On DC’s MLK Avenue, Where Over-Policing Reigns, King’s Dream Is Far From a Reality for Residents

When remembering Martin Luther King Jr., society often removes some of his most radical politics from discussion.

King is perhaps most remembered in Washington, D.C., for delivering his notable “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of over 250,000 in 1963. But what’s often glossed over is the stand he took against police brutality in that same speech:

“We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.”

More than 50 years after he publicly condemned the treatment of black people by police, black residents who live in the areas surrounding D.C.’s Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue are still dealing with unequal treatment from law enforcement. Watch episode two of A King’s Place to find out what some D.C. residents are doing to fight over-policing and why they don’t plan on stopping until all are truly free.