THIS DAY TO HONOR HIS LIFE AND
REFLECT ON HIS ENDURING LEGACY
THE TRIBUTE TO DOCTOR KING ARE
TAKING MANY FORMS INCLUDING
MARCHES, RALLIES, SPEECHES,
AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCES.
LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
WHO MARCHED WITH DOCTOR KING
AND HEARD HIM SPEAK IS SHARING
HIS MEMORIES WITH "EYEWITNESS
NEWS" REPORTER DAVID SPUNT.
MY FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN ONE
DAY LIVE IN A NATION WHERE
THEY WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE
COLOR OF THEIR SKIN BUT BY THE
CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER, I
HAVE A DREAM TODAY.
WHEN MARTIN LUTHER KING
JUNIOR SAID THOSE FAMOUS WORD
IN WASHINGTON D.C. NORVILLE
REESE, A YOUNG CIVIL RIGHTS
ACTIVIST, STOOD IN A HUGE
CROWD OF STRANGERS, WITH ONE
GOAL IN COMMON: EQUALITY.
I MEAN, EVERYONE WAS JUST
RIVETED, FIRST TIME EVER, I
HEARD HIM SPEAK AND HE WAS
MASTERFUL.
REPORTER: NOW 84, LIVING IN
BUCKS COUNTY FOR DECADES,
REESE INVITED NEWS TO HIS HOME
TO SHARE MEMORIES OF THE MAN
HE MISSES TO THIS DAY.
THIS COUNTRY I THINK IS
BADLY IN NEED OF HIS VOICE
RIGHT NOW.
REPORTER: REESE WAS SO
INSPIRED BY CHANGE, HE
CHARTERED A PLANE FROM
PHILADELPHIA TO JOIN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS LEADER ON HIS THIRD
MARCH FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY
IT IS WHERE HE ENCOUNTERED
WHAT HE CALLED A VICIOUS CROWD
, WATCHING, SCREAMING,
EVEN THROWING THINGS AT THOSE
MARCHING.
PEOPLE WERE VERY NASTY ON
THE SIDELINES, I NEVER HEARD
SO MANY VULGARITIES YOUNG AT
PEOPLE JUST WALKING BY.
REPORTER: EASIES A PROUD
QUAKER AND BELIEVE IT IS HIS
ROOT THAT IS SENT HIM TO
DOCTOR KING'S SIDE.
I WAS RAISE TODD BELIEVE
THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE EQUAL, ARE
BORN EQUAL, CREATED EQUAL,
REGARDLESS OF RELIGION, OR
RACE OR COUNTRY OF ORIGINS.
REPORTER: HE SAW HIM SAY I
HAVE A DREAM IN 1963.
IN 1965, HE MARCHED WITH HIM
IN SELMA.
BUT IT WAS IN 1967 HERE AT OLD
ROBERT MORRIS HOTEL IN
PHILADELPHIA THAT NORVILLE
REESE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS WITH
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ICON.
IN PERSON HE WAS VERY
DIRECT.
HE WAS KIND OF ALL BUSINESS IN
A WAY, MY IMPRESSION WAS HE
WAS VERY FOCUSED.
YOU KNEW WHERE HE STOOD.
GOOD STRATEGIC THINKER.
REPORTER: THESE ARE
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THAT DAY THAT
HANG PROUDLY IN REESE'S OFFICE
BUT HE TOOK THEM DOWN TO SHOW
US.
HE SAID THAT DAY HE, KING AND
A FEW OTHERS PLANNED A POVERTY
MARCH FOR THE FOLLOWING SPRING
BUT KING NEVER MADE IT, HE WAS
DEAD BEFORE THE MARCH TOOK
PLACE.
REESE WENT TO KING'S FUNERAL
IN ATLANTA, 50 YEARS TO THE
DAY KING DIED, AND THIS CIVIL
RIGHTS FIGHTER IS PROUD OF
LEAVING HIS LIFE UP NORTH TO
MARCH DOWN SOUTH, FOR WHAT WAS
, AND IS, RIGHT IN ALL
DIRECTIONS.
I DIT, AND WOULD I DO IT
AGAIN.
LET FREEDOM RING.
REPORTER: IN PHILADELPHIA,
