The Baddest Speechwriter of All, the Memoir of Clarence B. Jones, Who Co-Wrote Dr. King’s Speech Draft

The Baddest Speechwriter of All is a 29-minute documentary short in which Martin Luther King Jr.’s lawyer and speechwriter Clarence B. Jones reflects on the Civil Rights Movement. Co-directed by Ben P

《The Baddest Speechwriter of All》is a 29-minute documentary short centered on the voice of Clarence B. Jones, the lawyer and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr. Jones personally reflects on the sacrifices he experienced during decisive moments of the civil rights movement and the complexities of making history. The film was announced for release on Netflix in 2026, but an exact streaming date has not been announced.

The Lawyer Behind the Speech

Jones was King’s trusted lawyer and adviser, and the film follows the choices he made after joining the movement, between a stable life and public responsibility. In particular, he is introduced as someone who helped refine the first seven paragraphs of the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Rather than viewing the widely known speech solely as a scene onstage, the film invites us to see it anew through the experience of the person who prepared its words.

Reflections Carried Through Watercolor Animation

Ben Proudfoot and Stephen Curry co-directed the film, which marks Curry’s directorial debut. The film incorporates hand-drawn watercolor animation created by Daniel Bruson, visualizing Jones’s story through more than 3,000 drawings. By combining the spoken record of the interviews with painterly imagery, it places one person’s testimony alongside the memory of an era.

Sundance Short Film Grand Jury Prize

The film had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Short Film Grand Jury Prize. It was produced by Ben Proudfoot of Breakwater Studios and Eric Payton and Stephen Curry of Unanimous Media, with Madison Wells also participating in the production.