Just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, PEOPLE presents the exclusive trailer for HBO’s powerful new documentary,We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest.
We Are the Dreamtracks students as they prepare for the 40th annual festival, rehearsing their speeches, and dreaming for a spot in the finals to shed a light on subjects they hold dear to their hearts.
“As a Bay Area Native, it’s an honor to celebrate these extraordinary young voices and shine light on the wonderful educators and community that supports them,” says Ali.
HBO
Subjects in the film include nine-year old Gregory Payton, who delivers passages from Dr. King’s iconic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech with intensity that belies his age; Mohammed, 12, who discusses growing up Muslim in America; Karunyan Kamalraj, 9, who describes how Dr. King’s teachings helped inspire his speech about his native Sri Lanka; and 10-year-old Donovan Edwards, who talks about social media’s positive effect on society to lift people up.
RELATED VIDEO: ‘Green Book’ Is a Story About Friendship Amid Racial Tensions and Socioeconomic Differences
“It’s amazing what’s coming out of the hearts and minds of young people today,” says Oratorical Fest producer Awele Makeba. “They’re profound and they’re intelligent and they have a vision and given the opportunity to share and to listen, there’s so much to learn.”
source: people.com
