Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" Speech Commemorated Today
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's 12:00 noon in Washington, 9:00 in Phoenix, 8:00 p.m. in Basra, Iraq. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Renay San Miguel and this is CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Four decades have passed, but the dream is not forgotten. We begin this hour in Washington where thousands have gathered to mark the coming 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The late civil rights leader's historic words delivered on a sweltering day from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. CNN's Kathleen Koch is there, now. She joins us with this report -- Kathleen.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Renay, organizers believe that this is just the right time to renew the nation's focus on Martin Luther King's dream for a country where everyone would be judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of the character. And the themes of today's gathering is -- they're "Return, Repair, and Renew." And, people are coming here from around the country to focus on those three different messages. They're having teach-ins, right now, at three large tents that are just east of me here at the Lincoln memorial and they're expecting a turnout of around 10,000. One of the main focuses is a 15-month voter registration drive. It was Martin Luther King, himself, who use to say that "a voteless people is a powerless people" and statistics show that only 47 percent of African-Americans under 44 voted in the last election, and they want to change that. And, when I was at -- one of the prime civil rights leaders speaking here today, one of the principle speakers, the reverend Jesse Jackson said that he believes it's important that everyone work together to try to get people registered, and to try to oust the Bush administration. Saying that the Bush administration has not been supportive of either today's march or its message.</s>REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: 40 years ago, the leaders met with President Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, today Mr. Bush and Ashcroft have a closed door policy. There's not been a meeting by the NAACP, leadership conference, congressional caucus organized labor, one time, with this president or with the attorney general. Four years later, a closed door policy was to represent the radical, right wingers, the state's rights, the confederates, on the cutting the effort to make it a more perfect union.</s>KOCH: There was an emotional ceremony, here on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Friday evening, as an inscription was unveiled in the granite steps, the inscription marks the exact spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood and delivered his famous speech 40 years ago -- actually on Thursday, August 28, being the actual anniversary. And, it's very interesting; it was a man, a lawyer from Kentucky who led the drive for this inscription to be carved into the pink granite. He came here in 1997 with his wife and astonished to see that there was nothing here at the Lincoln Memorial marking that spot, so he contacted his congresswoman -- Republican Congresswoman Ann Northrop and she was able to get legislation through congress in 2000 to have the inscription carved. Back to you, Renay.</s>SAN MIGUEL: Kathleen, just one quick question. I'm wondering if you are you seeing, in the crowd there, any young people, folks who were -- you know, were born much long after this speech was made and the march made, maybe need to be reminded about what was at stake back then?</s>KOCH: Precisely, Renay. A lot of the organizers say that they believe that that's very important, not only do they believe that there is a lot at stake with a conservative republican administration in control, who they believe is trying to turn back the clock and erase some of the gains of the civil rights movement, but that they do need to, really, reinvigorate the youth in the African-American community and make them appreciate what their elders went through to gain the rights they have, today.</s>SAN MIGUEL: All right, Kathleen Koch in Washington, D.C., we'll be hearing from you throughout the afternoon. Thank you so much. Commemorated Today>