Obama holds Martin Luther King as personal hero

Barack Obama was 2 years old and growing up in Hawaii when Martin Luther King Jr, the American civil rights leader, delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

Fifty years later, the nation's first black president will stand as the most high-profile example of the racial progress King espoused, delivering remarks tomorrow at a nationwide commemoration of the 1963 demonstration for jobs, economic justice and racial equality.

Obama believes his success in attaining the nation's highest political office is a testament to the dedication of King and others.