U.S. History
Remembering the Dream:
The Past Affects the Present…and the Future
Following King’s Path, and Trying to Galvanize a New GenerationBy Trip Campbell
New York Times, 8/25/13 / Glossary
1. Half a century after the [March on Washington] at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I have a Dream Speech,” tens of thousands of people retraced his footsteps on Saturday, and his successors in the movement spoke of the still unmet promise of America, as [Dr. King] did, at the Lincoln Memorial.
2. The anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington was less of a commemoration, and more of an effort to inject fresh energy into issues of [economic inequality and racial in justice. Despite the remarkable progress made in overcoming racial bias, there still exists significant gaps between white and black Americans.]
3. It was Edwina Love’s second March on Washington. “I was so proud just to be here” 50 years ago, she said. “Overt racism is still prevalent,” said Ms. Love, 77, though she acknowledged the great gains down the road to equality made in her lifetime.
4. Colin Powell, the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke as Washington marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s march that included the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. "If Dr. King was here, I'm quite sure he would say, `Congratulations on all the progress that's been made, but let's keep going. The dream is not fully achieved yet,'" said Powell, also the first African American to serve the nation as secretary of state.
5. Addressing generations too young to remember the 1963 March on Washington, Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of the event, warned young people against believing that their current success was achieved alone. “You got there because some unlettered grandmas, who never saw the inside of a college campus put their lives on line [during the Civil Rights movement].”
6. A lineup of civil rights heroes, current movement leaders, labor leaders and Democratic officials addressed a vast crowd that stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the knoll of the Washington Monument. The program on Saturday was much more inclusive than five decades ago, with many women speakers, Latinos and openly gay men and lesbians giving speeches to the crowd. / Galvanize (v): To shock or excite someone into taking action
Successors (n) A person or persons who follow or come after another
Commemoration (n): celebration or gathering focused on honoring/remembering people/events of the past
Bias (adj) prejudice
Overt (adj): shown openly, obvious, not hidden
Iconic (adj): symbolic, of great importance
Unlettered (adj): poorly educated, illiterate
Knoll (n): a small hill
Name: U.S. History
Date;
Core:
Remembering the Dream:
Text Dependent Questions
Directions: Use evidence from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the “Following King’s Path” article from the New York Times, to answer the following questions.
1. In the first paragraph the author writes that the current leaders of the Civil Rights movement are using the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington to speak of the “still unmet promise of America.” Look back to Dr. King’s speech and briefly describe the “promise” to which Dr. King was referring.
______
2. The author states that the promise is “still unmet.” Identify 2 examples from the text that support this statement (you may cite evidence from the New York Times article or from the “A Promise Unfulfilled: Examining How America Has Changed Since the March on Washington” handout)
a) ______
b) ______
3. According to the text, the main purpose of the March on Washington that took place in 2013 was to:
a. Honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived.
b. Celebrate and honor the 50th anniversary of the famous March on Washington and all of the progress that has been made since that event.
c. To inspire people to fight for racial and economic equality in the United States today and to remind people of the struggles that people endured to fight racism in the past.
I chose answer choice ____ because in the text it says: ______
______
More on the Back!
4. Explain how Rev. Al Sharpton’s words in paragraph #5 illustrate the concept that the past affects the present. ______
______
5. What does the word “inclusive” mean in the last paragraph?
The program on Saturday was much more inclusive than five decades ago, with many women speakers, Latinos and openly gay men and lesbians giving speeches to the crowd.
The sentence above the word “inclusive” means: ______
6. Why do you think the author chose to include the last paragraph?
a. To show that progress has been made in America’s promise to bring equal rights to all people.
b. To show that some people still have fewer rights today than they had 50 years ago.
c. To show that the crowd that attended the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington was racially diverse,
I chose answer choice ____ because in the text it says: ______