The campus community and local students joined together Monday to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by recreating his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Students wait in line to read their portion of the "I Have a Dream" speech.
Throughout the day, students and community members came to the Nott Memorial to recite their lines. The speech was divided into about 80 parts, and was recorded twice, involving more than 150 people.
King delivered his iconic 17-minute speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Aug. 28, 1963. The speech, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination, was a defining moment in the Civil Rights movement.
Liz Mastrianni ’79 and her son Tom Perry ’09 said it was essential to participate in Monday’s video project. “Its an important message to remember,” Mastrianni, also a Schenectady resident, said.
Director of Student Activities Matt Milless was charged with reading one of the speech’s most memorable lines. He read the famous words, “Free at last; free at last.” Director of Multicultural Affairs Jason Benitez followed with: “Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
The College’s events remembering King were sponsored by Campus Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Africana Studies, Student Activities, Kenney Community Center and Schaffer Library.