The Right to Dream

The struggle and sacrifice for civil
rights in America is witnessed in
this compelling story. The Right to
Dream recreates a young man's
coming of age as an African
American in Mississippi during the
1950's and 1960's. This program
illuminates the issues of civil
rights, leading audiences to
understand how the fight against
prejudice has shaped our history.

THE STORY

Raymond Hollis is the Mississippi son of a W.W.II African American soldier. His mother is a
domestic worker who is respected in their small Mississippi town. As a young boy Raymond
befriends a white boy and the two become great pals.

The Right to Dream follows Raymond's life after he is no longer allowed to see his friend.
Raymond becomes aware that segregation and inequality must be ended in order to imagine
a brighter future for himself and his family.

When Raymond wins a scholarship to Tougaloo College he becomes involved with SNCC
(Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and takes part in the sit-ins and protests of
the early 1960's. When friends are hurt, and civil rights workers are killed, Raymond's
dedication to creating a color blind society is tested.

After attacks by state troopers in Selma, Alabama - and the following march from Selma to
Montgomery - Raymond and the civil rights workers are rewarded with the passage of the
1965 Voting Rights Act. Raymond, inspired by Martin Luther King, dedicates himself to
continuing the fight against racism and raising his people out of the world of intolerance.