Journalist Gary Younge offers a fascinating examination of not only the famous “I Have a Dream” speech of Martin Luther King, Jr., but also of the1963 March on Washington and the dynamics surrounding it. He includes critical perspective on how a still-racist society has mis-framed the speech, and on the need to regain a more radical understanding of it—and King.
From the publisher: “Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful 'I Have a Dream' speech on August 28, 1963. Fifty years later, the speech endures as a defining moment in the civil rights movement. It continues to be heralded as a beacon in the ongoing struggle for racial equality.
This gripping book is rooted in new and important interviews with Clarence Jones, a close friend of and draft speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr., and Joan Baez, a singer at the march, as well as Angela Davis and other leading civil rights leaders. It brings to life the fascinating chronicle behind 'The Speech' and other events surrounding the March on Washington. Younge skillfully captures the spirit of that historic day in Washington and offers a new generation of readers a critical modern analysis of why 'I Have a Dream' remains America’s favorite speech.”
