All agree that the experience changed them, whether in ways big or small.
Im not sure why it hadnt been done before.
They gave me several different passages to look at.
Steven Ferdman/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Leon Bennett/Getty Images; Theo Wargo/Getty Images
I went with the ones that I gravitated towards more, but all of them were treasures.
Some of the speeches were edited before, and this was an uncut version.
SIDIBE:I was just thinking about the first time I learned about Martin Luther King.
At the age of 5 years old, I just accepted this was a great man.
But its almost like hes omnipotent.
I read some of the other chapters from the book, and I actually learned a lot.
Im grateful for that.
And thats completely wrong.
What about the speeches spoke to you?COLTER:What really hit me was how practical he was.
I think speeches are, first and foremost, meant to inspire and inform.
But I really found that a lot of these were also applicable to life.
This was very practical knowledge.
When I heard them, I was like, These are more than speeches.
These are blueprints for life.
They were rich and informative.
When I read them, I actually was learning something as I read.
WILLIAMS:The main thing I connected with this is Dr. King and his words.
If there was ever a time when hes more relevant than when he actually said them, its now.
It was in the room.
Its the love that God has for us.
Its made me think, you better get some of that!
you should probably figure out how to love people without expecting love or anything back.
Its just free love.
It sounds like you gained something from the experience.SIDIBE:Yeah, I would say so.
Did you find the prospect of doing this daunting at all?SIDIBE:Oh my God, yes.
When you think of Martin Luther King, dont you also think about dinosaurs roaming in the background?
Doesnt he seem so far away?
It seems further away from us in time than he actually was.
I dont know what I was expecting, but his writings were incredible.
And lots of $15 words.
Like, My books cute but unimportant.
Its a lot less silly.
I was thinking to myself, This is a big privilege.
Sometimes they dont occur to you until youre actually doing them.
WILLIAMS:I knew that he was Dr. Martin Luther King, but man was he alsoubersmart.
I was like, This dude was really a doctor.
He was really smart.
There was no attempt to impersonate him.
Sometimes people embellish with speeches, or with the way they present the language.
I didnt want to attempt to become bigger than the speeches in any way, shape, or form.
I hope that comes across.
WILLIAMS: I just flowed with it.
It came from somewhere else.
I went with that.
The only way that this works is when were together.
He tried to emulate Gandhi, in the way he approached his movement.
People forget the reason he decided to do this.
This is a reminder of what the movement was about from the beginning.
SIDIBE:His words and his message are really timeless.
Its really simple: Love your fellow man.
Thats all it is.
Love without hate, and love without benefit.
It resonated then, it resonates today because these are not ideals that are too far away from us.
Today is nothing to fear.
