Fifth-Graders Revisit King's 'Dream' Speech At The Lincoln Memorial

By Byrd Pinkerton,

Lindsay Johnson

Published January 18, 2016 at 11:53 AM EST

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

1/5

Fifth-grade students recite Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. ()

2/5

Waiting to speak, they look out over a crowd of classmates, parents, tourists — and cameras. ()

3/5

Each child memorized one small phrase from Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech. They're standing in the order that they will deliver their line. ()

4/5

After speaking (or, more often, shouting) their lines, the students run back to congratulatory teachers. ()

5/5

After the speech, the whole class sings three civil-rights-inspired songs together, including "We Shall Overcome." ()

On Friday, the fifth-graders from Watkins Elementary School in Washington, D.C., gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to recite Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Each student delivered one line at a small lectern, and then the class sang songs from the civil rights era. This is the 14th year of the celebration.

Listen to a clip here: