From King's 'Dream' to Obama's Reality

Aug. 28, 2008— -- As Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama prepares to deliver his acceptance speech before an anticipated crowd of 75,000 at Denver's Invesco Field tonight, many African-Americans across the nation reflect on the historic significance of the event, which comes 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King delivered his enduring "I Have a Dream" speech.

Washington restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl was for many years a gathering place for civil rights leaders. The landmark diner is in the heart of the neighborhood known as Black Broadway, about 2 miles from where King delivered his enduring words.

At present-day Ben's, patrons express a mixture of elation and disbelief at what Obama has accomplished.

From defense contractor Chris Richardson, 43, who said he is "really happy that this day has come" to World War II veteran Albert Chandler, who said he didn't expect a black man to become a major party's presidential nominee.

"Not in my lifetime. But it happened. I guess I lived too long," he said, smiling.

Watch Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos at the Democratic Convention TONIGHT at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Also enjoying lunch at Ben's this week was retired D.C. police officer Sebron Isom. Forty-five years ago today he had the task of protecting King.

"They assigned me to walk through the Mall with him all the way to the Lincoln Memorial," Isom recalled.

"I was in his presence. I had a circle around him with about 25 policemen."

And he, too, was skeptical that this day would ever come.

"I miscalculated the whole thing. I've said many times to my boy and my friends, I'll never see the day when a black man would get that far."

"I've seen lynchings, I've seen beatings, I've seen sharecropper fraud, and cheating and beating. And I just never thought we'd get to this place and time," Isom continued.

In that historic moment 45 years ago, a 23-year-old civil rights activist named John Lewis gave his own speech on that hot summer day.