martin luther king jr. memorial will be dedicated. our athena jones is in the mall right now and joins us now live. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. as you can see, the crowd is building here. in just a little while, this dedication ceremony which was postponed, as you know, from august, will begin. we expect to hear from several civil rights leaders like jesse jackson, like john lewis. 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 chos

, don't give out, keep your faith, keep your eyes on the prize and a walk in the spirit of martin luther king jrnk you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ambassador andrew young. [applause] >> brothers and sisters, forgive me for starting out with a triviality. you think of martin luther king as a giant of a man but the one complex he had was a complex about his height. he was really just 5 feet 7 and was always getting upset with tall people who looked down on him. now he is 30 feet tall and looking down on everybody. [applause] he would be the first to tell you that he did i get his life for a statute. he gave his life for the least of god's children buried in the middle of the struggle when we began to work out the problems of militarism and the problems of politics and the dynamics of getting people elected, they changed the rules on him. they changed the rules and the game is no longer just political. in fact, it is the economics that controlled the politics. people of atlanta sent me to congress and i was there at the scene of the crime when they began to break u

and walk with the spirit of martin luther king jr. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ambassador andrew young. >> brothers and sisters, forgive me for starting out with a triviality, but you think of martin luther king as a giant of a man but the one complex he had was a complex about his height. he was really just 5'7" and he was always getting upset with tall people who looked down on him. now he's 30 feet tall looking down on everybody. but he'd be the first to tell you that he didn't give his life for a statue. he gave his life for the least of these god's children and in the middle of the struggle when we began to work out the problems of militarism and the problems of politics and the dynamics of getting people elected, they changed the rules on us. they changed the rules and the game is no longer just political. in fact, it's the economics that controls the politics. and people of atlanta sent me to congress and i was there at the scene of the crime when they began to break up an economic order that had been star

martin luther king jr.cated in the nation's capital. he will join other titans of american history including presidents washington, jefferson, and lincoln. you might be wondering who spearheaded the movement to build a memorial to martin luther king jr. it turns out -- and this may surprise you -- it was actually his fraternity brothers at alpha phi alpha. dr. king pledged the first black fraternity in 1958. t.j. holmes talked to the group's national president to find out how all this happened. ♪ >> narrator: alpha phi alpha is the country's first black fraternity, founded by seven men on the campus of cornell university in 1906. >> the alpha phi alpha mission is to provide advocacy and service for our communities. in developing leaders, but particularly we spend time working to develop young college men. and ensuring that they receive the proper nurturing and guidance so that they can go into the world and into society and to serve and to lead. >> reporter: dr. skip mason jr. is the national president of a

martin luther king jr. war hero ever to have any kind of memorial for him in this area, in washington. another first for dr. martin luther king who had many, many of them during his lifetime, down on the mall, education all of this incredible day is our correspondent athena jones. i know you've been talking to people all day long. we've seen the luminaries down there, but there are all just folks that wanted to go there to be a part of this. >> reporter: exactly, there are thousands of people here in the crowd. it's been a very celebratory atmosphere. you've seen a lot of the program. hearing from civil rights leaders, hearing from dr. king's children. hearing from the poet, nikki giovanni. i've also talked to people in the crowd about why it was important for them to come. let me bring in allison join who's from washington, d.c. let me tell you why you decided to come today. why it was important. >> this is a historic moment. we're here wenting history, a man who fought for social, economic, and political j

, don't give out, keep your faith, keep your eyes on the prize and a walk in the spirit of martin luther king jr.. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ambassador andrew young. [applause] >> brothers and sisters, forgive me for starting out with a triviality. you think of martin luther king as a giant of a man but the one complex he had was a complex about his height he was really just 5 feet 7 and was always getting upset with tall people who looked down on him. now he is 30 feet tall and looking down on everybody. [applause] he would be the first to tell you that he did i get his life for a statute. he gave his life for the least of god's children buried in the middle of the struggle when we began to work out the problems of militarism and the problems of politics and the dynamics of getting people elected, they changed the rules on him. they changed the rules and the game is no longer just political. in fact, it is the economics that controlled the politics. people of atlanta sent me to congress and i was there at the scene of the crime when they began to br

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 the

martin luther king, jr. is underway on the national mall. s son martin luther king iii and aretha franklin will perform and president obama will give the official dedication speech later this morning. you can watch all of that right here live on fox. meanwhile, more than a dozen of the country's top security officials wrote an open letter to president obama last week in the new york times about a group that they say has been falsely designated as terrorists. former secretary of homeland, tom ridge, and former attorney general, michael mukasey were two of the authors of the letter and they join us now to explain this. gentlemen, good morning. >> good morning, ali. >> alisyn: this is an interesting group of leaders that came together to write this letter. there were republicans like yourself, along with rudy guiliani, and democrats, howard dean, governor ed rendell. mr. mukasey, what was so important that you wanted to write to president obama? >> a couple of things, this group was designated as a terrorist organization in the 1990's as a strat

martin luther king jr.und search for a missing jermantown boy who is mother was murdered. hello everyone, i'm bruce johnson. tonight a massive ground and air search for a missing montgomery county boy has ended with no signs of the 11-year- old william mcquain. his mother was found murdered in their home last week. her estranged husband, the boy's stepfather has been charged with murder. armando trull reports tonight they were searched after police got hips about the boy -- tips about the boy. >> reporter: direct examination detectives will not say -- detectives will not say where or how, but it touched off a massive search. 80 agents searched several acres for nearly nine hours. some were on horseback. >> looking for signs that somebody was back here. they also have dogs that are cadaver dogs that act you know on the accident of somebody who is deceased -- scent of somebody who is deceased. >> reporter: the dogs were there for a reason. >> we had to act on the information given to us. there is the possibil

your life would have been like without martin luther king and what american life would be like without martin luther king? >> if it hadn't been for martin luther king jr nation. we'd be both black and white -- if it hadn't been for dr. king, we power probably had something akin -- we would have probably had something akin to another civil war. dr. king freed and liberated not just the people but a nation. >> and what did he mean to john lewis? >> dr. wing freed me. he -- dr. king freed me. he made me a stronger, better human being. hadn't been for him, i don't know what would have happened to me. i saw segregation, i saw racial discrimination, i tasted the bitter fruits of racism. and he made me a different person. and today i can say i don't have any bitter feelings. i don't have any anger or hated red toward a single human being. he made me a -- a person that is at peace with myself. i could still be down in rural alabama doing something -- i'm not so sure what. i know if it hadn't been for martin luther king jr., i wouldn't be in the congress. >> congressman john lewis, thank you very much for joining us, we appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >

martin luther king jr. t foundation. his board of directors, dana kurtz and his entire staff. i want to thank the man from alpha phi alpha and average citizens who made this dream come true. thank you for building a monument, a monument to peace, to love, and nonviolent resistance. on the front yard of america to symbolize the cornerstone of our true democracy. it was 48 long years ago when thousands of us long for freedom. we were in the shadow of the lincoln memorial. many of us were fresh from the jails of the hard south where the front lines of the struggle for human dignity and america was. together there in peace with their hearts in our hands, open to see some sign that our cries would be heard in the cold marble walls of this distant capital. martin luther king jr., this man, this brother, this citizen of america, this citizen of the world, was never in the program lineup. i was number 6. for those who spoke that day, i am the only ones still around. dr. king was our leader. he never, ever asked us t

speaker after speaker talked about the many achievements of martin luther king, jr. want to show you now a live picture from washington. tens of thousands of people are taking part in a dedication ceremony for the new king memorial. this morning's program includes aretha franklin. and in the next hour, president obama is set to speak. >>> coming up at 7:45, we will go to d.c. for a live report on the new 120 million-dollar memorial for the late civil rights leader. >>> a weekend outing on the waters in southern california ended in disaster. three women riding on a personal water craft died when they crashed into a motor boat. happened on a reservoir east of downtown los angeles. four people aboard the boat had serious to minor injuries. homicide detectives and los angeles county lifeguards are investigating the crash to determine just what could have caused it. >>> a vigil continues to grow for the victims of a mass shooting at a is a lob in orange county. mourners paid their respects last night to the eight people who died in seal beach when a gunman opened fire insi

martin luther king jr.s a friend, agreed to meet us here at historic ebenezer baptist church in downtown atlanta. and for this exclusive and extraordinary reunion, we met in the basement of ebenezer baptist, where many of the civil rights planning sessions took place. ♪ they all have their own unique memories of dr. martin luther king jr. they were all part of his inner circle, his think tank, his civil rights family. we met with this unique group on the first floor of the historic ebenezer baptist church, where many of the movement's planning meetings were held. >> oh, it was just soon as i walked in, i was reliving the story thanks to reverend jackson. he tells the story every year. i can always tell where he's speaking because he tells the story that right here in this room was dr. king's last birthday. and somehow when i walked in here this morning i felt that recapitulation of what happened that night. >> reporter: xernona clayton was one of the chief organizers of events for king's organization, the s

announcer ] get to a better state. >>> you are looking live at the memorial for the dedication of martin luther king jrgood morning. thanks for joining us. i'm john schriffen. >> i'm angie goff. thousands of gone to the tidal basin. >> a dedication ceremony is under way for the new martin luther king jr. memorial. and we have live coverage. right now to tom sherwood who is in the thick of it. good morning. >> reporter: i'm down here on the mall. i'm sorry. i didn't hear you. john, are you guys there? thank you very much. the crowd is really growing. i want to show you all the white hats people are wearing out here. it's the king -- it's not an organization. show the hat here. every person who comes in today is getting this hat as a memory of this memorial dedication. mayor vincent gray welcomed the crowd to the nation's capital. it wasn't just a polite welcome. he said he told that martin luther king, back in 1966, said it was unjust that the people in the district of columbia didn't have a right to vote in congress like all other americans. and gray specifically called on president obama to say someth

today, what's the official dedication of the martin luther king jr. national memorial in washington, d.c. coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> "washington journal" continues. on host: this day in which we are dedicating the martin luther king memorial, we want to welcome a professor of harvard university. thank you very much for being with us. guest: thank you for having me. host: as you reflect on his dedication ceremony and the life and legacy of dr. martin luther king, what comes to mind today? guest:, progress minorities in america have made in the past 40-50 years. and how much there is still left to go. this is a great, great day but there's still a fight for equality. host: for you, personally, you have become the youngest professor at harvard university at age of 30. if a merger ph.d. and studied african-american history but grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood in daytona beach, florida. can you share your life story with us? guest: how much time you got? i did make it to harvard for a circuitous route. it was not extended trip.

call or click today. >>> it's a proud day for the family of the late reverend martin luther king jr. civil right's leader memorial was dedicated in washington this morning. i talked with martin luther king iii and 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 i

martin luther king, jr.ide lincoln, jefferson and washington. >> you will stand for all time among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it. >> reporter: tens of thousands attended the official dedication of the king national memorial. an event that weaves together musical tributes with political calls for social justice. >> do what we must do to create a better world. >> reporter: it was a celebration of a simple minister turned martyr, a towering figure in american history who stood barely 5'7 irj innch tall. >> now he's standing far above everybody. >> while we commemorate his memory today with this great memorial, let's not confuse and forget what he stood for and died for. >> reporter: a day to honor a man and a day of peaceful harmony that echoes across time. >> the true measure of any man is how his message continues on. >> reporter: a message now etched in stone in the nation's capitol. bryan moore, nbc news, washington. >>> and in oakland today, it was a memorable day fo

martin luther king jr. , as the personification, the embodiment of the movement. but martin luther king jr. always gave credit to what he called the ground crew, the people working on the ground. the fieldworkers. those nameless and voiceless individuals. people who took part in the sit-ins, who went on the freedom ride, the people that did the nitty gritty work. the people that were beaten and jailed and so many that was killed. this is only the beginning of a long struggle to complete what dr. king and others would call the revolution of 1776. >> congressman, i have john fug here. >> it's a pleasure. when i group up i always believed at the time of dr. king's death, the civil rights struggle was a part of what he was fighting for, of equal measure to nonviolence and organized labor. people forget he was in memphis when he died for sanitation worker strike. do you feel those elements of his legacy have been tragically overlooked? when we discuss dr. king, it always focuses on civil rights and equality for a

another crowd gathered in a star studded celebration on the national mall to dedicate the martin luther king, jr. memorial, a permanent transcribe to dr. king's legacy. america's first black president, barack obama, praises king for his leadership during turbulent times. >> he kept on pushing, and speaking and marching until change finally came. >> reporter: dr. king memorializes the colorot memorial mall. his family is proud. >> let us embrace god's legacy, let us celebrate dad's life, today represents another mile stone in the life of america. this is a day that all americans can be proud of. >> reporter: the three story high sculpture shows king wearing a stern look, crossing his arms, clutching papers in his hand, a towering figure in tone and in history. >> martin luther king, jr. must be looked upon as one of the founder fathers of the new america, but this man is one man, not only free of people, but he liberated a nation. >> there is heavy lifting to be done again, and in the spirit of dr. king's lasting legacy, we need to start now. >> author, activist and princeton professor cornell we

years ago, when i stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial that there would be a memorial to martin luther king jr., i would have said, you are crazy. are you dreaming? this is done real, this is unbelievable that a memorial to martin luther king jewelry -- this is unreal, this is unbelievable that a memorial to martin luther king jr. would be here. he was never elected to any public office. progress is made in america as a people. >> might ask how difficult it was back then? you were arrested some 40 times. you were beaten. you suffered as so many did. it has become defacto that we have made progress but it was such a tough time for all of you that struggled. >> we must never forget that it was not easy. it was a struggle. a struggle just for black people and white people in america to come together, to be able to eat together, sit at a lunch counter together, to sit and eat in a restaurant. to be sitting together on a bus or a train or to go to school together. to be able to register to vote. >> you have a black man and the white house, you have the first black president. as you just heard in ou

i have to look at martin luther king jr. edible citizen and american patriot, who wanted to create conditions for all of god's children. >> his oldest son, martin luther king iii was just 10 years old when his father 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 ma

it filled the air. -- martin luther king jr.. it filled the air. >> at bank galloway almighty we are free at last -- thank god almighty we are free at last. >> for more on the photo gallery, log onto wjla.com. >>> those that conducted the high-profile prospects will be taking a look at the national cathedral. it was damaged by the earthquake this past august. they are trying to stabilize the cathedral central tower. pieces were removed by crane on thursday and friday. it is currently closed for repairs and hopes to be open to the public soon. >>> turning to the weather it has been a beautiful week. we have the potential for storms early this week. steve rudin has the forecast. >>> i am here in the weather center. there may be a change as a move into tuesday and wednesday. look at the high temperatures. well above average for this time of year. 79 in petersburg. 79 culpeper. now we have a cold front going to the south the best during the overnight hours and into the day tomorrow. not a whole lot of action or moisture for us. this

and now for him to come here, tie himself very skillfully, i think, to martin luther king jr. is constituents, if you will, change will come if you don't give up, but implicitly what the president is saying to those followers is you've got to stick with me here because the job is not done. so that's his answer to those disenfranchised, those disafebruaried voters. some african-americans, even, who have said the president hasn't done enough to deal with things like unemployment and many other issues. he is making the case here that, you know, change will come if you stick with me, candy. >> change sometimes over 48 years is not complete. want to give our listeners just an idea of the passage in particular that we're talking about, this from president obama earlier in the day. >> our work is not done. and so on this day, in which we celebrate a man and a movement that did so much for this country, let us draw strength from those earlier struggles. first and foremost, let us remember that change has never been quick. change has never been simple or without controversy. change depe

. >>> sunday will be the dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial down along the national mall and you know that that is seven weeks after the original event had been scheduled. that one was cancelled. do you remember hurricane irene? that meant this couldn't go forward. even though the crowds are likely to be smaller organizers are scrambling tonight to make sure everything is in order. the president and c.e.o. of the memorial project. organization says it will be just as big in spirit. >>> one year after a man died outside of the d.c. club on u street the family is filing lawsuit. >>> i'm reporting from capitol hill. >>> up next, another day, another frustration for some metro rideers. we are going to take a look on >>> metro says a problem with a switch was to blame for this morning's problems on the red line. parking on the third rail sent smoke pouring into union station just before 9 a.m. lead to go a brief evacuation of the building but everything was back up and running by 10 a.m. >>> you might soon have to shell out a little extra

martin luther king jr. e. >> as i was walking, i was feeling tears well up inside of me. >> reporter: paulette jones joined tens of thousands for the dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial on the national mall. dr. king is the first african-american to be honored here with a monument. the centerpiece featured a 30-foot likeness of the civil rights leader. >> this is not just a celebration for african-americans, but for americans and citizens around this world! >> reporter: among those who worked alongside dr. king, georgia congressman john lewis. >> just one man, just one man! not only free of people, but he liberated a nation! >> reporter: president barack obama was 6 years old when king was assassinated in april of 1968 at the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee. >> that is why we honor this man, because he had faith in us and that is why he belongs on this mall, because he saw what we might become. that is why dr. king was so quintessentially american. >> free at last! free at last! thank god

hurricane eye ring delayed the august dedication of the martin luther -- hurricane irene the lady of his dedication of the martin luther king, jrl. but many gathered for the dedication today. >> on a brilliant autumn day, dr. martin luther king, jr. took his place beside lincoln, jefferson, and washington. >> he will stand among monuments that fathered this nation and those who defended it. >> hundreds of thousands attended the dedication of the mall. an event that put together tributes with political calls for justice. >> a towering figure in american history. >> now he is 30 feet tall looking down on everyone. children, itng's is a memorial for everyone. >> let us not confuse or forget what he stood for and died for. >> a day to honor a man and a dream for peace and racial harmony that echoes for all time. >> true measure of any man is how his message continues on. >> a message etched in stone in the nation's capital. >> now your 11 insta-weather forecast with meteorologist john collins. >> there is some rain to the north with the little thunder. most of the moisture is closer to the energy with the storm up in pennsylvania a

>>> coming up, we are just two days away from the official dedication of the martin luther king jr. memorial. today, some very special guests arrived. b>> sophie ferrara turns 102 years old tomorrow and she has a big goal she is trying to reach. how you can help. >> i was almost relieved when they came into the computer. >> the man accused of attacking into celebratory -- celeb

[applause] >> i pause to honor the living monument of martin luther king jr.. i want to be a part of this ceremony as we edge in stone the memories of dr. king. want to thank congressman john conyers who three days after the assassination put forth to the bill and it was popularized in song, ronald reagan signed the bill to help erect a monument. to all of them, we owe a very special round of applause. put your hands together, will you? [applause] i was glad to be a part of his core of disciples to work, organized a march and parade with him. here are today, one of the 32 miles from jamestown where the slave ships when the 432 miles.

martin luther king jr. and the reverend ralph abernathy. they were the three founders at the southern leadership conference in the 1950s. mr. shuttlesworth was a godly and devout man of faith who trained for the ministry, but also braved beatings, bombings, and fire hosings in order to advance the cause of equality. on christmas day itself in 1956, somebody placed 15 sticks of dynamite outside the parsonage where he lived. the explosion destroyed his humble home, but he survived. a year later, in 1957, he and his wife took their daughters to enroll in an all-white school in birmingham. but as they arrived, they were met with men carrying chains, brass knuckles, and baseball bats. his wife, ruby, was stabbed in the head. he was beaten unconscious. mr. shuttlesworth once said from the pulpit, i'm answerable to

martin luther king, jr. on the steps of the lincoln memorial and uttered the famous words "i have a dream", this weekend history will be made once again on the washington mall. a memorial to dr. king set to be dedicated. the first major memorial for an american who wasn't president and an african-american and of course, comes at a time when the first black man is president of the united states. joining us now, jehmu green of the women's media center and a fox news contributor. on the phone, julian bond, chairman emeritus of the naacp and welcome to both of you. chairman, let me begin with you, today is the day that people are looking at what's happening in the streets of america, jobs, and justice, and we're talking about dr. martin luther king, the dedication taking place tomorrow for his memorial. and at the same time, many people are beginning to wonder if president barack obama has been able to not only help the american dream move forward, but is he living up to the standards of the american past in ter

todo esta casi listo para la ceremonia de dedicacion al monumento de martin luther king jr... meses de postergacion por el huracan irene... una de sus hijas... bernice king.... dice que hay una ardua lucha por delante para seguir con el legado de su padre... "48- años mas tarde, seguimos teniendo las mismas injusticias sociales y economicas y ahora esta impactando tambien a la comunidad latina" el racismo sigue latente, dice... no hay segregacion, pero si injusticias... "afroamericanos e hispanos reciben sentencias mas severas, no creo que esto es una coincidencia, nosotros no somos malas personas" el legado de martin luther king jr .. de abogar por los derechos... se extiende a todas las minorias... para este salvadoreÑo, es necesario que alguien le siga los pasos."o el, pues creo que estuvieramos en mejores condiciones tambien nosotros los latinos, para que tuvieramos una persona que en realidad abogara por nosotros y peleara y luchara, pero luchara no por un grupo, sino que por todos" bernice king no esta de acuerdo con las deportaciones ... "tenemos que considerar que los

put whatever it takes even if we get arrested today and say, we will not allow this day of martin luther king jr king would be here right with us. willing to throw down out of deep love. >> and a short time later, dr. west was arrested and he is joining me now as promised. dr. cornell west, professor, author of the brother west living and loving out loud. and the co-host of a new radio show, smiley and west. great to have you with us tonight. you're always welcome on this program. >> always a blessing, my brother. congratulations to you for your new time slot though, brother. >> well, thank you. i appreciate that. are you absolutely positive that dr. king would have been there? would this have been his moment? would this have been his movement? would he have been a leader of this? >> there's no doubt that king would be part of the occupy movement. he would appreciate the stone and matter that my alpha brothers put together. he did in fact embrace that kind of affirmation. most importantly, he lived on the ground, tied to love, tied to justice, always part of a movement. trying to bring people of

martin luther king, jr., in the form of a new broadway play -- "the mountaintop." tical acclaim and awards for its writer, a young woman who wasn't born until after dr. king's death, but thanks to her mother he was always a part of her life story and her dream. our report tonight from nbc's chris jansing. >> reporter: memphis, bright lights, beal street and music. ♪ >> reporter: but you can't talk about the city's history without talking about what happened at the lorraine motel, room 306. >> martin luther king, jr., was killed tonight in memphis, tennessee. >> reporter: she grew up hearing about the great dr. king at her grandmother's knee. >> she still in the living room has two paintings on the wall. one is of jesus and one is of dr. king. >> reporter: she learned, too, her mother -- just 15 then -- desperately wanted to hear dr king speak in april 1968 at the mason temple but wasn't allowed to go. >> it doesn't matter what's with me now because i have been to the mountaintop. >> that's one of the biggest regrets of my life, that i did not hear martin luther king

martin luther king. >> todo estÁ casi listo para la ceremonia de dedicaciÓn al monumento de martin luther king jr.igue latente, dice, no hay segregaciÓn pero sin justicia. >> afroamericanos e hispanos reciben sentencias mÁs severas. no creo que sea una coincidencia. nosotros no somos mÁs las personas. >> el legado de martin luther king jr. se extiende a todas las personas. >> si tuviÉramos obligar como Él tendrÍamos mejores condiciones para los hispanos. alguien que lucharan o por un grupo sino por todos. >> tenemos que considerar que los emigrantes e integrar familias y debemos tener cuidado de no separar esas familias, porque la fundaciÓn de la sociedad, el nÚcleo del mundo, es la familia. >> la estatua de mi padre, Él estÁ parado,lincoln estás sentado y eso es porque mi padre se mantuvo firme por la justicia y la paz. >> las actividades comenzarÁn a partir de las ocho de la maÑana este domingo. se espera la presencia del presidente barack obama y miembros de la familia king. >> y nos vamos hasta west virginia a presenciar un deporte de extremo valor. las personas se lanzaron en caÍda libre. se

katori hall's history, without talking about what happened at the lorraine motel, room 306. >> martin luther king, jrtonight in memphis, tennessee. >> reporter: hall grew up hearing about the great dr. king at her grandmother's knee. >> she still to this day in the living room has two paintings on the wall. one is of jesus and one is of dr. king. >> reporter: she learned, too, her mother -- just 15 then -- desperately wanted to hear dr. king speak in april 1968 at the mason temple but wasn't allowed to go. >> but it really doesn't matter with me now because i have been to the mountaintop. >> that's one of the biggest regrets of my life, that i did not hear martin luther king deliver that speech that night. >> reporter: so katori hall, now a promising young playwright would weave dr. king's story into her own. >> we all want the same things. a smile, a hug. >> a smoke! >> reporter: in "the mountaintop" samuel l. jackson portrays dr. martin luther king, jr., not as martyr, but man. drinking, swearing, vulnerable. >> he was a man who was not as optimistic about the movement as everyone would have us thi

martin luther king jr. at the dedication of his memorial. >>> to the streets as the demonstrations grow, just what do the protesters nt? tonight, what's behind the movement. >>> homeward bound. an ailing american woman is finally evacuated from the south pole. >>> and an unlikely player helping young people excel. and making a real difference in their lives. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. we start tonight with a late breaking story from the world of sports where tragedy has taken the life of one of car racing's most well known names. it happened before thousands of stunned fans in a motor speedway in las vegas. a massive pileup that we have just learned killed veteran indy car racer dan wheldon. tonight, the racing world is in deep mourning. nbc's john yang is with us in new york with late details. >> reporter: this was a horrific crash. many drivers saying it is the worst they have ever seen. 15 cars, only the 12th lap of this race, 15 cars involved, wheldon's car went flyi