Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
NPR News

Fortnite Is Letting You Relive MLK's 'I Have A Dream' Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.
Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.

History is no game, but the developers of Fortnite are adding an iconic moment featuring Martin Luther King Jr. to the popular video game — and some people worry it sends the wrong message about the civil rights leader.

Fortnite said it is partnering with TIME Studios to go back in time, adding a new virtual experience featuring King's "I Have A Dream" speech. The experience, called "March Through Time," teleports players back to a "reimagined" Washington, D.C., in 1963 — where King delivered the speech during the March on Washington.

Throughout the game, players will travel to the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall, where King gave his famous speech.

"March Through Time" includes collaborative mini-game quests, popup galleries and educational resources. The museum-inspired points of interest along with its historical imagery are intended to give context to King's historic speech, Fortnite said in a news release.

Sponsored message

The activities featured in the game will progress players through the experience while bringing to life important themes of the speech.

The new feature has received some negative reactions across social media — some people are worried that King would be remembered by younger gamers as the "Fortnite guy" and not an activist.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible year-end gift today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right