Freedom City 2017: Newcastle honours a legend

The city prepares a year of cultural events to mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr being honoured at Newcastle University

Dated: 11/01/2017An image of Martin Luther King Jr projected on to Newcastle University's Student Union to mark the start of Freedom City 2017, a year-long city-wide programme of diverse, tho
(Image credit: © North News & Pictures ltd)

There are few speeches as momentous, memorable and meaningful as Dr Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream". But the civil rights legend delivered another poignant and powerful address 50 years ago, when he was recognised with an honorary degree from Newcastle University.

It would be his final speech outside the US and came five months before his assassination in 1968. In it, he speaks of "three urgent and indeed great problems that we face not only in the United States of America, but all over the world today. That is the problem of racism, the problem of poverty and the problem of war". His words serve as an important reminder of the challenges that continue to face society today.

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