BBC 1963: August.



Radio 4: Martin Luthor King Archive
"On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, Radio 4 brings you a unique radio event, global figures read Dr King's words. Here is a selection of programmes from BBC Radio covering the speech and events in America in 1963."

Witness: I Have a Dream
"On August 28th 1963, the American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, made his historic plea for an end to racial discrimination in the USA. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he addressed hundreds of thousands of activists who had marched to Washington to demonstrate for black rights. Listen to John Lewis, the youngest speaker on the podium that day. "

Outlook: I Have a Dream
"Extraordinary personal stories from around the world. Today, another chance to hear from Clarence B Jones, Dr Martin Luther King's speech writer, lawyer and confidant. Clarence was part of Dr King's inner circle of advisors and helped to organise the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which culminated in the civil rights leader giving his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech to a reported 250,000 people. Clarence who helped to draft the speech, stood behind Dr King as he uttered the words that have gone down in history and says that the atmosphere was like "capturing lightning in a bottle". His book is called Behind the Dream: The Making of a Speech that Transformed a Nation."

BBC News: John Lewis on his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr
"US Congressman John Lewis is the last surviving speaker from the March on Washington 50 years ago. The student activist turned civil rights leader spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial just before Dr Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech on 28 August 1963. Mr Lewis has also just published a graphic novel called March which chronicles his role in the civil rights movement through the 1950s and 1960s. He spoke to the BBC about how he was inspired by Dr King's speeches on the radio and later became his friend."

World Have Your Say: 'I Have a Dream' Fifty Years On
"We speak to black Americans to find out how life has changed since they heard Martin Luther King's famous speech."

Beyond Belief: Martin Luther King
"Beyond Belief debates the place of religion and faith in today's complex world. Ernie Rea is joined by a panel to discuss how religious beliefs and traditions affect our values and perspectives. Its fifty years since Martin Luther King addressed an immense crowd in Washington and told the world that "I have a dream." His words galvanised black people across America and paved the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Out of deep Christian conviction King wanted to fight against ingrained injustice using exclusively non-violent means. In this programme Ernie Rea explores the religious influences and ideas of Martin Luther King and asks, half a century on, whether we have sanitised the tough message of that speech."

Witness: The Great Train Robbery
"The Great Train Robbery of 1963, when thieves stole more than £2 million. The Royal Mail train was bound from Glasgow to London when it was held up. Most of the robbers ended up behind bars, but most of the money has never been recovered."

History of the BBC: The Marriage Lines, 16 August 1963
"The first episode of Marriage Lines was broadcast on 16 August 1963. It launched the career of Prunella Scales and gave a significant boost to that of Richard Briers. The sitcom was written by Richard Waring for Briers, the two having previously worked together on Brothers in Law. Scales and Briers played Kate and George Starling, a young couple, in “a quizzical look at the early days of married life”."

Tonight: Arriving in Britain on Windrush and finding somewhere to live
"One man describes how he tried to rent a room in Brixton, having arrived in the UK from Jamaica on Empire Windrush, and the reactions he faced. Footage taken from Tonight 21 August 1963 and Windrush 30 May 1998."

BBC News: Weston to Penarth hovercraft trial remembered
"For one summer in 1963 a trial hovercraft service took place between Weston-super-Mare and Penarth in south Wales. The experimental SRN2 model took just 10 minutes to make the 10-mile (16km) crossing of the Bristol Channel. At the time it was believed to be the world's largest passenger carrying hovercraft - and it was built by Somerset based Westlands. Clinton Rogers reports."

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