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Black Leaders, Celebrities in Denver for Obama Camp 'Unity' Breakfast on MLK Anniversary

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August 28, 2008 12:51 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: Civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, Bernice King, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as African American celebrities like Oprah Winfrey's best friend Gayle King, Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett Jr., and actors Alfrie Woodard and Blair Underwood, gathered for breakfast in Denver today on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's famed 'I Have a Dream Speech.' The event, a "unity" breakfast organized by Barack Obama's campaign, occurred just hours before Obama delivers his own historic acceptance speech as the nation's first African American major party presidential candidate.

"I hope I can remain upright in my chair," Gayle King told ABC News of Obama's speech at Invesco Field, which is expected to be delivered tonight before an estimated 76,000 people.

When people say 'I have a dream' today, I say my dream is coming true," she said. "I knew this day would come and I still know it."

Of her friend Oprah Winfrey, who is in town for Obama's speech, King said, "She wouldn't miss it."

For many black leaders the day is charged with emotion.

"Having been at the march in 1963 several feet from the platform and looking directly in the face of Dr. King when he made that historic address, today could not be more appropriate or more fitting," civil rights leader the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. told ABC News.

"Sen. Obama represents the very thing that Dr. King articulated, not only in that speech, but in his entire life and work," Moss said.

"I'm numb, I'm absolutely numb," Tyson told ABCNews.com.

"I never, ever dreamed that, in my lifetime, I would be witnessing this," Tyson added.

"I really don't know what he'd say," said Georgia Rep. John Lewis, when asked what civil rights icon King would say were he alive today. "But I think he'd say 'hallelujah.'"

Lewis is the last living person who spoke at the MLK march.

Firing up a crowd of about 500 black Democratic delegates, celebrities and faith leaders, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, president of the Coalition for the People's Agenda, said Obama doesn't have to be a civil rights leader between now and November.

"He can go ahead and be president and leave the agitating to us," he said to cheers and whoops of "That's right!"

"The most important thing he can do for the nation is get elected," Lowery said.

Bernice King also brought the crowd to its feet, arguing that, despite Obama's historic accomplishment, her father's work is far from done.

"He declared that he may not get there with us," she said, "and we are on our way to the promised land, but we are not there yet and our next step is unity."

"Let us be satisfied when our young men are going to college not going to jail," she said to loud cheers and applause. "The movement is not there, let's continue the movement!"

Not to be outdone, Sharpton brought the crowd again to their feet with a verbal slap against President George W. Bush.

"The media keeps talking about passing the baton," he said of news coverage about former President Bill Clinton's solid endorsement last night of Obama. "The only baton that we're going to pass is from George Bush to Barack Obama."

Sharpton said civil rights leaders will go in November to "states that seem to have difficulty counting votes."

"We’re going to make sure that the names of African American voters don't mysteriously disappear," he said, "Not this time! We will not be divided. Not this time!"

Other speakers echoed that Obama's candidacy alone isn't enough.

Charles Steele of the Georgia Southern Christian Leadership Conference said Obama is about to make history, but the fight isn't over.

"We might quit at this point, but we can't quit, we can't let Martin Luther King, and other civil rights leaders in the movement, down," Steele said. "I challenge you to think about this moment not as a fulfillment of the dream, but an important step along the way."

Steele said African Americans still have to fight on a daily basis against higher rates of poverty and racism.

Others expressed pride in Obama for being the first black to run for president on a major party ticket.

"I just wish my dad was here to see this," said actress Holly Robinson Peete, whose late father, TV producer Matt Robinson, marched on Washington.

"He would be so proud of Obama," she said.

"To have it occur on the 45th anniversary of the march on Washington -- that it was destined to be. It could have never been anyone else," Tyson said.

"My old friend Jane Pittman used to say that when a child is born, folks look into its face and ask, 'Are you the one? Are you the one?' Well, he is definitely the one," she said.

August 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (108)

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Dr. King would be ashamed of how African Americans have behaved this election season, selecting the color of the skin over the content of the character, and before you fools label me racist. I am a proud African American mother of two boys and I am ashamed to have them see the race card being used and people putting History before Logic,I do not want to instill in them to use their skin color to intimidate others or as a crutch, I want them to learn that they are deserving of the same opportunities that everyone else is, based on hard work and dedication.

Posted by: Kim | Aug 28, 2008 1:09:06 PM

Now that the roll call was suspended the Sharptons and Jacksons can crawl out of their holes.

Posted by: geevill | Aug 28, 2008 1:16:38 PM

Black Leaders, Celebrities in Denver for Obama.
---

How fitting it is for the phony Zerobameus, God of Nothingness, in the Temple of Doom on top of Mile High.

Posted by: fact check | Aug 28, 2008 1:44:20 PM

And the March goes on, the March goes on, towards a more perfect Union and to the re-enlivenment of the American Dream for ALL Americans.

Posted by: Patriot | Aug 28, 2008 1:45:22 PM

The message was "I have a dream that my four little children will 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."

Obama and his Supporters have made this election all about the color of Obama's skin, not the contents of his character.

He and they have made a mockery of MLK's speech.

RIP Martin.

PUMA!

Posted by: LeeLee07 | Aug 28, 2008 1:47:29 PM

Of course they are. That is what this has been about from the beginning. Hopefully we don't get stuck with this done nothing empty-suit for 4 years.

Posted by: Mack | Aug 28, 2008 1:55:57 PM

Black, white, purple is it too much to ask for a qualified candidate?

Posted by: Mack | Aug 28, 2008 1:58:36 PM

Martin L. King loved his country and he would NO WAY, NO HOW, put an amateur, inexperienced man in the White House, black, white, or whatever.

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/08/28/video-a-new-mccain-spokesman-for-obamas-unreadiness/

Posted by: Mike | Aug 28, 2008 2:13:40 PM

Jealous you Republican losers??

The Democratic Party's convention is a HUGE SUCCESS and will be topped off tonight by a great speech from a great and true American leader!!!!

The Republican convention by contrast will be a BIG disappointment and boring FAILURE!!!!

The highlights will include speeches by the biggest failure that has ever occupied the White House, George Bush and his evil side kick (the true brains) Cheney!

We are all wondering whether McBush can even fill the convention hall! Because there is no way he could ever fill a 75,000 seat stadium!!!!

He can barely fill his phony town halls with a couple hundred hand picked losers!

Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!

What a JOKE THE REPUBLICANS ARE!!!!!

Obama/Biden 2008!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Davis | Aug 28, 2008 2:14:37 PM

This whole thing with Obama is such a farce.

I've been reading about what the Obama thugs are doing and it's downright scary. Trying to shut down a radio station in Chicago which dared to interview a critic of Obama, having people arrested at the DNC for daring to take video of big lobbyists smoozing with dems, trying to sic the justice dept. on some group that dared to air Obama ads about his friendship with Ayers.

Geeeze, is this a sign of things to come in an Obama police state?

This guy must stopped NOW.

Posted by: Jo | Aug 28, 2008 2:17:23 PM

Mike,

Martin Luther King would have been very proud today - very proud!!!

It is his dream come true!!!!

Lucky that your sentiments are only shared by a small minority of right wing losers!!!!

We are going to take this country back from the incompetent evil doing REPUBLICANS in November!!!! And I am sure that puts a smile on Dr. Kings face as he looks down from Heaven....

Obama/Biden '08!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Davis | Aug 28, 2008 2:18:28 PM

Davis,

The Repugs cannot seem to give away the 10,000 tickets available for Gramps speech. Plenty of seats still available. 75,000 tickets were snapped up in a matter of hours for Obama.

Jealous much, little pugs??

Posted by: McCain/Mittens/VietCong '08 | Aug 28, 2008 2:21:16 PM

Okay "decent American". BTW what does that mean? Does decent mean that you want the same old things to continue? Does "decent" mean the status quo? Does "decent" mean that Barack Obama/Joe Biden are "indecent"? Was the treatment of blacks AND whites during Hurricane Katrina "decent"?. Was going into this war and losing trillions of dollars "decent"? Is our abysmal healthcare for people "decent"? How about jobs going overseas???? Help me to understand your definition of “decent “because I am missing it. Obama's ascent is indeed about his character. See people like you have not paid attention to the things he has done for people in his state while serving as a public servant and in the senate whose constituents BTW are black AND white. If this is so racist "decent American", how is it that people of all races are supporting him? Since we are trying not be racists are you willing to admit we made a mistake in electing George Bush? Oh, while we're at it let me talk about qualification....Was John F. Kennedy qualified??? Was Bill Clinton qualified???? Was Ronald Reagan qualified???? For that matter was President Abraham Lincoln qualified???. They were elected because people believed in the same thing as now - change, and a change for the better!

Posted by: enlightened08 | Aug 28, 2008 2:35:35 PM

McCain/Mittens/VietCong '08,

I will believe it when I see it! 10,000 people willing to listen to McSenile speak? What a joke!!

Maybe they will have another LIME GREEN background for him to give his acceptance speech in front of! Then he can give us that big "ear to ear yellow toothed crypt smile of his" Then he can give his famous line again "that's not change we can believe in, hehehehehe.."

Just watch though, ABC and the rest of the talking heads will be calling it fabulous, wonderful, inspiring!!!!

What a BAD JOKE McCAIN AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE!!!!

Here is laughing at you (in advance) at your convention FAILURE next week!!!

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!

Obama/Biden '08!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Davis | Aug 28, 2008 2:38:22 PM

Geeeze, is this a sign of things to come in an Obama police state?

This guy must stopped NOW.

Posted by: Jo | Aug 28, 2008 2:17:23 PM

Gosh, Jo, if you hadn't put Obama's name in your post I would have thought you were talking about George Bush and his administration. You don't seem to have a problem with this Republican administration eroding our Constitution with "signing statement" and strong arm tactics regarding our personal freedoms and rights, but you are nearly hysterical at the thought of Obama and his "police state". If Obama is elected, will you have any problems with him signing hundreds of signing statement, the WH loosing thousands and thousands of emails, members of his administration refusing to testify or turn over evidence to Congress based on Executive Privilege, having his own attorneys determine what is legal and what isn't, having a Vice-President having secrect meeting (or I forgot, the VP is not a member of the Executive Branch of the government)? Remember who set the standard for this type of behavior - your beloved George W. Bush. I do not want to hear whining if Obama is elected and does exactly what Bush has done with the examples above. I just hope Obama doesn't vacation as much as Bush has.

Posted by: sunny in tulsa | Aug 28, 2008 2:43:57 PM

All Liberals do is cry about everything. Listen to the DNC its all about woo is me, poor, poor me. The government needs to give us a hand out. We can’t do this ourselves. The United States is going to crumble. We need this, we need that, and the government has the responsibility to give it to us. We don’t want to work for it, just give it to us. It gets really old. Just once I would like to see the liberals take a look in the mirror, say it’s up to me to become a success, accept responsibility for their own future, go out and do something for themselves without being the victim and asking the government for help.

Posted by: Capitalism | Aug 28, 2008 2:45:44 PM

All Liberals do is cry about everything. Listen to the DNC its all about woo is me, poor, poor me. The government needs to give us a hand out. We can’t do this ourselves. The United States is going to crumble. We need this, we need that, and the government has the responsibility to give it to us. We don’t want to work for it, just give it to us. It gets really old. Just once I would like to see the liberals take a look in the mirror, say it’s up to me to become a success, accept responsibility for their own future, go out and do something for themselves without being the victim and asking the government for help.

Posted by: Capitalism | Aug 28, 2008 2:46:27 PM

I'm a very proud American today. I'm proud not only for the fact that a person of color has a chance to live out a dream a lot of us had as kids, but also because it shows that a lot of my white brothers & sisters were able to put aside things that they'd heard about blacks growing up & did what was right. I see all of these posts talking about Obams isn't qualified. What makes McCain so qualified? A good soldier doesn't necessarily translate into a good president. This idea that we as blacks should keep our exuberance about this historical event under wraps is ludicrous. This event represents progress, why shouldn't I be excited? And to all of you who keep quoting the last 2 minutes of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech where he talks judging people by their character rather than their color, have you listened to the entire speech? It's a 15 minute speech & Dr. King is definitely not all sugar & spice in the early portion of that speech. I dare say that if he would've made that speech today, he would've gotten the Jeremiah Wright treatment. Sure he exuded optimism at the end of that speech, but he told it like it was for the majority of it. I refuse to supress my joy & excitement for this historical event simply so some people won't feel uncomfortable.

Posted by: Dee Tee Gee | Aug 28, 2008 2:47:41 PM

GNP grows at 3.3% last quarter. Contradicts the great depression the DNC has been talking about all week.

Posted by: geevill | Aug 28, 2008 2:51:40 PM

Capitalism

When our government stops bailing our banks and corporations I will agree with you. When our government stops providing corporate welfare to big oil, I will agree with you. When these huge companies move their headquarters out of the US to avoid paying taxes and can no longer sell there goods in our country, I will agree with you. When big business stops shipping jobs overseas for cheap labor and pays its fair share of taxes I will agree with you. I think every able body should work to earn their own living and dislike having my tax-payer dollars go to someone who is too lazy to work, but there are millions of American citizens who, through no fault of their own, have lost jobs, become sick with no health insurance, are stuggling with the rising costs of energy and goods, and if we can send 10-12 BILION dollars to Iraq each MONTH when that country has an 80 BILLION surplus, then a few hand outs here don't bother me that much.

Posted by: sunny in tulsa | Aug 28, 2008 2:56:37 PM

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