MARTIN LUTHER KING – I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH
Monday, January 19, 2026 at the Sandusky High School
The program begins with a reception from 12:30 to 1:00 and words of welcome.
At 1:10 the historic I Have A Dream speech will be presented by Pastor McCants.
I Have a Dream – This 1963 speech was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C. to 250,000 people of the civil rights movement. It is regarded as one of the most important speeches in US history.
Wikipedia summed up the importance of this speech nicely: Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared millions of slaves free in 1863, King said: “one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free,” Toward the end of the speech, King departed from his prepared text for an improvised peroration on the theme “I have a dream.” In the church spirit, Mahalia Jackson lent her support from her seat behind him, shouting, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!” just before he began his most famous segment of the speech. Taylor Branch writes that King later said he grasped at the “first run of oratory” that came to him, not knowing if Jackson’s words ever reached him. Jon Meacham writes that, “With a single phrase, King joined Jefferson and Lincoln in the ranks of men who’ve shaped modern America.” The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. The speech was described by journalist Sean O’Grady in The Independent as having “a strong claim to be the greatest in the English language of all time.”
MEET THE ACTOR PROTRAYING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
The Dr. Rev. John H McCants of the St. Paul AME – (African Methodist Episcopal church in Canton, OH)
Sandusky High School is located at 2130A Hayes Avenue, Sandusky
Following the speech, there will be a reception to introduce the speaker.
A light food offering will be prepared by EHOVE’s Culinary Arts Institute
Did you know that Culinary Arts students will become members of FCCLA (Family, Careers and Community Leaders of America), an association of Family and Consumer Science students. FCCLA allows students to participate in competitive events, fund-raisers, community service projects and social chapter activities.
Did you know that EHOVE’s Young Chef Inn is a restaurant where the Culinary Arts students perform every task associated with restaurant management and operation, from menu planning to food procurement, preparation and serving. Founded in the 1970s, the restaurant features very reasonable prices on a variety of tasty upscale and everyday dishes through its regular menus and a specials menu that changes weekly. It is open most Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.