CLEVELAND — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of justice for all led him to speak about civil rights in many places across the United States, including iconic moments in Montgomery, Ala., Memphis, and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. His efforts also frequently took him to Cleveland.
And, through a 3News special broadcast titled “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers,” viewers will travel back in time to watch and hear about Dr. King's work to empower young people and leaders of Cleveland.
The special aired on 3News on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 8:30-9 a.m. and on what would have been Dr. King’s 95th birthday, Monday, Jan. 15 from 7-8 p.m.
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“The highlight of the footage is definitely hearing Dr. King speak in his own words about Cleveland,” said Asedrick Thomas, supervising producer of the special. “Dr. King had visits in Glenville back in 1967. He came and spoke to three high schools. We actually have the video footage of his visit as well as what he had to say to the Glenville students as well as a little surprise that the Glenville students had for him.”
In addition to seeing rare footage of Dr. King’s visit to Glenville High School, viewers will also learn how Dr. King helped get Carl Stokes elected as the first African American mayor of a major city. Stokes served as mayor of Cleveland from 1968 to 1971.
The special will not only document Dr. King’s past in Cleveland, but also spotlight local community members who are keeping Dr. King’s dream alive in Northeast Ohio. The show also includes spoken word performances by local poets, plus local members of King's fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., singing the Alpha Hymn.
One highlight of the special, Thomas said, is how it takes Dr. King’s historic statements from his Cleveland speeches and weaves them together with what local leaders are doing now.
“The theme of the show is ‘Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers,’ so we show how that bridge is continuing through the work of these local unsung heroes,” said Thomas.
The special is a partnership between Cleveland Public Library and WKYC Studios.
“Dr. King’s legacy is one that I think a lot of people try to emulate,” said Michael Young, Director of Digital Content at the Cleveland Public Library. “[The library] is a place where you come and get better without fear of getting judged or turned away.”
The broadcast will also share a glimpse of Cleveland Public Library’s state-of-the-art facility, currently under construction, that will replace the old Martin Luther King branch in University Circle. The new structure will be located at 1962 Stokes Boulevard in Cleveland.
The branch is designed to be a centering point in Cleveland’s cultural hub. It will include new collections, programming, A-V technology and performance spaces. And, words such as hope and peace, which were often mentioned in Dr. King’s speeches, are carved in the building’s foundation.
“We don’t often hear Cleveland associated with the civil rights movement and you will learn a lot of things once you watch the special,” said Thomas.
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- Leon Bibb: How Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words from the 1960s still ring with relevance