“They’re profound — and they have a vision!”
That’s what one adult has to say about the children participating in the children participating in the annual Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, which is featured in an upcoming cable TV documentary.
To mark the Martin Luther King holiday, HBO released a trailer for “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest.” It’s a film that follows students from schools across the city in the months leading up to the 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 people raise their voices about issues they care about, and a portrait of the unique community that celebrates and supports them.”
The documentary is executive produced by two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, who was born in Oakland and raised in Hayward.
“We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest” premieres on HBO at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.
Check out the trailer.