News 12 at 11 o'clock, August 28, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- In Augusta, many are looking back - and drawing similarities between Barrack Obama's speech t to that of Dr. Martin Luther King's famous"I Have A Dream Speech." With the first African American nominee many say the dream has become a reality.

Dr. King mentions in that famous speech as part of his dream that one day "on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." Republican or Democrat many agree that day has come.

It has been 45 years since Martin Luther King Jr. made that powerful speech. And on the exact day - the first African American accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. During his speech Dr. King visualized a colorblind nation, but in 2008 has his dream really come true?

Frank Thomas - a maverick in human rights,says that as Americans we've made progrss in accepting minorities in leadership roles but there's much to be done.

Robert Ingham is a strong Obama supporter. He believes Obama's nomination is all part of a larger plan.

Bill Tippins is optimistic that a nation once gripped by racial hatred will eventually become more accepting and understanding regardless of skin color.

The timing of obama's speech to coincide with Dr. King's speech is in fact a coincidence.The democratic convention was scheduled long before it was apparent Obama would be nominated.