New HBO film will cover MLK Oratorical Festival

HBO is set to air a documentary that celebrates Oakland’s annual oratorical festival honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest,” which premieres Feb. 18, features the Oakland Unified School District’s MLK Oratorical Festival — one of the many oratorical competitions that take place in communities across the country. The film follows students from schools across the city in the months leading up to the 40th annual festival as they rehearse their speeches in classrooms and in their homes, hoping for a coveted spot in the finals.

HBO describes the film as “a look at an event in which young people raise their voices about issues they care about, and a portrait of the unique community that celebrates and supports them.”

Every year, hundreds of children from prekindergarten through 12th grade participate in the festival, a stirring public speaking competition in which they perform poetry and speeches, both published and original, inspired by the life and legacy of King.

Emmy winner Amy Schatz directed the film. Among its executive producers is two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, who was born in Oakland and raised in Hayward.

“As a Bay Area native, it’s an honor to celebrate these extraordinary young voices and shine light on the wonderful educators and community that supports them,” Ali said.

The MLK Oratorical Festival, founded in 1978 by Donald Oliver, a former Oakland school principal who died in 2010, encourages local students to take inspiration from the civil rights icon.

Through interviews with the contestants and scenes of rehearsals and performances, the film reveals the deep connection the students make between King’s words and the world they live in. Subjects include:

• Gregory Payton (age 9) delivers moving passages from King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

• Karunyan Kamalraj (age 9) describes his discovery of MLK’s teachings and how it helped shape his speech about his native Sri Lanka.

• Abrar (age 6) performs an original poem written by her sister Lamiya Mohammed (age 12) that discusses growing up Muslim in America.

• Donovan Edwards (age 10) talks about using the reach of social media to lift people up.

“We Are the Dream” also features the educators, judges and family members who encourage the students along the way.

“It’s amazing what’s coming out of the hearts and minds of young people today,” said Oratorical Fest producer Awele Makeba in a statement. “They’re profound and they’re intelligent and they have a vision, and given the opportunity to share and to listen, there’s so much to learn.”

As MLK’s words echo throughout the film, the kids describe what participating in the competition means to them.

As Victoria, age 11, puts it, “Dr. Martin Luther King, he made a legacy. I may not be known, I may just be another kid in this world, but at that same time I feel like I am somebody. So because of that I feel like I have to give my best. I feel like I’m doing this for him.”

The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW and HBO GO.