Crowds are gathering for celebrations in Washington D.C. today to mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech.


The civil rights leader addressed about 250,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln monument, the majority of them African-Americans seeking social justice and economic equality.


He delivered his speech on Aug. 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for civil rights, and the address has served as the rallying cry for racial equality in the United States ever since.


Today, about 100,000 people are expected to march from the National Mall's Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, passing by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.


CBC's Briar Stewart is following the preparations for the celebrations in Washington and has this report.