The Forgotten Civil Rights Activist

Most people still revere Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech. When he announced, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,'" King gave generations of Americans an optimistic vision

Robert T. Williams was also a civil rights activist during the 1950s and 1960s. He also delivered a speech on August 28, 1963 on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. But few remember Robert's "I See a World" speech now, possibly because he painted a slightly different picture of the future than did Dr. King.

Williams stood up, cleared his throat, and- with the audience eager to be inspired- uttered the words that would depress a few and be ignored by millions. "I see a world in which racial harmony exists. I see a world in which black people can live in an America free of fear. I see a world in which the President of the United States looks like me. But it really doesn't matter now. Because we're all going to end up a sack of bones buried in the ground.

"Whether we are black or whether we are white, we're all going to die. In a hundred years, probably less for most us, our presence on this planet will be completely forgotten. The impact of our lives will be lost. So, I mean, who cares? What's the point of it all? We're all just insignificant specs in the universe. Alright, anyway, that's my time. Here you go, Dr. King, you're up."