Remembering The "Dream" As Obama Lives It

CBS Evening News: Interviewing The People Who Made MLK's Speech Happen 45 Years Ago

(CBS)  The day 45 years ago, when Martin Luther King, Jr., took the big stage to give his big speech - was also filled with countless people who played small-but-important roles, out of the spotlight.

For example, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia.

"So where were you exactly when Dr. King spoke," CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts asked her.

"Oh, I was, as they say, backstage," she said. "I was behind him, back in the recesses of the Lincoln Memorial itself."

Holmes Norton, 71, was a 26-year-old law student in 1963, an activist in the movement.

"To tell you the truth, I was more fascinated by the crowds than the speakers, because it seemed almost inconceivable that we had succeeded in bringing this many people to Washington," she told Pitts.

Patty and Bob Bender organized 17 buses from Newark, N.J. A young engaged couple, the speech was just days before their wedding.

As Patty remembers it: "It is a blistering hot day; people are passing out all over. We were just in front of the reflecting pool, and crowded in, but everybody, when they took out their food shared food with whoever was sitting near."

"Is that right?" Pitts asked.

"Oh, it was beautiful," Patty said.

Eloquence on the stage - energy in the crowd, and a palatable taste of danger in the air. This was 1963. The nation was tense. That day in Washington, D.C., security was both needed and feared.

"There were tremendous fear from conservative and liberal supporters of the march that there might be violence," said Rachelle Horowitz, who was at the time a college dropout who had become director of transportation for the March on Washington. "There had never been any like this in Washington."

And Rev. Joseph Lowery, a longtime friend of Dr. King's, who was co-founder of the SCLC - Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

"I never heard him more inspired," Lowery said. "He was; he brought his 'A' game and God put his 'A' spirit in him that day, and he spoke to the world."

These four people, all part of history then, all say they will watch history being made tonight.

"Barack Obama is a certain part of the dream. When he announced for president, I had already signed on for Hillary's campaign," said Horowitz. "I knew Hillary from the White House, and I kept saying to myself and to other people that my head is with Hillary but my heart is with Obama."

Does Holmes Norton see some of herself in young people today?

"Forty-five years ago we had a candidate. It was 'freedom now.' They have a real, live, breathing candidate: it's Barack Obama. Forty-five years ago we were them, and 45 years later, they are us," she said.

Pitts asked Lowery what he thinks his friend Dr. King would say about this moment.

"I think he would be just as awestruck, awestricken as I," he said. "He would be pleased that we've moved one place that he called us to go - to judge our children by the content of their character and not the color of their skin."

[no2zeebas]

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/series8.aspx

[catlady1412]

I actually expected McCain to pick Cheney as his VP since he has crawled so far into bed with this administration. You Republicans Neos make a good point, we DON''T know what Obama might do. But we DO know what McCain will do and it won''t be good for most of us. I am willing to give the new guy a chance rather than the old guy an opportunity. Bleah.

[swwils]

Let''s not even start comparing Barrack Obama to Martin Luther King.He couldn''t hold a candle too him.He isn''t going to be president I would bet everything I own on it.He lost as soon as he picked Biden,as a running mate.Clinton had the popular vote,and he passed her over for his biggest critic.

[dgal878]

DREAM ON OBAMA.................

[n0morerepubl]

OUR NEXT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

[bawlmorman]

Martin Luther King was one of the greatest men in this nations history. It is blasphemy to compare him to the likes of any politician.

[xlib]

Sure, live in Hawaii & Indonesia but ignore these facts in your screen bio,be raised by two white women who he ignored until politically prudent, hang around with terrorists and felons, attend a hatefilled church. I could go on but don''t like run on sentances.
Anyway, your messiah is so far removed and so corrupt, but HEY, your media loves him.

[dagrandma]

peterp111: Can you give me the quotes from Obama''s speech last night that tie into this: "To hear Obama though, we are this nasty, evil rotten, terrorizing, despicable, incompetent group of people"

I watched his speech and I''ve read the transcript twice and I still can''t find where he says we''re a "nasty, evil rotten, terrorizing, despicable, incompetent group of people."

Did I miss that or was it a subliminal message or is there some left wing conspiracy that''s hiding it in the text of his speech?

[libsluv2spit]

Great job Obama - electrifying, historic speech, you''''ve got my vote, and the vote of every real American.

Posted by IRLiberal at 04:25 AM : Aug 29, 2008
+ report abuse

*******

it was so good he can get an oscar award..
and if needed..LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD would give this LIBERAL POLITICIAN if it would give him votes.

[a8151947]

I would not say that America is narcisistic and insecure. I would say congress has let us down. And Obama is NOT the ONE to get us out of the mess we are in. He is out for him self and no one else. He says the right things. He is all talk. The one telling him what to say is the one that needs to go. Down with Osama

[jmurrieta1]

The Bushite Neocons are just showing the nasty meanness of their pathetic little souls now.

They know the squeaky, robotic John McClone is no match for Obama.

And whether McClone picks the dweeb Pawlenty or the traitor Lieberman, they''re both going to get ripped new mental openings at the debates by Obama and Biden.

It will be a pleasure to watch.

The only question is, where will George Bushit and Dik Cheney hide to avoid the war crimes trials? Uruguay? An undisclosed location? Like the cowards they are.

[irliberal]

The only real question is, what will all the third shift bitter, bitter neocon spammers going to do after November 6? heheh

Great job Obama - electrifying, historic speech, you''ve got my vote, and the vote of every real American.

[grammawhamma]

Pitts asked Lowery what he thinks his friend Dr. King would say about this moment.

"I think he would be just as awestruck, awestricken as I," he said. "He would be pleased that we''ve moved one place that he called us to go - to judge our children by the content of their character and not the color of their skin."

"Barack Obama is a certain part of the dream. When he announced for president, I had already signed on for Hillary''s campaign," said Horowitz. "I knew Hillary from the White House, and I kept saying to myself and to other people that my head is with Hillary but my heart is with Obama."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you go...this last sentence says it all.

....my head is with Hillary but my heart is with Obama.

They missed the whole point of MLK''s message and voted for Obama because he looks black. I do not think MLK would be pleased by this...awestruck maybe...but pleased no.

[libsluv2spit]

does this mean al sharpton and jessie jackson are extinct dinosours???