I was in Marks, Mississippi, the other day, which is in Whitman County, the poorest county in the United States. I tell you, I saw hundreds of little black boys and black girls walking the streets with no shoes to wear. I saw their mothers and fathers trying to carry on a little Head Start program, but they had no money. The federal government hadn’t funded them, but they were trying to carry on. They raised a little money here and there; trying to get a little food to feed the children; trying to teach them a little something.
I think that this would be a strong lede because it gives the listeners of the speech an anecdote that describes a group of people whose actions are indicative of the values of the movement. The anecdote itself is representative of the courage, resilience, and strength that King is conveying in his speech, which I think makes it a good lede.