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We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest

Name: We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
Director: Amy Schatz
Released: 2020
Duration: 58 min

Representation Score

9.2/10

Excellent

2020

TV-G

Director

Amy Schatz

Runtime

58 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Amy Schatz’s documentary succeeds by positioning youth as active participants in social justice discourse rather than passive subjects. By centering the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, the film provides a platform for underrepresented voices to navigate and critique systemic structures through rhetoric. The film excels in racial and ethnic representation, mirroring the demographic reality of Oakland. It allows students of color to define their own experiences and challenge historical inequities who play a significant role in driving the story. While the film is inclusive, it lacks specific focus on LGBTQ+ storylines or dedicated arcs for disabilities. It focuses primarily on the oratorical tradition and civil rights legacy.

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Category Breakdown

Does We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film maintains a neutral and inclusive atmosphere throughout, without focusing on specific LGBTQ+ identities or storylines.

How does We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest portray gender?

Good

The narrative elevates the intellectual authority of young students regardless of gender, highlighting the leadership and rhetorical skills of female and non-binary youth.

How racially and ethnically diverse is We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest?

Excellent

The film presents a predominantly Black and diverse cast reflecting Oakland's demographics. Students use their racial identity as a dynamic tool to critique systemic inequities.

How does We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary engages deeply with social justice and systemic critique, prioritizing lived community experiences over traditional institutional morality or Western power structures.

Does We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest include disability representation?

Fair

The film touches on socioeconomic and personal struggles inherent to urban youth. However, dedicated arcs for specific visible or invisible disabilities are not a primary focus.

Present on Screen

Provides a powerful platform for the voices and ability to act of underrepresented youth.
Offers exceptional racial and ethnic representation reflecting Oakland's diverse community.
Challenges traditional hierarchies by centering the intellectual authority of young students.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit focus on LGBTQ+ identities or specific queer narratives.
Does not provide dedicated narrative arcs for visible or invisible disabilities.
Focus remains narrow on the oratorical tradition rather than broader identity explorations.

Official Synopsis

Every year, hundreds of children from pre-K through 12th grade take the stage at the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, a public speaking competition where they perform poetry and speeches inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The film covers the months leading up to the 40th annual festival, as schools across the city send their top-placing students to compete. It is a portrait of young people raising their voices about issues they care about and of the unique community that celebrates and supports them.

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