Oregon Historical Society Holds Free Screening of 'Dream' Speech Wednesday at Noon

Editor's note: The full-length version of Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech is approximately 45 minutes long and strictly regulated -- it is very rare to have the chance to watch it in its entirety. This press release just in from the Oregon Historical Society:

On Wednesday, Aug. 28, join the Oregon Historical Society and community members for a free screening of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  The event will begin at noon in the OHS Pavilion, exactly 50 years after the speech was originally given at the March on Aug. 28, 1963, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

After the viewing, Emmett Wheatfall, one of Portland's premier poets, will offer his thoughts on the significance and meaning of Dr. King's speech. For more than 30 years, Mr. Wheatfall has given dramatic readings of this important American voice and historic civil rights message.



That same evening at 7 p.m., the Society (with support from Oregon Humanities) is hosting a Teach-In on the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  The Voting Rights Act was one piece of monumental legislation pushed forward, in large part, by the 1963 March on Washington. However, a recent Supreme Court decision renders invalid a significant portion of the act. Dr. Carmen Thompson, professor of history at Portland Community College, will moderate a discussion with Melissa Aubin, Attorney Advisor, US District Court for the District of Oregon, and Dr. Rev. LeRoy Haynes, Senior Pastor at Allen Temple CME and a veteran of the movement. Local organizations have been invited to inform attendees about how they are responding to the Supreme Court decision.

Both events take place in the Pavilion of the Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park Ave., downtown Portland), and are free and open to the public.  Doors to the evening event open at 6 PM, and guests are invited to tour the Oregon History Museum's presidential exhibit "Windows on America" to view an official copy of the 13th Amendment.

These programs are part of the Oregon Historical Society's Oregon Black History Series.  Throughout 2013, the Society has sponsored a series of exhibits, lectures, and events, all focusing on the rich history of Oregon's black community. A schedule of past events can be found at http://ohs.org/education/oregon-black-history-series.cfm.