Documentary on Martin Luther King Jr. screened

To commemorate African-American History month, students reflect on his legacy

FILE - The late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is shown in this Oct. 24, 1966 file photo. The Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday is celebrated this year on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, although the the actual anniversary of his birthday is Jan. 15. The Georgia native, who was born in Atlanta, would have been 83 years old. On Monday, a wreath will be laid at the new King Memorial on the National Mall, in Washington, which opened in August. Since then, the King Memorial Foundation says more than 2 million visitors from around the world have visited the memorial. (AP Photo, File)

Commemorating the African-American History month, the U.S. Consulate, Chennai, on Thursday organised a screening of a documentary based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech, ‘I have a dream’, at the Presidency College.

The college has its own connection with the leader of the American Civil Rights movement. Dr. King had addressed the students of Presidency college in Hall M- 28 on February 18, 1959, during his visit to Madras and students on Thursday gathered in the same hall for the screening.

Students from the college, along with students from the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, engaged in a discussion where they reflected on Dr. King’s legacy. Students from Jaffna participated via digital video conference.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a lasting impact on American society by leading the struggle for dignity and equality for all. Dr. King was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and had travelled to India in 1959 to understand Gandhi’s work better,” said Moulik Berkana, the U.S. Consulate’s cultural affairs officer.

The documentary, The March , is a renowned film that recounts the historic 1963 March on Washington, D.C. for Jobs and Freedom. It was on this occasion that the ‘I have a dream’ speech was delivered.