AllMovie

This in-depth ABC news special was telecast exactly 40 years after the historic "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a cheering throng of thousands. Host/narrator Peter Jennings places the speech and its impact in the context of its times: few can forget that, in 1963, a majority of African-Americans will still being denied the fundamental rights that were the birthright of all Americans. Clips of the celebrated speech are interspersed with the memories of those who witnessed the event first-hand; among the more startling revelations is the fact that much of the speech was extemporaneous, an eternal testament to the Rev. King's natural eloquence. I Have a Dream concludes with an examination as to how much of that dream has actually come true in the intervening four decades.