on c-span. this is from the "washington post." thousands rally in that district calling for jobs and civil- rights. al sharpton and jesse jackson on hand. the stories saying -- like the king memorial dedication, the march was postponed as hurricane irene made its way to washington, d.c. back to your calls. where is occupy wall street heading? from boston, welcome to the conversation. caller: you are looking dapper as usual, brother. hello? host: we can hear you. go ahead. caller: i was down at occupied boston on friday -- occupy boston on friday. i am a socialist and a machinist who was just laid off. i was there and struck up with a -- a conversation with the fellow who was laid off from i forget which bank, but he was making $150,000 a year and he was laid off. here

also martin luther king iii and bernice king. president obama will also be speaking. we thought we'd take a look at some of the scup tur itself and some of the controversy surrounding it. powerful and imposing, a 30-foot tall statue of dr. martin luther king jr. emerging from a stone of hope. it made an immediate impression on his son. >> the very first time that i came to the site i was almost overwhelmed. i really was impressed by this artist. he was able to capture the essence of my dad. >> reporter: but not everyone is pleased with how the statue turned out or with the fact that the memorial foundation chose a chinese artist to carve it. denver-based ed white, a 70-year-old artist sculpted seven scat ttatues of king beli it missed the mark. >> having a seven-foot sculpture of this man, he would not appreciate that because that was not him. >> reporter: dwight was involved in the project early on and is credited for sculpting small stone of hope donor gifts. foundation panel shows the chinese sculptor to carve the statue. >> we got the best man for the job. more. >

there to hear the president and some of us will also be speaking on the program along with martin luther king iiichildren. >> what does it mean to you? >> it means a lot. i grew up in the aftermath. i with us 13 when i joined in new york, the movement, the year he died. i knew his wife, worked with her and i worked closely with martin. but even in my early life i never dreamed i would see a monument to martin luther king on the potomac where lincoln, washington, and jefferson is. it's truly a historic weekend. >> and president obama's modern-day relationship with civil rights leaders, what is it? >> i think it's good. i think every president deals with the civil rights movements on the ground in their team. president obama works with a the urban league and the nacp and myself. kennedy dealt with dr. king and randolph. he's dealing with those in his generation that are active on the field. the advantage that president obama has is that he was a community organizer, so he knows who's on the ground moving and he knows those that are just positioning themselves for whatever that are not really on the

. >> ifill: and martin luther king iii said his father's nonviolent ideals remain on display.recently in ongoing street protests. >> the young people of the occupy movement all over this country and throughout the world are seeking justice. justice for the employed searching for months for jobs and those among them haven't given up in despair. justice for working class people barely making it. >> president barack obama. >> ifill: standing before the monument to deliver remarks displayed on big screens to a larger crowd a short distance away, president obama said king is to be remembered for more than his speeches. >> it is worth remembering that progress did not come from words alone. progress was hard. progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blasts 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 there were defeats. >> ifill: like king nearly half a century ago the president spoke of his dreams for his children. >> i want t

martin luther king jr. and his legacy more intimately than his children. martin luther king iiidericka whittfield recently about seeing the image of their father being memorial yy aialized on the nat mall. they say the 14-year process to build the memorial has a lot of symbolism. >> this particular monument took less time than most of them. if not all of them. so i think that speaks volumes that we were able to move it along in that time period. but, you know, the irony is that his life span in terms of impact in this world was just about 14 years. so there's some kind of parallel to the work that he did as well. >>> also, much more on the dedication of the memorial tonight when t.j. has an exclusive and emotional interview with six members of dr. king's inner circle. one of them, congressman john lewis. >> and when dr. king received the nobel peace prize in 1964, he spoke about -- we cry for joy. we don't cry for pain. when the cup runs over, you talk about the world house. they were all in the state house. it's one house. not just an american house, but the world house. >> fre

we heard from john lewis, we'll hear from martin luther king iii, sicily tyson, diane carroll, and arethaed to sing. as you know, this was postponed from august. we thought we'd look at the sculpture itself. and some of the controversy surrounding it. powerful and imposing, a 30-foot-tall statue of dr. martin luther king jr. emerging from a stone of hope. made an immediate impression on his son. >> the very first time that i came to the site, i was almost overwhelmed. i really was impressed by this -- this artist. he was able to capture the essence of my dad. >> reporter: not everyone is pleased with how the statue turned out or with the fact that the memorial foundation chose chinese -- a chinese artist to carve it. a 78-year-old artist who has sculpted at least 70 statues of king believes it missed the mark. >> having this 30-foot-tall sculpture of this man and confrontational look, he would not appreciate that because that was not him. >> reporter: dwight was involved in the project early on and is credited with sculpting small stone of hope donor gifts. a foundation panel chose le fro

[cheers and applause] >> please welcome martin luther king, iii. companied by andrea king and yolanda renee king. >> first, let me thank god for the opportity to be here on this day that many in our nation would say is the sabbath day. to each and every dignitary here, and i would say that everybody, but to especially brother harry johnson and his staff for the tireless work to make this memorial a reality, we say thank you. also to the martin luther king foundation board and chairs, every contributor, every corporation, but perhaps most of all to the masses of americans who chose to contribute to this effort that would not be here but by the contributions of men, women, and families. we think each of you -- we thank each and everyone of you. on behalf of my wife and daughter, we say thank you. today we have come to participate in this unveiling ceremony to my fathe and to celebrate his legacy. let us not forget that he paid the ultimate price for our civil rights. he was a champion of civil rights and social justice for all people regardless of rac