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Freedom’s Ring

Animated, annotated mural of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, commissioned by the King Research & Education Institute.

Year 2013
Format
Website
Credits by Evan Bissell and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
Design and Programming by Erik Loyer

Freedom’s Ring is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, animated and annotated in a format that enables users to compare the written and spoken speech, explore related media, hear the stories of movement activists, and uncover historical context. 

The piece opens with singing by Mahalia Jackson, as text from the official program for the March on Washington begins to fall away, becoming lost in a wash of imagery.
The text of the speech is synchronized with and superimposed over Evan Bissell’s animated mural, with links provided for users to dig deeper.
Users can scroll freely through the speech and its many visual representations, with the audio and transcript precisely tracking every move.
Supplemental information powered by the Scalar platform provides additional detail and context to the events surrounding the march.