In 1963, then 20-year-old David Reese skipped work for the day and climbed a tree at the National Mall to catch a glimpse of Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his “I Have a Dream Speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.  On Friday afternoon, more than 50 years later, Reese watched as his 10-year-old granddaughter stood on those same steps and recited King’s famous words as part of a field trip with her D.C. fifth-grade class.  “It was one of the biggest events of my life,” Reese, a retired government worker living in Maryland, said of King’s speech. “It was great to see my granddaughter participate in the school event. All that history goes through your mind. I thought it was just fantastic. It was overwhelming.”  About 100 fifth-graders from Watkins Elementary School in Capitol Hill recited the speech Friday as part of the school’s annual tradition to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each student walked up to a podium and said one line from the speech. Afterward, they sang songs that were famous during the Civil Rights Era.  “It was a very proud moment for me,” said Reese’s granddaughter, Branaya Brown, a fifth-grader at the school. “It made me feel like I was important and doing something special for people who need hope and inspiration.”  The event was hosted by the National Park Service and D.C. Public Schools.  FBI Director James Comey laid a wreath at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Monday. During the ceremony, Comey addressed recent confrontations between police and communities of color. (Reuters)  Perry Stein covers D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
David Reese saw Dr. King deliver the speech in 1963, and then saw his granddaughter recite it on the same steps Friday.