Martin Luther King Jr.'s Greatest Speech

mrbigbluelight

Everyone is familiar (I hope) with his "I Have a Dream" speech, given on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington. It dealt with civil rights in this country and was a milestone in the progress towards equality in America.

Here's the video:


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But I started this thread in order to post another speech given by Dr. King on April 30, 1967 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
It is his greatest speech, IMO.
It is a speech worth listening to, IMO.

Courage comes in many forms; this speech is one them.


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Early B.

Thanks for posting this. Dr. King was an exceptionally gifted writer and orator.

The content of this speech is probably the reason King was assassinated. He went off the script and disagreed with the sentiment of the nation's leadership. As King noted in this speech, it was a dangerous proposition to undertake for him to do that.

zombie boy 2000

I can't pick up the video at work, but I'd like to thank you MrBBL for posting this, as well. As an ADD Nation, I feel we sometimes forget the truly beautiful moments in our history. This, my good man, was one of them.

nooshinjohn

he should have been our first black president.....

bobman1235

I know this is ignorant for a 28 year old white guy to say, but it amazes me that this happened all of 40 years ago. It seems like it could never have been that recently that the world was so different.

Early B.

bobman1235 wrote: »

I know this is ignorant for a 28 year old white guy to say, but it amazes me that this happened all of 40 years ago. It seems like it could never have been that recently that the world was so different.

Many would argue that statistically, America isn't much different than it was 40 years ago in terms of racial disparities in income, health care, education, poverty levels, etc. It really depends on your perspective.

bobman1235

Well I knew someone would say that, which is why I prepended it with "I'm a 28-year old white guy".

But if I'm being honest, I think that's a very fatalistic attitude. Anyone who can look at the modern political and social climate and not see any positive change in 40 years is just looking for excuses. I have no doubt that in a socioeconomic sense there is still a huge disparity, but it's no longer because of a lack of rights or opportunity. The effects of a HISTORY of oppression sure, but not because of a current climate of oppression.

tonyb

The man could give a speech for sure.Just to stir the pot a bit,since a black man has now attained the highest office possible,can we now get rid of all the affirmative action programs??

carpenter

bobman1235 wrote: »

Well I knew someone would say that, which is why I prepended it with "I'm a 28-year old white guy".

But if I'm being honest, I think that's a very fatalistic attitude. Anyone who can look at the modern political and social climate and not see any positive change in 40 years is just looking for excuses. I have no doubt that in a socioeconomic sense there is still a huge disparity, but it's no longer because of a lack of rights or opportunity. The effects of a HISTORY of oppression sure, but not because of a current climate of oppression.

Bobman, with do respect, your post does not relate to Eearly B's observation.
Eearly's claim is that statistically not much has changed in various issues, while your reply attempts to analyse the causes for this reality, something that Early did not do at all.
Now, regarding your comments; I have no doubt that if DR King is watching Washington DC these days from heaven, he has a big smile on his face.

bobman1235

Fair enough. I tend to focus more on the idea that everyone deserves the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities, which I think are the areas that have had the most profound change.

How an individual or group chooses to capitalize on those rights and freedoms is also a concern, but I'd say a different one.

SolidSqual

I'm a big fan of MLK but I wonder if things are getting better or worse? Has our country and perhaps the world become more racist? I wonder if in the face of political correctness people have become less vocal and more bottled-up. The only reason I bring this up is that personally I believe President Obama's success is evidence of improvement, but the funny thing is that some people don't see it that way. For example, Jesse Jackson, one of MLK's closest buds, is a major advocate of Critical Race Theory.

CRT – An organizational concept, bringing together under a single rubric various race-based theories, values, and attitudes against the existing legal order.
1. Common Objective – Use the law to effectuate equality and take advantage of the symbiotic relationship between law and society.

2. Methodology – “Subordination Question” – Does it handicap people of color?
a. Whether a rule of law or legal doctrine, practice or custom subordinates important interests and concerns of racial minorities and
b. If so, how is this problem best remedied?

3. Values and Assumptions – American Society and its Institutions are fundamentally racist.
a. White Racism is Hegemonic – Does this make it permanent?
b. Law of Racial Thermodynamics – Racism is neither created nor destroyed – though change may occur from era to era, racism remains deeply ingrained in our culture. (BLEAK OUTLOOK)

Here are some of my notes from law school on the subject. It's funny, people want to use CRT theories to improve racism but by the same token, the belief system doesn't believe racism can be eliminated. This suggests to me that CRT has other motives than ending racism, perhaps utilizing it for the better of colored people . . . if that's possible.

Anybody else think the world is a better place today?

markmarc

I'm a big fan of MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail".

As for the bigger question, it's mixed. Minorities have more equal footing and opportunities to succeed, but afro-american children are hampered by a high percentage of absent fathers, peer pressure to dismiss education as a way up, and a lack of leaders. One can hope that Obama's ascendency will give them the same boost that MLK did.

madmax

SolidSqual wrote: »

Has our country and perhaps the world become more racist? I wonder if in the face of political correctness people have become less vocal and more bottled-up.

No way,
In the voting booth where you are on your own and unwatched, a black man was elected president of the USA. Black as well as white voted for who they thought was better, not who was white or black. I'm going to laugh at the next black man who says the world is against him.
madmax

bobman1235

SolidSqual wrote: »

For example, Jesse Jackson, one of MLK's closest buds, is a major advocate of Critical Race Theory.

Not to be too cynical, but the man has made MILLIONS over the years in the business of racism. If someone offered to wave a magic wand and make the idea of racism disappear from teh face of the Earth, I guarantee you Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would snap that magic wand in half before it happened.

Never trust someone whose livelihood depends on something like this.

nooshinjohn

i believe that there is one big HUGE factor at work with regards to racism in america, infact it is the same one tha is behind global warming....$$$MONEY$$$
without the perception that america is racist, the rev jesse/al and others would need to go back to where a rev/preacher belong.... the pulpit! these guys and those of their ilk have forgotten that the message of dr king was equality REGARDLESS of the color of their skin. in barack obama...did not vote for him btw... we have chosen a man based upon the content of his character. jesse and al have no real desire to see an end to racism, rather they choose to perpetuate it at every opportunity...

cnh

Early B. wrote: »

Thanks for posting this. Dr. King was an exceptionally gifted writer and orator.

The content of this speech is probably the reason King was assassinated. He went off the script and disagreed with the sentiment of the nation's leadership. As King noted in this speech, it was a dangerous proposition to undertake for him to do that.

I have to agree here. Some of the last speeches given by MLK Jr. linked race to class to the war in ways that were far too upsetting for many during that time but incredibly insightful.

The current vision of King has been 'cleaned' up for mass consumption so that it does not seem as critical of the status quo as it really was. The interesting thing is that that linkage is as 'relevant' now in the current economic collapse, job loss, etc. as it ever was. Obama ran, to some extent, away from 'race' till it caught up with him through his pastor and he had to take it on. He gave his greatest speech in response to that!

To others below and the 28 year old. Progress has been made but more is necessary. I'm almost old enough to remember King but not enough to have been able to process his message at that age.

Class, race, and war a legacy Obama inherits tomorrow. It is time to think about what we can all do to help.

cnh

John30_30

SolidSqual wrote: »

I'm a big fan of MLK but I wonder if things are getting better or worse? Has our country and perhaps the world become more racist? I wonder if in the face of political correctness people have become less vocal and more bottled-up. The only reason I bring this up is that personally I believe President Obama's success is evidence of improvement, but the funny thing is that some people don't see it that way. For example, Jesse Jackson, one of MLK's closest buds, is a major advocate of Critical Race Theory.

<snip>
Anybody else think the world is a better place today?

Jackson was a disciple, and history shows that disciples very rarely fill the shoes of the teacher.

It's hard when you're in the middle of history to try to judge it forward or back. I know that in the 60's there was alot of overt racism both ways. I'm not naive, there's still plenty, but I think not as much, which is a key thing, Because:

It takes generations for a societal disease of hate like this to die, but I really believe this country is on the right track, and that's where my love gets big for America. Because it's listening to its heart and spirit, which is so big as to try to accept and love all people.
This is the greatness of my country. It makes mistakes, big ones. Haven't we all. But it tries to do the right thing and learn from its mistakes, and make things better.
I think we can all guess what Dr. King would say, something on the line that January 20 proves we've come a long way, Baby, but we've still miles yet to go before we sleep.

average_guy

Here's a link to MLK's letter from a Birmingham Jail. This is a long letter (he says in the letter that it would not have been so long if he had not been in jail at the time) but it gives an interesting perspective to the man that the videos cannot. Its worth a read:
http://attackmachine.com/blog/2009/01/19/martin-luther-kings-letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/

xsmi

Guys,

I must say as a SUCCESSFUL black man that racism is still alive. maybe it is PC that keeps it bottled up to a certain extent but it STILL exist. I thank you guys for the sentiment that was expressed in another thread on the board because it was a fight I did not have the stomach to fight again. Although it is no longer something I deal with in an open overt way everyday, and in that since it is better, I still see it everyday.

BottomFeeder

Wow, xsmi. You still see racism "every day?" That's awful. I'd appreciate knowing in what ways you still see it so commonly. I'm a white guy living in a mostly white city, so I'd like to gain from your perspective.

Hope this isn't a derail?

CaligulaPolk

This thread should be locked.... Political discussion.. MLK is political