Martin Luther King's Legacy

Every year, America pauses to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential leaders in our nation's history. A Baptist minister by trade, Dr. King used the power of words to inspire a generation and change the course of history.

In 1963, Dr. King stood on the steps of Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial and delivered a powerful message to a crowd of more than 200,000 people. His speech, which is now taught in classrooms across the country, is best known for its powerful declaration, "I Have a Dream."

Dr. King's words raised the nation's awareness of the civil rights movement and helped him become the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Before his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968, the United States government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Now, 45 years after Dr. King shared his dream with the world, Oprah returns to the spot where he stood on that fateful day in 1963 to celebrate his legacy. "We honor his message of hope," she says.