The speech advocates for a realistic approach to race relations, acknowledging progress made while emphasizing the significant work still needed to achieve true equality and justice. It calls for continued struggle through nonviolent resistance, self-respect, and collective action.
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Dr
Anderson members of the
greensbor branch of the National
Association for the advancement of color
it is certainly
a delightful pleasure for me
Greensborough and to be able to share
with you
evening I'm very happy to share the platform
platform
with these very distinguished ministers and
and
Educators I'm grateful
to my friend Reverend Anderson for those
words and I'm grateful to Dr Edmunds the
president of
the branch
invitation for me to be
here I'm great grateful to him
for the courageous
work that he is doing in this
community and the courageous work that
he is doing for the cause of justice and human
dignity I'm very happy to bring
greetings to you this evening [Music]
[Music]
a city in a
Dixie of course we all aware of the fact
that Dixie has a little heart trouble at this
time but the Physicians are at
work seeking to
and I want you to know that the people
City are deeply grateful to you and to
all people of Good Will
to persons all over this world who
justice as we walk the streets of
Montgomery we realize
alone but that hundreds and thousands of
people of Good Will walked with
us and never forget that the momery
story is not a story it's not a drama
with only one actor
but it's a drama with 50,000 actors each
well and I hope you will never forget
the humble
Community you he a great deal I imagine
about a fellow by the name of Martin
Luther King you occasionally read his
name and you see his picture here and there
but Martin Luther
King would not even be mentioned in
history if there had not been a rose of
parks and 50,000 humbled
people who had the courage to stand up
and who said in their
hearts that we've had
enough and who somehow came to see that
it is ultimately more honorable to walk
in dignity than ride in
humiliation and decided to substitute
Tire feet for tired
souls and walked the streets of
Montgomery until the surging walls of
the S and walls of bus
segregation were finally
crushed by the battering rams of the
Justice I I was in the Los Angeles
airport a few days
ago we had a little
uh delay a slight plane delay plane had
to be
serviced I was standing out near the
gate and it so happened that a man was
standing next to me that
worked one of the
airlines in a few minutes we noticed uh
they started carrying out various
functions most of them were in overalls
you could hardly see the color of the
overalls because they were greasy and dirty
overalls that man looked over to me and
he said you know before that plane can take
take
off about 21 men have to work on it they
have various functions and they do
various jobs but but it can't it can't
go until those men get to work and do their
their
jobs and I looked at them they were
doing various things various
things then he turned back to me and
crew and I started thinking that pretty
soon that plane would take off and lift
itself possibly above the clouds
and move on down passing the snowcapped
Rockies of Colorado and on down through
the various States and it would take me successfully
successfully
home and I thought about the fact that
we hear a great deal about the
pilot and the engineer and the
co-pilot but we but must never forget
that that plane couldn't make its
Journey without the ground
proof and the same thing applies in this
area of Freedom as we take out on this
Mighty flight of
Freedom let us never forget the ground
crew the ground crew the people who
don't make the
headlines the people who make it
possible for the parli to do its
job let us never forget get the ground
proof and I bring you greetings
from The Humble
people the ground
Alabama but I'm not here this evening to
Montgomery you've heard a lot about
Montgomery and I've spoken a great deal
across the country on the montgomer
story and other ministers from montgomer
and other citizens of that
City so I'm not going to burden you with
story this evening I want
to try to answer a
question that seems to be on the lips of
wondering whether there has been
relations and I hope I can give some
insights on on that
question I certainly can't answer the
whole question I can only make a few
suggestions here and
there and in point you will have to draw your
conclusions it seems to me that there
attitudes that one can take toward the
question of progress and area to race relations
the first is that of extreme
optimism you know optimism
is a view that looks on the bright side of
things the extreme Optimist would argue
that we have come a
relations he would Point proudly to the
strides that have been made in the area
of civil
decades in this he would conclude that
the problem is just about solved
now and that we can sit down comfortably
by the wayside and wait on the coming of
the second view that can be taken is
that of extreme pessimism and you know
pessimism is a view that looks on the
things so the pessimist in the area of
race relations would say that we made
Astron he would argue that the Deep
indicative of the fact that we have
saw he would say
that we are going backwards instead of
intellectual and seek to show that
hovering over every man is a tragic t of
original sin and so at bottom human
nature cannot be changed he may even
turn to the Realms of psychology and
seek to show the inflexibility of
certain attitudes once they had been [Music]
[Music]
molded all of this the pessimist would
relations now I want you to notice
one thing here that the extreme
optimists and the extreme
point they both agree that we must sit
down and do
nothing in the area of race
relations the extreme Optimist says do
inevitable the extreme pessimist says do
impossible but that is a third position
that is a third attitude that one can
take in this
position the Fearless in
area race relation seeks to combine the
truths of two
opposites while avoiding the extremes of
both so the realist would agree with The
Optimist that we have come a long long
way but he would go on to balance that
by agreeing with the pessimist that we
have a
long long long way to
go and it is this realistic position
that I would like to use as a basis of
our thinking together this evening on
the question of progress in race
relations we've
way we have a long
long
let us notice first that we've come a
long long way and I would like to say
first under that particular heading that
the Negro himself has come a long long
way in reevaluating
work in order to illustrate this a
necessary you will remember that it was
in the year of 1619 that the
first slaves landed on the shores of this
nation they were brought here from the
Africa unlike the pilgrims who landed at
later they were brought here against their
Wills throughout slavery the Negro was
respected he was just something of a
depersonalized cog in a vast Plantation
machine the famous Dread Scott decision
of 1857 well illustrates the status of
the Negro during slavery for in this
decision the Supreme Court Of The Nation
said the Negro is not a citizen of this
nation he is merely
property subject to the dictates of his
prevailed living under these conditions
many Negroes lost faith in
themselves many came to feel that
so long as the Negro
maintained but it was a negative
peace it was not true
peace was I said on so many occasions
true pieace is not merely the absence of
some negative for because it is the
force one of the white citizens of our
community in Montgomery was talking with
me the other
day and he said uh brother
King the only thing that hurts me and
that concerns me is the
fact that for so many
years we had such peaceful race
relations in M we had so much Harmony and
and
peace and race relations and now you
peace I thought about it and I tried to
talk with him
sympathetically calmly I looked at him
and said well I guess you're right we
did have peaceful race relations in
mtom but it was a negative
peace in which the Negro patiently
accepted Injustice and exploitation and
never protested against it but we never
had real peace in
mum we never had a positive
peace we had a negative peace which was
merely the absence of
tension but true peace is the presence
one day Jesus stood before a group of
men of his
generation and I can imagine that they
stood before the master with that
glittering eyes wanting to hear some
good and Jesus looked at them and said
in no uncertain terms I come not to
bring peace but a
sword Jesus didn't mean he came to bring
a physical
sword neither did he mean he did not
come to bring true peace but what Jesus
was saying was this that I come not to
bring this whole negative peace which
makes for deadening passivity and stagnant
stagnant
complacency I come to bring positive
peace and whenever I come a conflict is
precipitated between the old and the new
whenever I come a division sets in
between Justice and Injustice whenever I
come something happens between the
forces of life and the forces of
Darkness I come not to bring this whole
negative piece which is merely the
absence of tension but I come to bring a
positive peace which is the presence of
love and Brotherhood and the kingdom of
God the peace which Jesus talks about is
POS so the
peace which existed at this particular time
time
and our nation was a negative piece
Negro circumstances made it necessary
more his rural Plantation background
gradually gave way to Urban industrial
life his cultural life was gradually
Rising through the steady decline of
crippling illiteracy and even his
economic life was Rising through the
growth of industry and the power of
organized labor and other
conjoined to cause a negro to take a new
look at
himself negro mes all over began to re-evaluate
re-evaluate
themselves and the Negro came to feel
that he was
somebody his religion revealed to him
that God loves all of his
children and that all men are Made In His
His
Image he came to see that every man from
a base black to a treble white is
significant on God's keyboard
and so he could now
unconsciously cry out with the elephant
for it fleecy locks and black
complexion cannot forfeit Nature's
claim skin May differ but affection
dwells in black and white the
same were I so tall as to reach the pole
are to grasp the ocean at a span
I must be measured by my soul the mind
is a standard of the
man with this new sense of dignity and
this new self-respect a new negro came into
into
being the tensions which we witness in
the South today can be explained in part
by the Revolutionary change in the
negro's evaluation of his nature and
Destiny and his determination to struggle
struggle suffer
suffer
sacrifice yes and even die if necessary
until the walls of segregation have been
totally crushed this is the meaning and
a part of the meaning of the struggle
we've come a
long long
way since [Music]
[Music]
1619 not only has a negro come a long
long way and re-evaluating his own
entrenched wor
we've come a long long way in achieving
civil rights and if we are to be true to
the facts we must admit
that 50 years
ago 25 years ago a year hardly passed
that numerous Negroes were not brutally
lynched by some vicious
M lynchings have about ceased today
we've come a long long
way 50 years ago or 25 years ago most of
the Southern States had a way of
preventing the Negro from becoming
registered a registered voter through
the pole
tax now the pole tax has been eliminated
in all but four
states we've come a long long way even
in achieving the ballot we've come a
long long way we have a long long way to
go but we've come a long long way the
turn of the century there were not many
negro registered voters in the South by
750,000 by 1952 that number had leaped to
to
1,300,000 we've come a long long
way even in
Economic Development we've come a long
long way and so today the average negro
wage ear makes more four times more than
the average negro wage earn of
1940 the national income of the Negro
now is more than $16 billion a year more
than the national income of Canada and
more than all of the exports of the
United States we've come a long long
way not only
that and our generation we have been
able to see the walls of
crumble many years ago we were taken
away into an Egypt of
segregation and it looked like we would
never get
1896 Supreme Court of this nation in dep
pleas versus fuson decision establish
the doctrine of separate but equal as
the law of the land and here we were
caught up in the Egypt of
segregation and every time we tried to
get out something prevented
us there was always a Moses crying out
in loud and Noble terms let our people
go in the midst of the Cry of every
Moses I was a pharaoh with a hardened
heart saying I will not let these people
go there was a Red Sea standing before
us with discouraging dimensions and it
Egypt God always controls history
he's never to sleep on the job he works
at every moment in
history that's something about the God
that we worship that can open the Red
Sea and so then that came May 17th
1954 by the Providence of God and the
decision from the Supreme Court the Red Sea
Sea
open and we were able to get out of
Egypt now we we we aren't in the
promised land yet
there are Philistines and moabites and
Hittites still ahead to be defeated but
at least we've conquered
Egypt we broken a loose from the Egypt
of segregation and we are moving through
the Wilderness of adjustment toward the
promised land of
integration and we are going to get [Music]
[Music]
in now I know that sometimes it looks
difficult and there are people who are
saying we'll never get in they're the
pessimist and they come back to us and
they say now you know there are giants
over there in that
land there are many Giants there are
giants of vested interest Giants of
irrational emotionalism Giants of
economic power
structures but thank God Kaleb and
Joshua have been over and they've come
back with a Minority Report and they
tell us that we can possess the land and
and so this
evening we stand in this moment of our nation's
nation's
history facing the fact that we've come
a long long
1896 now my friends I would like to stop
here I really would this is a good place to
to
start I like to make short speeches
I was telling
somebody yesterday that I'm getting more
and more like my good friend Dr Mary
Johnson I get to the place where I can
speak an hour and a half and two hours
but I like to make short
speakers and I would really like to stop
here I would really love this would be a
wonderful place to
stop would be a great place to
stop but I'm afraid if I stopped here I
wouldn't be telling the truth I'd be
stating a fact you see a fact is merely
the absence of contradiction but truth
is the presence of coherence it is the
facts you see it's a fact that we've
come a long long way that's a fact but
it isn't the truth see in order in order
to tell the truth you got to go on and
put the other part to it
if I stopped to this point I would leave
you the victims of a dangerous
optimism if I stopped at this point I
would leave you the victims of an
illusion wrapped in
superficiality so in order to tell the
truth I must move
long so I must say that we've not only
come a long long
way but we have a long long way to
go and I will not take the time this
evening to go into all of the problems
which we've confront just to make a
general statement to assure you that we
have a long long way to go I mention the
fact that lynchin have about ceased in our
our
nation but other things are happening
just as
bad or we must think of the fact that many
many
states in our own South land have risen
up in open Defiance of the Supreme
Court's decision on
desegregation the legislative Halls of
the South ring loud with such words as
nullification not only
that we see existing in our nation many
tones or many instances of physical VI
vience we see it in the South
land little children who merely seek in equal
equal
education are often beaten and often
slapped and often kicked
around individuals who merely stand up
for the right to live as first class as
a first class human being often confront
bombings and sometimes a brutally shot
down on their feet
we have a long long way to
go even in the area of registration and
voting we have a long long way to go
conniving methods are still being used
in many of the counties in the Deep
South to keep Negroes from becoming registered
registered
voters often questions asked from those
technical questions that even a PhD are
the best trained lawyer can answer to
the even more technical question of how
soap we have a long long way to
go even in the area of economic Justice
we have a long long way to go we've come
a long long way as I just
said we must still face the fact that
43% of the Negro families of America
still make less than $2,000 a year while
just 177% of the white families of
America make less than $2,000 a year
211% of the Negro families of America
make less than $1,000 a year while just
7% of the white families of America make
less than $1,000 a year 88% of the Negro
families of America make less than
$5,000 a year while just 60% of the
white families of America make less than
$5,000 a year to put it another way just
12% of the Negro families of America
make $5,000 a year or more while 40% of
the white families of America make
$5,000 a year or more so even in the
area of economic
Justice we have a
long long way to
else segregation is still a
fact in America we have a long long way
to go to conquer segregation
itself it still exists in the south in
its glaring and conspicuous form we
still confronted in the North in its
hidden and subtle
form now as I implied just a few minutes
ago figuratively speaking old man's
segregation is on his death
Bay but history has proven that social
systems have a great last minute
breathing power and the Guardians of the
status quo are always on hand with their
alive so segregation is still with us
and that of those who are resisting at
every point to keep this system of segregation
segregation
alive as we assemble here this evening
we assemble I'm
sure with the knowledge that if
democracy is to live segregation Must
Die segregation is a caner in the body
politic which must be removed before our
Democratic Health can be
realized we must come to see the
underlying philosophy of segregation is
diametrically opposed to the underlying
philosophy of democracy and Christianity
and all the dialectics of the L
magicians cannot make them lie down
together segregation is a blatant evil
it is against everything that the
Christian religion stands for for it
substitutes the I it relationship for
the I th relationship it relegates the
segregated to the status of a thing
rather than Elevate them to the status
of a person that is something deep down
within our Christian religion which says
all men are made in the image of God
that is something deep down within our
Christian religion which Cries Out
across the generations in Christ that is
neither Jew nor Gentile born not free
male not female yes negro not white but
we are all one in Christ Jesus that is
something deep down in our faith which
says out of one blood God made all men
to dwell upon the face of the earth that
is something in our Democratic Creeds
which said all men are created equal and
are owed by th with certain anable right
and among these are life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness and segregation
ignores all of these things therefore it
is an evil which must be removed before
is to work
hard all people of Good
Will to
remove this evil which stands in our
society is hurting us internationally
and I will not go into
that for as we look as we look at the RO
entire the world
opinion we come to see that the Civil Rights
Rights
issue is not some ephemeral evanescent
domestic issue which can be kicked
around by reactionary
politicians but it is an eternal moral
issue which may well determine the
destiny of our nation and the
ideological struggle with
Communism hour it is late the clock of
Destiny is kicking out and we must act
now before it is too
late the motor is now cranked up we are
moving up the Highway of Freedom toward
the city of equality and we can't
aord to slow up because our nation has a
date with Destiny we must keep moving
there are those who are saying yes we
got to apply
moderation got to adopt a policy of
moderation well if moderation means
moving on toward the goal of Justice
with wise restraint and calm
reasonableness then moderation is a
great virtue that all all men of Good
Will must seek to achieve in this tth
period of
transition but if moderation means
slowing up in the move for justice and
capitulating to the whims and Caprices
of the Guardians of a deadening status
quo then moderation is a tragic Vice
which all men of Good Will must condemn
we must keep moving because our is late
and our nation is now on
trial now I want to say to you just a
few things that we must do to go this additional
additional
distance and I want to say a few things
that we as Negroes can do I know that
other agencies must be at work there's a
great job for the federal government to
do I wish I had time to go into that
there's a great job that the Christian
Church must do I wish I had time to go
into that we know all too well that the
Christian church is too often had a high
blood pressure of Creeds and an anemia
area we had to face the tragic facts for
so long that Sunday morning when we
stood to sing in Christ that is no East
or West we stood in the most segregated
hour of Christian
America thank God we're beginning now to
shake the leery from our eyes and
Christian ministers all all over the
South and all over this nation are
taking stands now thank God for that and
The Church Must continue to
act all there are things that uh White
persons of Goodwill can do both north
and south and I wish I had time to go on
that because I believe firmly that there
are many more white persons of Goodwill
in our Southland than we're able to see
on the surface there are some in mum
Alabama don't you think all of the white
persons in the South believe in
segregation and then there are some who
believe in segregation they were brought
up under the system they were taught
that in their school books they were
taught that by their parents and it's
understandable why they believe in
segregation but even though they
sincerely believe that integration is
wrong they at least believe in Law and
Order they don't believe in physical
violence and I think we have great
things to work on in this South land I
do not think that the eastern and the
tages and the Griffin V the sentiment of
the southern white persons I don't think
they V the sentiments of all they B the
sentiment of a vocal but small
minority I feel that a person like lilan
Smith of Georgia har Ashmore of Arkansas
Frank Graham of North Carolina even Dr
Billy Graham of North Carolina and
hundreds and thousands of white persons
of Goodwill are cusing the sentiments of
Millions of white persons and so let us
see the role in the white South and I
believe that there are millions of
liberals in our
Southland and I appeal to them in the
name of
God and for the cause of human dignity
and in the interest of democracy to join
and dra join hands and good that courage
and take a stand now because this is the
hour to do it
above all of
that above and beyond all of that there
are some things that we must do and
that's what I want to deal with in the
next few minutes before us things that
we must do to go this additional
distance if we are to achieve first
class citizenship in this
hour we must maintain a continuing sense
of dignity and selfish
inferior feel somehow that you are
somebody and although you have to live
under a system which stars you in the
face every moment and say you are less
than you're not equal to live in the
midst of that system and affirm your own
sense of dignity by saying deep down in
your heart I'm
somebody I'm somebody
I'm somebody because I'm a Child of God
he's my father and he loves all of his
children and if I'm his child he loves
me just as he loves other
children maintain a continuing sense of
dignity and never become a slave in your
mind you see one can be mentally free
while physically enslaved I've never
been on the back of a bus I came up in
Atlanta Georgia I I went to school on
the other side of town there was only
one high school in
Atlanta I never will get forget the
experiences that I had a city of almost
200,000 Negroes and it only had one high
school at that time it has more now but
that was back in 19 42 and 3 and
4 I remember every day having to ride
the buses from one side of town to the
other to get to
school those buses were segregated we
had to sit on the back
but I'm here to tell you this evening
that I never took a seat on the back of
the buses I was only there physically
always and I said to myself at that hour
one of these days my body is going to be
so let us maintain the continuing sense of
of
dignity let us never feel that we are
inferior you know the job that Moses
confronted when he was trying to lead
the children of Israel out of the
promised land I mean out of out of Egypt
into the promised
land he had some people
there and three groups
developed you notice that many of you
I'm sure have seen the
picture Ten Commandments and it's it's
it's it's there you can see it in that
picture you see it as you read the
Bible three groups develop and this is
always the problem in going up Freedom's
Road you had a certain group of people
who became so
conditioned to Egypt see you can become
so conditioned to certain things that
you you even if you get your freedom
that's possible they become so
conditioned and Moses had that group to
deal with they wanted to go back to
Egypt they said now we prefer the flesh
parts of
Egypt being out here in the wilderness
trying to get to the promised
land you know you know there are some
negro like
that they have come to the point that
they just like segregation they feel
that that's just what they they deser I
was in Atlanta airport the other
day and we were I was standing there so
that uh there was a little time waiting between
between
flights and went in the men's room and
there was a negro attendant in
there and I just went on in the room
with said men they I saw over there had
one said colored it said colored men but
I just decided I was a man and I decided
I went on in and uh this attendant in
there came running to me uh the color
room is over there you I didn't pay
attention to Mr the color room is over
there this is this is the this is the
white room
here so I got tired of him pushing on me
and punching me and I said
uh uh sir I I I'm all right now Mark you
the white people in there was full of
white people they hadn't said one thing
to me it was the Negro so I I stopped
and I said brother do you mean to tell
me every time you find it necessary to
go to the restroom you go out of here
and go way over there after the come
well uh yes sir that's that's where we
belong now I I I I first uh reacted uh
with a little bitterness but then I
understood I I I became very sympathetic
that man had come up into the system and
he had come to believe that Negroes
didn't deserve anything else that was a
place and uh things were to be separated
and the system had done that that's what
segregation does that is a danger that
segregation will give you this sense of
inferiority so you feel that this is
this what you deserve and this is where
you belong and that's what the Supreme
Court decision tried to cure that's one
of the things that said that that
segregation gives a sense of inferiority
to the segregation
but I'm urging you this evening to
maintain a
sense of self-respect that was one group
that Moses had to confront that group
that preferred Egypt to the promised
land then he had a second group they
were the school teachers and uh the
people who uh really wanted freedom but
they didn't want to face the sacrifices
they were always talking about I might
the now they wanted Freedom they wanted
it they they wanted Freedom they wanted
to enjoy freedom but they didn't want to
face the sacri IES involved in gaining
Freedom Moses had to deal with that
group that group of fearful persons that
group of individuals who because they
were in partially vulnerable positions
they used that as an excuse for
complacency and then he had a third
group and that's a group that is always
a group that cares history on he had a
group of people who were willing to go
on in spite of the odds in spite of the
difficulties they knew the mountains the
obstacles ahead but they said we're
going on we're going on with you Moses
and we are willing to face anything
because we know that our destiny is in
the promised
land let us not fit into the group that
wanted to go back to Egypt let us not
become a part of that group that is
somehow living in a state of fear afraid
to act accepting things that one does
not have to accept
but let us get in line with that third
group and maintain a continuing sense of
self-respect let me Rush on to say that
we must seek to gain the respect of
others by improving our own
standards I don't want to stay on this
too long and I know the danger of what
I'm about to
say because it can be misinterpreted and
let me Rush on to say that some of our
standards lag behind we must admit they
lag behind cause of
segregation I I I'm convinced of
that I think it is a torturous
logic to to to use the tragic effects of
segregation as an argument for the
continuation of
it man told me in mom Alabama that
integration is all right but it needs to
be put off about 75 years because
Negroes are ready E I mean they are
ready culturally and academically and
they pull the white might rais back a
generation and my answer to him was that
certainly that isn't true you can't say
that's true of all Negroes the second
thing is that uh these conditions exist
because of segregation and the thing to
do is to remove the cause don't be
dealing around only with the effects but
go on down and and and remove the cause
don't just give an aspirin here but go
on down to the surgical point and get to
the cause of the
thing but but we have to admit we have to
to
admit that at Point our standards do lag
behind and we need to work on these
things as we work to remove the cause we
must we have a dual responsibility we
must work to remove the basic cause of
all of our problems our economic
insecurity our cultural lags our health
lag and all of that and at the same time
we must work to improve these effects
that have comeing into being as a result of
of
segregation now we just have to face it
we kill each other too
much we have to face that our crime
rates are still too high we've got to
face that and we've got to improve on
that we must face the fact that there
are so many areas and there are so many
things that we can do and let us stop
now and sit down by the wayside and pull
down the the curtains of our lives and
the shades and look look at ourselves
and say can we improve ourselves here
look at the complaints that many of the
white reactionaries have against us and
remove those that don't make any sense
if they if they aren't true well just
push them aside they say we want to be
integrated because we want to marry that
daughters well we know that isn't
true we know that isn't true the negro's
concern basically isn't to be the white
man's brother-in-law but to be his
but there are other things there are
other things that are said and if they
are true let's do something about it if
our health standards lag behind let's do
something about
them oh it may not be possible for us to
take a flight tomorrow morning and fly
over to Paris and buy the most expensive perfume
perfume
but all of us can be clean anybody can
buy a nickel bar soap we don't we don't
something let us improve our moral
standards we don't have to have the
highest illegitimate rate in every city
we don't need to do it we don't have to
have a PhD degree or an MA degree or an
AB degree we don't have to have a lot of
money to be good in honest and moral and
upright we must convince the white man
that if we walk the streets we are not
walking around thinking about sex every
day for we know that we are made for
eternity created for the Everlasting
born for the stars that is something
deep down within us that gives us a
sense of our own moral integrity and
well-being and where we don't have it
let us improve it let us demand the
respect from others by improving our own
standards where they can be improved so
it let us
continue to gain the
ballot gain political power through wise
ballot I'm not here to tell you how to
vote that is my concern I'm not a
politician I have no political
Ambitions I don't think the Republican
party is a party full of the almighty
God and I is a Democratic party they
both have
weaknesses and I'm not inextricably
bound to either party I'm not concerned
about telling you what party to vote for
but what I'm saying is this that we must
gain the ballot and use it
wisely I've come to see you recently
that one of the most decisive steps that
the Negro can take is that short walk to
the voting
booth and don't put it all on Resistance
it's true that in many areas in my state
of Alabama Negroes unregistered in many
instances because they can't register
because the resistance is strong because
the registers refused to register but I
don't think that's true in greensbor
North Carolina many Negroes aren't
registered because they too lazy to go
ready and you have here and we have in
many cities all over the South the
opportunity to gain the ballot and even
where we have strong resistance we have
a Civil Rights bill now which I hope
will help us a great deal so let us go
out to gain the
let us continue to give big money for
the cause of Freedom
Freedom
integration is not some lavish
dish that will be passed out by the
white man on a silver platter while the
Negro merely furnishes the
appetite you got to do more than that
we've got to sacrifice and we're going
to have to give some
money the day days ahead are still days
of difficulty we still have a long long
way to go and let us use our money
wisely we can't say any longer that we
don't have it I just mentioned a few
minutes ago that we have an annual
income now of almost 17 billion do a
year and we get almost everything else we
we
want we ride around in some of the
biggest cars that have ever been let
loose into history
and I'm not I'm not condemning this I
know how it is I I know that these
things we we want to have some of the
basic Goods of life we want to have some
of the luxuries of life but what I'm
saying let's maintain a sense of values
we don't have time to spend a lot of
money on Whiskey and big parties and a
lot of stuff and we aren't giving money
to the basic causes that confront us now
it will be an indictment on the Negro if
it is revealed that we spend more money
on frivolities and we spent on the cause
of freedom and Justice and I've been in
situations I've seen us in in many of
our social groups our fraternal and our
Masonic and our Oaks and what have you
spending more money on frivolities and
we spent on the cause of freedom and
Justice I remember one year that a
certain fraternity assembled with
another fraternity and spending one week
$500,000 on Whiskey that's what the
paper reported negro spend more money on
in one week just a handful in one week
then the whole negro race spent that
whole year for the nacp and the United
Negro College Fund now that's tragic
that's tragic my friends we've got to
get a sense of Valu now you don't like
some of these things I'm saying you're
not saying amen too much right there and
here but uh but I'm saying things that I
basic not only that we must continue to develop
develop
Leadership this is a need all over the
South and all over the
nation we need leaders who are who are
sincere leaders of
Integrity leaders who are intelligent
leaders who avoid the extremes of
hot-headedness and uncle
ISM leaders who
somehow have the vision to see the
issues and have the courage to stand
there lead us not in love with money but
in love with Humanity lead us not in
love with publicity but in love with
Justice oh this is the great need of this
this
hour as I look out in as I look over our
nation God has given many of you T God
has given many of you economic resources
he's G he's given you educational
resources and this is a challenge and
the opportunity of our to use these
things to furnish leadership for our
nation in this hour let none of us
become so high on the intellectual the
economic ladder are any of these
particular ladders that we become
separated from the problems that the
masses of people confront let us
discover that we will never get into the
promised land until all of us get there
seate oh we need leaders at this hour
all over this nation God give us leaders
a time like this demands great leaders
leaders whom the lust of office does not
kill leaders Whom The Spoils of Life
cannot buy leaders who have are leaders
who will not lie leaders who can stand
before demagog and damn his treacherous
flatteries without waking tall leaders
Sun Crown who live above the fog in
public duty and in private thinking that
is one of our great needs as we go on
this additional
conclusion before ending I want to say
you let us as we move on continue to
on continue to struggle with the weapons of love and
nonviolence we must work passionately and unrelentingly for first class
and unrelentingly for first class citizenship but let us not use second
citizenship but let us not use second class methods to gain
class methods to gain it that is
as I look over the long and Broad struggle of oppressed people it seems to
struggle of oppressed people it seems to me that there are three ways for
me that there are three ways for oppressed people to deal with their
oppressed people to deal with their oppression and I want to ask you to
oppression and I want to ask you to choose one of them tonight and I hope
choose one of them tonight and I hope you will choose the
you will choose the right one is to rise up against your
right one is to rise up against your oppressor with hate and physical
oppressor with hate and physical violence and and to break her loose from
violence and and to break her loose from ression through arm
ression through arm Revolt this is a method that we all know
Revolt this is a method that we all know about those of us who live in America
about those of us who live in America know about it it has become something of
know about it it has become something of the Inseparable twin of Western
the Inseparable twin of Western imperialism it is even the Hallmark of
imperialism it is even the Hallmark of its grander we know about it and I'm not
its grander we know about it and I'm not here to say to you tonight that
here to say to you tonight that victories can't be won through violence
victories can't be won through violence if a person says that victory has never
if a person says that victory has never been won through violence he doesn't
been won through violence he doesn't know history Nations have received their
know history Nations have received their independence through violence I know
independence through violence I know that but that is the problem violence
that but that is the problem violence only brings about temporary victories
only brings about temporary victories never permanent peace we're coming to
never permanent peace we're coming to see in our world today the futility of
see in our world today the futility of violence not only in the racial struggle
violence not only in the racial struggle but in the international struggle it is
but in the international struggle it is no longer the choice between violence or
no longer the choice between violence or nonviolence it is today nonviolence and
nonviolence it is today nonviolence and non-existence in a day when spudniks and
non-existence in a day when spudniks and explorers dash out out of space nobody
explorers dash out out of space nobody can win a war we must come to see now
can win a war we must come to see now that violence is not the way the Negro
that violence is not the way the Negro succumbs to the temptation of using
succumbs to the temptation of using violence in his struggle armra
violence in his struggle armra Generations will be the recipients of a
Generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness
long and desolate night of bitterness and our chief Legacy to the future will
and our chief Legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos
be an endless reign of meaningless chaos that is still a vest crying through the
that is still a vest crying through the visted of time saying to every potential
visted of time saying to every potential will Peter put up your soul history is
will Peter put up your soul history is replete with the Bleach bones of Nations
replete with the Bleach bones of Nations way that I discussed a little earlier
way that I discussed a little earlier that is through acquiescence or
that is through acquiescence or resignation just resign yourself to the
resignation just resign yourself to the fate of Oppression people have done that
fate of Oppression people have done that they they just accept it and they resign
they they just accept it and they resign themselves to it and they adjust to
themselves to it and they adjust to it there again that isn't the
it there again that isn't the way noncooperation with evil is as much
way noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation
a moral obligation as is cooperation with good
with good and if somehow I accept segregation
and if somehow I accept segregation without letting the segregator know that
without letting the segregator know that I don't like it I'm cooperating with him
I don't like it I'm cooperating with him and I am just as evil in doing that as
and I am just as evil in doing that as he is in carrying on the system but the
he is in carrying on the system but the religion says to every man that you are
religion says to every man that you are your brother's keeper and if I make my
your brother's keeper and if I make my brother think that I like segregation
brother think that I like segregation when I don't really like it if I tell
when I don't really like it if I tell him that I like the way I'm treated when
him that I like the way I'm treated when I don't really like it I'm not his
I don't really like it I'm not his keeper
keeper for I cooperate with him in evil and so
for I cooperate with him in evil and so the way is not to acquest and resign
the way is not to acquest and resign oneself to the fate of
oneself to the fate of Oppression so we come to a third way
Oppression so we come to a third way that is a way of nonviolent resistance
that is a way of nonviolent resistance where we
where we resist and yet we do it through
resist and yet we do it through nonviolent means we stand up with a
nonviolent means we stand up with a powerful no to Injustice but with a
powerful no to Injustice but with a powerful yes to Brotherhood and love
powerful yes to Brotherhood and love seems to me that this is the way that
seems to me that this is the way that all over we must organize
all over we must organize non-violently in Mass to resist the
non-violently in Mass to resist the system of segregation but at the same
system of segregation but at the same time we must maintain love in our hearts
time we must maintain love in our hearts and we must move with the method of
and we must move with the method of nonviolence and if we will do that I
nonviolence and if we will do that I think we will be able to transform a
think we will be able to transform a dark night into a glowing Daybreak I
dark night into a glowing Daybreak I think we will be able to make of this
think we will be able to make of this old world a new world
old world a new world somehow we must be able to look our
somehow we must be able to look our Southern Brothers in the eye those who
Southern Brothers in the eye those who would mistreat us those who must misuse
would mistreat us those who must misuse us and believe that unearned suffering
us and believe that unearned suffering is Redemptive let us prepare ourselves
is Redemptive let us prepare ourselves for loose suffering let us if if it's
for loose suffering let us if if it's necessary be the victims of violence but
necessary be the victims of violence but never the perpetrators of violence then
never the perpetrators of violence then we will be able to stand before our
we will be able to stand before our brothers in the South and say we will
brothers in the South and say we will match your capacity to inflict suffering
match your capacity to inflict suffering our capacity to endure suffering we will
our capacity to endure suffering we will meet your physical force with soul Force
meet your physical force with soul Force do to us what you will and we will still
do to us what you will and we will still love you BM our homes and we'll still
love you BM our homes and we'll still love you send your hooded perpetrators
love you send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the
of violence into our communities at the midnight hours and take us out on some
midnight hours and take us out on some Wayside Road and beat us and leave us
Wayside Road and beat us and leave us there half dead and we will still love
there half dead and we will still love you run all around the country to make
you run all around the country to make it appear that we are not fit morally
it appear that we are not fit morally and culturally for integration and we
and culturally for integration and we will still love you take our children
will still love you take our children and spit in their faces and slap them if
and spit in their faces and slap them if you may and we will still love you so
you may and we will still love you so this it seems to me is a way that's open
this it seems to me is a way that's open for us and I give you a personal
for us and I give you a personal testimony of my own faith I believe my
testimony of my own faith I believe my friends as I leave Greensboro that we
friends as I leave Greensboro that we are going to we're going to we going to
are going to we're going to we going to do this but we will wear you down by our
do this but we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer and then then one day
capacity to suffer and then then one day we will win our freedom but not only
we will win our freedom but not only will we win our freedom we will so
will we win our freedom we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that
appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process
[Music] certainly certainly we
certainly certainly we have been in the presence tonight of a
have been in the presence tonight of a great
man I to say mere words to express gratitude
I to say mere words to express gratitude would
would uh all that we could say would be
uh all that we could say would be completely
completely inappropriate thank you very much Dr
inappropriate thank you very much Dr King I'm sure that we will be a better
King I'm sure that we will be a better people for your having
people for your having come and walked and talk with
us read [Music]
well are you speaking now of the Negro people or the white people or primarily
people or the white people or primarily of the Negro
people well I I would say that uh the Negro people of M are
uh the Negro people of M are more determined now I guess than ever
more determined now I guess than ever before to
before to achieve first class citizenship or human
achieve first class citizenship or human dignity whatever we want to call it
dignity whatever we want to call it there is a determination now more than
there is a determination now more than ever
ever before uh bus bar cut uh instill within
before uh bus bar cut uh instill within the Negro a a a a sense of
the Negro a a a a sense of dignity and a sense of destiny that uh
dignity and a sense of destiny that uh is still a part that this sense of
is still a part that this sense of dignity
Destiny so that on the one hand you find this determination by the Negro
this determination by the Negro community on the other hand you have a
community on the other hand you have a group I would say I don't know how many
group I would say I don't know how many because it's difficult to
because it's difficult to tell but you have a group of
tell but you have a group of uh uh persons in the white Community who
uh uh persons in the white Community who are somewhat bitter because of the bus
are somewhat bitter because of the bus protest and they feel that giving in at
protest and they feel that giving in at that point is
that point is only was on
only was on the way of giving in
the way of giving in on problems in other areas and eventual
on problems in other areas and eventual breakdown of the whole
breakdown of the whole system so that many of these persons are
system so that many of these persons are bitter and they are just as determined
bitter and they are just as determined to preserve
to preserve segregation as uh Negroes are to
then uh we can't stop there there are persons of Good Will in the white
persons of Good Will in the white community of
community of Montgomery who are quite silent today
Montgomery who are quite silent today because of
fear but nevertheless uh persons of deep concern and uh persons who are really
concern and uh persons who are really willing to comply with the law of the
willing to comply with the law of the land
now this just gives some idea that some of the attitudes that Prevail and I'm
of the attitudes that Prevail and I'm I'm sure there are other attitudes
I'm sure there are other attitudes that but these are the main ones I
believe well uh there are so many facets to the Arkansas
there are so many facets to the Arkansas situation I and I haven't talked with
situation I and I haven't talked with all too many people about it
all too many people about it um are you thinking main of what they
um are you thinking main of what they think of Governor Farmers or what they
think of Governor Farmers or what they think of the presidents and federal TR
think of the presidents and federal TR or what they think of the the children
or what they think of the the children themselves who have been able to stand
themselves who have been able to stand up amid
this oh well I think the general consensus is that uh these these uh
consensus is that uh these these uh nine um children who
nine um children who have gone to Central High need to be
have gone to Central High need to be need the greatest Commendation and
need the greatest Commendation and praise for their ability to stand with
praise for their ability to stand with so much dignity am amid uh uh such
so much dignity am amid uh uh such tragic not only intimidation but
tragic not only intimidation but harassments and actual violence because
harassments and actual violence because many of them fa BS so that has been a
many of them fa BS so that has been a tremendous respect and uh I think it has
tremendous respect and uh I think it has given the people themselves a new sense
given the people themselves a new sense of dignity the fact that these little
of dignity the fact that these little the these young people could stand up
the these young people could stand up with so much courage and and and yet so
with so much courage and and and yet so much dignity in the midst of all of the
much dignity in the midst of all of the abuses uh that they've had to
confront King understand your he Group which is trying to stimulate uh voting
which is trying to stimulate uh voting and registration among in and that's uh
and registration among in and that's uh exactly what is the
exactly what is the [Music]
[Music] program well the program really hasn't
program well the program really hasn't started yet
started yet um we will have tomorrow night in 21
um we will have tomorrow night in 21 cities across the South simultaneous
cities across the South simultaneous Mass
Mass meetings which uh will kick off the
meetings which uh will kick off the voting
voting Crusade this is is the uh we're calling
Crusade this is is the uh we're calling it The Crusade for citizenship
it The Crusade for citizenship attempting to double the number of negro
attempting to double the number of negro registered voters by
registered voters by 1960 this uh we we can't say yet what
1960 this uh we we can't say yet what will come as a results of it it hasn't
will come as a results of it it hasn't been started but we feel that with the
been started but we feel that with the cooperation of all of the segments and
cooperation of all of the segments and all of the agenes that work in this area
all of the agenes that work in this area in the South uh we will be able to do
in the South uh we will be able to do the job but uh
the job but uh it hasn't been started yet it starts out
it hasn't been started yet it starts out tomorrow and we hope to follow up these
tomorrow and we hope to follow up these these Mass meetings are just serving to
these Mass meetings are just serving to stimulate
stimulate interest and let the public know that we
interest and let the public know that we are beginning this southwide Crusade and
are beginning this southwide Crusade and then we will get to the Grassroots and
then we will get to the Grassroots and we will go into communities and set up
we will go into communities and set up uh some type of voting committee where
uh some type of voting committee where you have no existing committees and help
you have no existing committees and help other
other where you have existing commits help
where you have existing commits help them in any way that we possibly can
them in any way that we possibly can financially sta wise and uh in terms of
financially sta wise and uh in terms of educational
educational literature Dr King uh I have a another
literature Dr King uh I have a another question do you think that Eisenhower
question do you think that Eisenhower handled the situation the Little Rock
handled the situation the Little Rock situation um do you think it was
situation um do you think it was effective at all or just what is your
effective at all or just what is your opinion about the method which you did
opinion about the method which you did handle
well I think he U I think it's unfortunate young people young High
unfortunate young people young High School uh students to have to go to
School uh students to have to go to school Under the protection of federal
school Under the protection of federal troops I think it's even more
troops I think it's even more unfortunate for the governor of the
unfortunate for the governor of the state of Arkansas through irresponsible
state of Arkansas through irresponsible statements and actions to leave the
statements and actions to leave the president with no other
president with no other alternative uh
alternative uh [Music]
[Music] under our
under our system which is a system of law and
system which is a system of law and uh uh a
uh uh a system I should say supposedly
system I should say supposedly law uh the president had no other
law uh the president had no other alternative that that's what I'm saying
alternative that that's what I'm saying it come to the point that integration or
it come to the point that integration or segregation is no longer the question
segregation is no longer the question the question was Anarchy all Law and
the question was Anarchy all Law and Order and uh the president had no
Order and uh the president had no alternative even if he had been a
alternative even if he had been a segregation this I don't think you had
segregation this I don't think you had any other alternative because it had
any other alternative because it had come to the point that there was a
come to the point that there was a breakdown of Law and
breakdown of Law and Order and uh this was this was all the
Order and uh this was this was all the president could do now on the other hand
president could do now on the other hand I think certain constructive things
I think certain constructive things could have been done by the
could have been done by the administration before
administration before hand uh to make the South a little more
hand uh to make the South a little more conducive for
conducive for integration I think at many points the
integration I think at many points the forces of goodwi went to sleep and they
forces of goodwi went to sleep and they failed to take a stand where they should
failed to take a stand where they should have and the and the negative forces of
have and the and the negative forces of evil took over and uh if the president
evil took over and uh if the president as well as other public officials had
as well as other public officials had taken a stronger stand in the beginning
taken a stronger stand in the beginning maybe the L Rock situation would have
maybe the L Rock situation would have been prevented all
been prevented all together uh doctor I have just a few
together uh doctor I have just a few questions now you talk about
questions now you talk about forgiveness and that you must forgive do
forgiveness and that you must forgive do you find that really in your heart you
you find that really in your heart you can forgive The Men Who uh say killed
can forgive The Men Who uh say killed till or castrated this innocent
till or castrated this innocent man and don't you find well if you uh if
man and don't you find well if you uh if you really love on the basis of
you really love on the basis of Christian concept forgiveness is very
Christian concept forgiveness is very difficult it isn't easy and when it
difficult it isn't easy and when it become so easy really is
become so easy really is forgiveness uh there is pain and
forgiveness uh there is pain and Agony um a husband who loves his wife or
Agony um a husband who loves his wife or vice versa when one makes a trans
vice versa when one makes a trans mistake can't forgive
mistake can't forgive easy uh but it's
easy uh but it's possible and uh when I say forgiving I
possible and uh when I say forgiving I don't uh I don't I don't mean that this
don't uh I don't I don't mean that this is something weak or is something just a
is something weak or is something just a Sentimental sort of thing uh I think
Sentimental sort of thing uh I think ultimately it is only it is it is the
ultimately it is only it is it is the only norm and method of
only norm and method of reconciliation whether it's in Social uh
reconciliation whether it's in Social uh life or whether it's in individual
life or whether it's in individual relations it's very difficult and uh
relations it's very difficult and uh it's very hard not to become bitter
it's very hard not to become bitter toward such persons but uh forgiveness
toward such persons but uh forgiveness has great psychological value not only
has great psychological value not only does it have healing social power but it
does it have healing social power but it has psychological power if I'm btor a
has psychological power if I'm btor a man it hurts me as much as it hurts him
man it hurts me as much as it hurts him and uh uh I think psychologist are
and uh uh I think psychologist are telling us today that hate not only
telling us today that hate not only hurts the hated but it hurts the hater
hurts the hated but it hurts the hater as much so for me not to forgive the
as much so for me not to forgive the people who killed IM and or the people
people who killed IM and or the people who mutilated the man in Birmingham I am
who mutilated the man in Birmingham I am setting in my very personality a
setting in my very personality a structure of evil which can cause a
structure of evil which can cause a disintegration in my personality and uh
disintegration in my personality and uh so that it has both power of
so that it has both power of psychological individual integration as
psychological individual integration as well as social integration were the uh
well as social integration were the uh negro in Alabama surprised at the
negro in Alabama surprised at the conviction of these
conviction of these men uh I was not too surprised and yet
men uh I was not too surprised and yet uh some people were I I felt that that
uh some people were I I felt that that had come to the
had come to the point
point uh uh of such tragic inh humanity and
uh uh of such tragic inh humanity and barbarity that uh even a
barbarity that uh even a jury would have convicted them I mean of
jury would have convicted them I mean of segregationist yeah and I I felt that
segregationist yeah and I I felt that that was that had gone so far that uh
that was that had gone so far that uh the very hor of the situation now I
the very hor of the situation now I could I could and I said that in the
could I could and I said that in the midst of the fact of knowing that a few
midst of the fact of knowing that a few weeks earlier they had dismissed all
weeks earlier they had dismissed all dropped all of the boming cases and that
dropped all of the boming cases and that coming but this was something here
coming but this was something here something different
something different here you had a human being that you
here you had a human being that you could point to who had been the victim
could point to who had been the victim of of of something that's just
of of of something that's just uncivilized just one other question what
uncivilized just one other question what has been your greatest moment of
see I think it would be I'm to ask you if you ever been afraid oh sure I I
if you ever been afraid oh sure I I don't know what I would say has been my
don't know what I would say has been my greatest moment feel yeah
greatest moment feel yeah um would have have been a continuing
um would have have been a continuing [Music]
[Music] process I I I would say that during the
process I I I would say that during the early in in the month of January 1956
early in in the month of January 1956 When U the threats had risen to almost
When U the threats had risen to almost astronomical proportions that is 30 and
astronomical proportions that is 30 and 40 threats a
40 threats a day well not only the male the telephone
day well not only the male the telephone go and u i i came to a point in that in
go and u i i came to a point in that in that period that I actually got afraid
that period that I actually got afraid after that
after that uh I I believe uh there were very few
uh I I believe uh there were very few moments that I actually gotra because
moments that I actually gotra because uh uh I had GED myself for the things
uh uh I had GED myself for the things ahead which I hadn't done at that time I
ahead which I hadn't done at that time I I I I had the
I I I had the Illusion in the beginning that number
Illusion in the beginning that number one mg was a pretty good siiz town
one mg was a pretty good siiz town and uh it had not been known as a
and uh it had not been known as a violent community so I just didn't think
violent community so I just didn't think there would be any violence I said that
there would be any violence I said that in the beginning that we would have the
in the beginning that we would have the violence in monomer and I didn't think
violence in monomer and I didn't think we'd get many threats so I started off
we'd get many threats so I started off with an illusion and that's why I think
with an illusion and that's why I think I was a little more fearful in the
I was a little more fearful in the beginning that I was later because I had
beginning that I was later because I had U had gone through the process of of
U had gone through the process of of adjusting to the inevitable later and uh
adjusting to the inevitable later and uh and I had certain religious experiences
and I had certain religious experiences that gave me something within to all of
that gave me something within to all of these threats that lady
these threats that lady came are
came are you no I'm a native of Atlanta Atlanta
you no I'm a native of Atlanta Atlanta Georgia
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