Say It Plain African-Americans have produced some of the greatest oratory in the last hundred years. Now, American Radio Works brings to the Web its hour-long documentary on 12 of the most compelling black speeches recorded. You can listen to the entire program, read the transcript, or hear audio of the individual speeches. Comedian Dick Gregory's tragi-comic speech/routine in Birmingham a few days after his release from jail for taking part in a civil right demonstration ranks as a must-listen. Other highlights include a scratchy 1895 recording of Booker T. Washington, Barack Obama's much-praised keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Jesse Jackson's "Keep Hope Alive" speech, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s address in Memphis the day before he was assassinated. This is history at your earlobes -- don't miss it. (in U.S. History)
