Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20150119

In a democracy now and pacifica radio archives exclusive, we air a newly discovered recording of Martin Luther king, jr. It was december 1964, days before he received the Nobel Peace Prize in oslo, dr. King gave a major address in london on segregation, the fight for civil rights, and his support for Nelson Mandela and the antiapartheid struggle in south africa. The united kingdom, the United States decided tomorrow morning not to buy South African goods or to buy South African gold, investors and capitalists would withdraw their support for the racial tyranny that we find their, then apartheid would be brought to. Today, dr. Kings city temple address, december 7, 1964 in london. All of that and more coming up. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Today is the federal holiday honoring dr. Martin luther king. He was born january 15 1929. He was assassinated april 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in memphis, tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor, organizing the Poor Peoples Campaign to address issues of Economic Justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of u. S. Foreign policy and the vietnam war. In 1964, dr. King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Days before he received that award in oslo, norway, dr. King traveled to london. On december 7, 1964, dr. King gave a speech sponsored by the British Group christian action about the civil rights struggle in the United States as well as the Antiapartheid Movement in south africa. The speech was recorded by saul bernstein, working as the european correspondent for pacifica radio. His recording was recently discovered a director of the pacifica radio archives. This is that address by dr. Martin luther king jr. I want to talk about our struggle in the United States and before taking my seat, talk about some of the larger struggles in the whole world. Some of the more difficult struggles in places like south africa. That is a desperate, poignant question on the lips of people all over our country, and all of the world i get it almost everywhere i go in a must every press conference. It is a question of whether we are making any Real Progress in the struggle to make Racial Justice a reality in the United States of america. And whenever i seek to answer that question, on the one hand i seek to avoid an undue pessimism. On the other hand, i seek to avoid the superficial optimism. And i tried to incorporate and develop what i consider a realistic position by admitting on the one hand that we have made many significant strides over the last few years in the struggle for Racial Justice, but by admitting that before the problem is solved, we still have numerous things to do in many challenges to meet. And it is this realistic position that i would like to use as a basis for our thinking together tonight as we think about the problem in the United States. We have come a long, long way but we have a long, long way to go before the problem is solved. Now let us notice first that we have come a long, long way and i would like to say at this point that the negro himself has come a long, long way in reevaluating his own intrinsic worth. Now, in order to illustrate this, a little history is necessary. It was in the year 1619 when the first negro slaves landed on the shores of america. And they were brought there from africa. Unlike the pilgrim fathers who landed at plymouth a year later they were brought there to gain against their wills. Throughout slavery, the negro was treated in a very inhuman fashion. He was a thing to be used. Not a person to be respected. The United States Supreme Court rendered the decision in 1857 known as the dred scott decision which well illustrated what existed at that time. But in this decision, the Supreme Court of the United States said in step since that the negro substance that the negro is not a citizen of the United States, merely property subject to the dictates of his owner. And it went on to say that the negro has no rights. That the white man is bound to respect. And this was the idea that prevailed during the days of slavery. With the growth of savory, became necessary to give some justification for it. You know it seems to be a fact of life that human beings cannot continue to do wrong. Without eventually reaching out for some thin rationalization to close an obvious wrong in the beautiful garments of righteousness. And this is exactly what happened during the days of slavery. There were those who even misused the bible and religion to give some justification for slavery and to crystallize the patterns of the status quote. And so it was argued from some pulpits that the negro was inferior by nature because of noah;ss curse upon the sovereign of ham. Servants, be obedient to your master. And one brother have probably read the logic of the great philosopher aristotle. Aristotle did a great deal to bring into being what we now know as formal logic and the sauce of formal logic and philosophy. It is known as a major premise a Minor Premise, and a conclusion. So this brother decided to put his argument for the inferiority of the negro in the framework of an he could say all men are made in the image of god. Then came the Minor Premise god is not a negro, therefore, the negro is not a man. [laughter] this was the kind of reasoning that prevailed. While living with the conditions of slavery and then later segregation, many negroes lost faith in themselves. Many came to feel perhaps they were less than human. Many came to feel they were inferior. This, it seems to me, is the greatest tragedy of slavery, the greatest tragedy of segregation, not merely what it does to the individual physically, but what it does to one psychologically. Is cigars the soul of the segregated as well as the segregatedor. It gives them a false sense of superior while living the segregated the feeling of inferiority. This is what happened. Then something happened to the negro and circumstances made it possible and necessary for him to travel more. The appeal. Two world wars and rate great depression. The background gave way to urban industrial light. His Economic Life was gradually rising through the growth of industry, development of organized labor, and expanded educational opportunities. Even his cultural life was gradually rising through the study decline steady decline of illiteracy. All of these forces conjoined because the negro in america could look at himself. The negro masses began to reevaluate themselves. And then Something Else happened along with all of this. The negro in the United States turned his eyes and mind to africa. He noticed the magnificent independence taking place on the stage of african history. And noticing the developments and noticing what was happening and noticing what was being done on the part of his Black Brothers and sisters in africa gave him a new sense of dignity in the United States and a new sense of selfrespect. 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 image. And that the basic thing about a man is not his specificity, not the texture of us here or the color of his skin, but his eternal dignity and worth. And so the negro in america could cry out unconsciously with the elephant voice, black complexion cannot forfeit natures claim. Skin may differ, but affection dwells in black and white the same. And where i so tell as to reach the pole or to grasp the ocean as it stands, i must be measured by my soul. The mind is the standard of the man. And with this new sense of dignity and this new sense of self respect, a new negro came into being with the new determination to suffer, to struggle, to sacrifice, and even to die if necessary in order to be free. In this reveals we have come a long, long way since 1619. But to be true to the facts, it is necessary say that only has the negro reevaluated his own intrinsic worth, the whole nation has come along, long way in extending the frontiers of civil rights. I would like to mention just a few things that have happened in our country which reveal this. 50 years ago, even 25 years ago a year hardly past when numerous negroes were not brutally lynched by some vicious mob. Fortunately, lynchings have about ceased today. If one would go back to the turnofthecentury, you would find that in the southern part of the United States, you had very few negroes registered to vote. By 1948, that number had leaped to about 750,000. 1960, 1 million 200,000. When we went into the president ial election just a few weeks ago, that number had linked to more than 2 million. We went into that election with more than 2 million negroes registered to vote in the south, which meant if we in the Civil Rights Movement by working hard have been able to add more than 800,000 new negroes as registered voters in the last three years. This reveals that we have made strides. And then when we look at the question of Economic Justice we can at least say some strides have been made. The average negro wage earner who is employed today in the United States earns 10 times more than the average negro wage earner 12 years ago. The National Income of the negro is now little better than 28 billion year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States and more than the National Budget of canada. This reveals we have made some strides in this area. The probably more than anything else, and you have read about it so much here in all of the world, im sure, we have noticed the gradual decline and even demise of the system of racial segregation. The legal history of racial segregation had its beginning in 1896. Many people feel racial segregation has been a reality and the United States a long, long time, but the fact is, that this was a rather recent phenomenon in our country. Just a little better than 60 years old. And it had its legal beginning with the decision known as the ferguson decision. Which said in substance that separate but equal facilities could exist, and it made the doctrine of separate but equal the law the land. We all know what happened as a result of the old plessy doctrine. It was a strict enforcement of the separate without the slightest intention to abide by the equal. In the new negro experienced the bleakness of nagging injustice. Then something marvelous happened. The Supreme Court of our nation in 1954 examined the legal body of segregation and on may 17 of that year, pronounced it institutionally dead. It is said in substance that the old plessy doctrine must go. That separate facilities are unequal and the segregated child on the basis of his race is to deny that child equal protection of the law. And so weve seen many changes since that momentous decision was rendered in 1954, came as a red beacon light of hope to millions of his inherited people all over disinherited people all over our nation. Then Something Else happened which brought joy to all of our hearts. It happened this year. It was last year after the struggle in birmingham alabama the late president kennedy came to realize that there was a basic issue that our country had to grapple with for the sense of concern and sense of immediacy. He made a great speech. A few days before, really, was on the same day the university of alabama was to be integrated and governor wallace stood in the door and try to block that integration. Mr. Kennedy had to have the National Guard federalized. He stood before the nation and said in a liquid terms eloquent terms that problems we face in the area of civil rights is not merely a political issue. It is not merely an economic issue. It is a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and as modern as the constitution. It is a question of whether we will treat our negro brothers as we ourselves would like to be treated. And on the hills of that great speech, he went and recommended to the congress of our nation the must copper rings of civil rights bill ever recommended comprehensive civil rights bill ever recommended. Fortunately, after many months of battles for a period we got a little tired of that. There are some men in our country who like to talk a lot. Maybe your bread about the filibuster. You know they get bogged down in the paralysis of analysis and they will go on and on and on and they wanted to talk to build a debt. President Lyndon Johnson got to work. He started calling congressman and senators in and started meeting day in and day out with influential people in the country. And making it clear that bill had to pass as attribute of the late president kennedy, but also as a tribute to the greatness of the country. There is an expression of its dedication to the american dream. It was that great day last summer that that bill came into being and it was on july 2 that mr. Johnson signed that bill and it became the law the land. And so in america now, we have the civil rights bill and im happy to report to you that by a large that bill is being implemented in communities all across the south. We have seen some surprising levels of compliance, even in some communities and the state of mississippi. And whenever you can find anything write a mississippi things are getting better. [laughter] dr. Martin luther king speaking in london december 7 1964. We will return to the speech after this break. [music break] nina simone. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In this democracy now exclusive, we return to Martin Luther king, jr. In his own words from a recording recently discovered the pacifica radio archives. This is from december 7, 1964 in london, just days before dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in oslo, norway. We can never forget the fact that just this summer, three civil rights workers were brutally murdered near philadelphia, mississippi. All of this reveals to us we have not achieved the level of brotherhood, we have not achieved the brotherhood that we need and we must have in our nation. We still have a long, long way to go. I mentioned Voter Registration and the fact we have been able to add about 800,000 new registered voters in the last two or three years. The fact it is over 2 million now. I guess that sounded like Real Progress, and it does represent some progress, but let me give you other signs. There are still more than 10 million negroes living in the southern part of the United States. And some 6 million of the negroes living in the southern part of the United States are of voting age. And yet only 2 million a registered. This means that 4 million remain unregistered. Not merely because their apathetic, not because their complacent. This may be true of some few but because all types of conniving methods are still being used to keep negroes from becoming registered voters. Complex literacy tests given which make it almost impossible for anybody to pass the test, even if you have a phd degree in any field or law degree from the best law schools of the world. And that actual economic reprisals often taken out against negroes who seek to register and vote. And then some that actually are faced with physical violence and sometimes physical death. This reveals we have a great deal that must be done in this area. I mentioned Economic Justice. Im sure that figure 28 billion dollars sounded very large. That is a lot of money. But i must go on and give you the other side if im to be honest about the picture. And that is the fact that 42 of the negro families of the United States still are in less than 2000 a year while just 16 of the white families earn less than 2000 the year. What he 1 of the negro families of america are less than 1000 a year while just 5 of the white families earn less than 1000 year. And then we face the fact that 88 of the negro families of america earn less than 5,000 a year while just 58 of the white families earn less than 5,000 a year. So we can see there is still a great divide between the haves so to speak, and the havenots. If america is to continue to grow and progress and develop and move on toward its greatness, this problem must the solved. This economic problem is getting more serious because of many forces alive in our world. Many years, negroes were denied adequate educational opportunities. For many years negroes or even denied a Partnership Training apprentiship training. This meant the negro ended up being limited by a large to unskilled labor. Now because of the forces of automation, these are the jobs that are now passing away. And so the negro way except in a city like to troy, michigan and discovers he is 28 of the population and 72 of the unemployed. Unable to grapple with the problem, our federal government will have to develop massive retraining programs, Massive Public works programs so that automation can be a blessing, as it must be, to our society and not a curse. Then the other thing when we think of this economic problem we must think about theres nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a segment in that society which feels it has no stake in the society. Nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a number of people who see life as little more than a long and desolate corridor with no exit sign. They end up with despair because they have no jobs, because they cant educate her children because they cant live in a nice home, because they cant have Adequate Health facilities. We always hear the various reasons why and the various myths concerning integration and why integration should not come into being. Those people who argue against integration at this point often say, well, if you integrate public schools, for instance, you will pull the white race back a generation. They like to talk about the cultural lag in the Negro Community. Then they going to say, no, the negro has the highest crime rate. In any city that you can find in the United States. And arguments go on adding why integration should not come into being. It i think theres an answer to that. That is, there is cultural lag in the Negro Community and there certainly is this lag is there because of segregation and discrimination. It is there because of years of slavery and segregation. Criminal responses are not racial, but environmental. Poverty, economic deprivation social isolation, and all of these things breed crime whatever the racial group may be. And it is a torturous logic to use the tragic results of racial segregation as an argument for the continuation of it. [applause] and so it is necessary to see this and to go all out to make Economic Justice a reality all over our nation. I mentioned racial segregation is about dead in the United States, but it is still with us. We are about past the day of legal segregation. We have about ended jury segregation where the laws of the nation of a particular state can uphold because of the civil rights and Supreme Court decision and other things. We have passed a day when the negro cannot eat at a lunch counter with the exception of a few isolated situations where the negro cant check in a motel or hotel. Were fastly passing that day. It there is another form of segregation coming up. It is coming up through housing discrimination joblessness and de facto segregation in the public schools. And so the ghettorized conditions make for hardcore de facto segregation that we must grapple with on a daytoday basis. And so this is a problem we face in this is the problem that we are forced to deal with. And we are going to deal with it in a determined way. I am absolutely convinced that segregation is on its deathbed and those who represented come a whether they be in the United States or whether they be in London England for the system is on its deathbed. [applause] but certainly, we all know that if democracy is to live in any nation, segregation must i. And as i have tried to say all over america, weve got to get rid of segregation, not really because it will help our image instantly will help our image in the world we have to get rid of segregation not merely because it will appeal to asian and african peoples, innocently will be how full, it is important, the final analysis, Racial Discrimination must be uprooted from American Society and from every society. Because it is morally wrong. So it is necessary to go all out and develop Massive Action programs to get rid of racial segregation. Now, i would like to mention one or two ideas that circulate in our society and they probably circulate in your society and all over the world, that keep us from developing the kind of action programs necessary to get rid of discrimination and segregation. One is what i refer to as the m yth of time. There are those that argue that only time can solve the problem of Racial Injustice in the United States and south africa or anywhere else. You have to wait on time. I know theyve said as so often in the states and to our allies just be nice and be patient and continue to pray and 100 to 200 years, the problem will work itself out. Were live with the myth of time. The only answer i get to that is that time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. I must honestly say to you i am convinced that the forces of ill will have often used time much more effectively than the forces of goodwill. And we may have to repent in this generation them and not merely for the bench reality words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling indifference of the good people who sit around saying, wait on time. [applause] somewhere along the way it is necessary to see Human Progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated individuals waiting to be coworkers with god and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and we must realize time is always right to do right. This is so vital and so necessary. The other myth that gets around a great deal in our nation and im sure and other nations of the world is the idea that you cant solve the problems in the realm of human relations through legislation. You cant solve the housing problem in the job problem and all of these other problems through legislation. Youve got to change the hearts. We had a president ial candidate just recently who spoke about this a great deal. And i think mr. Goldwater sincerely believes you could not do anything through legislation, because he voted against everything in the senate, including the civil rights bill. And he said all over the nation throughout the election that we dont need legislation, that legislation cant deal with this problem. But he was nice enough to say, you have to change the hearts. I want to at least go halfway with brother goldwater. I think he is right. If we are going to this Problem Solved in america and all over the world, ultimately, people must change their hearts were their prejudices if were going to solve the problems facing mankind, i would be the first to say that every white person must look down deep within, remove every prejudice that may be there and come to see that the negro, the colored peoples generally must be treated right not merely because the law says it, but because it is right and because it is natural. I agree with this 100 . I am sure the problem is to be solved ultimately, then must be obedient not merely to that which can be enforced by the law, but must rise to the Majestic Heights of being obedient to the unenforceable. But after saying all of that, i must go on to the other side. This is where i must leave mr. Goldwater and others who believe the legislation has no place. It may be true you cannot legislate integration, but you can legislate desegregation. It may be true that morality cannot be legislated, but the heavier can be regulated. It may be true that the law cant change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law can make a man love me cant make a man love me, but it can restrain him from lynching me. I think that is pretty important come also. Martin luther king, jr. Speaking in london december 7 1964. We will return to that speech after this break. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In this democracy now exclusive, we return to Martin Luther king, jr. In his own words from a recording recently discovered by the pacifica radio archive. The speech given in london, december 7 1964, just days before dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in oslo, norway. Now as you know, we have been engaged in the United States in a massive struggle. And to make desegregation finally integration a reality. In that struggle, there is been in undergirding philosophy philosophy of nonviolence. A philosophy method of nonviolent resistance. I would like to say just a few words about the method of the philosophy that has undergirded our struggle. First, i want to say that i am still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. It has a way of disarming the opponent exposing his moral defenses, and weakens his morale. And at the same time, it works on his conscience and he just doesnt know how to handle it. If you doesnt beat you wonderful, if you beats you, you develop a quite color of accepting roles without retaliate. If he doesnt put you in jail, wonderful, nobody with any sense loves to go to jail. But if he puts you in jail, you go in that jail and transform it from a dungeon of shame to a haven of freedom and human dignity. Even if he tries to kill you you develop the conviction of that something so dear, something so precious, something so eternally true that there worth dying for. And if a man has not discovered something that he will die for he isnt fit to live. This is what the nonviolent discipline says. [applause] the other thing about it is, it gives the individual a way of struggling to secure moral ends through moral means. One of the great debates of history has been over the whole question of ends and means come all the way back to the days of platos dialogues coming on up through others, there have been those individuals who argue that the end justifies the means. But any real sense of nonviolent philosophy comes along and says that the end is preexistent in the means. The means represents the ideal in the making and the end in the long run of history, their moral means cannot bring about an immoral end. And must come to the point he sees the necessity of having ends and means coherent, so to speak. And this is one of the things that is basic in the nonviolent philosophy at its best. It gives one away and method of struggle which says if you can see to assist the if you can seek. It also says it is possible to strike against an evil, unjust system with all your might and with all your heart and even hate that unjust system, yet maintain an attitude of active goodwill and understanding and even love for the perpetrators of that evil system. This is the most misunderstood aspect of nonviolence. This is where those who dont want to follow the nonviolent methods say a lot of bad things to those of us who talk about love. But i still go on and believe in it because i am still convinced that it is love that makes the world go round. And somehow, this kind of love can be a powerful force to social change. Im not talking about a weak love. Im not talking about emotional botch or some sentimental quality. Im not talking about an affectionate response. It would be nonsense to urge oppressed people to love their violent oppressors in an affectionate cents. I have never advised that. Jesus said love your enemies. Im happy to not say, like your enemies. It is pretty difficult to like some people. Love is greater than like. Love is understanding creative redemptive goodwill of all man. Theologians talk about this kind of love with the greek word agape, and overflowing love that seeks nothing in return. And when one develops this, you rise to the position of being able to love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. And i believe that this can be done. Psychiatrists are telling us now that hatred is a dangerous force, not merely for the hated, but also for ther. Many of the strange things that happen in the subcontinents subconscious are rooted in hate. This is why eric from can write a book arguing love is the supreme Unifying Force of life. So it is wonderful to have a method of struggle, where it is possible to stand up against segregation, to stand up against colonialism with all of your might and yet not hate the perpetrators of these unjust systems. I believe firmly that it is through this kind of powerful, nonviolent action come of this kind of love that organizes itself that we will be able to transform the genuine discourse of our nation in the world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. Certainly, this is a great challenge facing us. I think nonviolence can work not only in the situation that we find in our country, not only with the magnificent example that we have in india expressed through the marvelous works of ghandi, but i think it can work in ways and in circumstances that we havent seen her we havent used before. And then in this context, i would like to Say Something about south africa. I would like to read just a statement that ive written here so that i can say every thing i have in mind about the South African situation without missing anything. I understand they are here tonight, South Africans, some of whom have been involved in the long struggle for freedom there. And our struggle for freedom and justice in the United States, which is also been so long and difficult. We feel of powerful sense of identification with those in the far more deadly struggles for freedom in south africa. We know how africans there and their friends of other races strolled for half the century for freedom with nonviolent methods. We have honored leadership and know how this nonviolence was only met by increasing violence from the state, increasing repression culminating in the shootings and all that is happened since. Clearly, there is much in mississippi and alabama to remind the South Africans of their own country. Yet even in mississippi, we can organize to register negro voters. We can speak to the press. We can in short organize people in nonviolent action. In south africa, even the mildest form of nonviolent resistance meets with years of imprisonment. Leaders over many years have been silenced and imprisoned. We can understand how in that situation people felt so desperate that they turned to other methods such as sabotage. Today, great leaders like Nelson Mandela and rubber sibley are among the many hundreds wasting away in prison against the massive arms and real estate which uses tortured and sadistic forms of interrogation to crush human beings. Even driving some to suicide. The militant opposition inside south africa seems for the moment to be silenced. Seems for the moment unable to break from the oppression. I emphasize the word because we can imagine what emotions must be seen been below the column surface of the police state. We know what emotions are seething and the rest of africa and a all over the world. The dangers of a race wall, dangers we have had repeated. It is in the situation with the great mask a South Africans deny their humanity, their dignity denied opportunity to denied all human rights. It is in the situation that many of the bravest and best South Africans serving long years of in prison, with some already executed, the situation we in america and britain have a unique responsibility. For it is through our investments, through our government regarded by all nations and ideologies as sacred. Our government and your government in britain refused to intervene effectively now, as if only when there is a bloodbath in south africa or korea or vietnam with a recognize a crisis . If the united kingdom, the United States decided tomorrow morning not to buy South African goods, not to buy South African gold, to put an embargo on oil is our investors and capitalists would withdraw their support for the racial tyranny we find there, then apartheid would be brought to an end. [applause] and then the majority of South Africans of all races could at last build a shared society they desire. And so this is a challenge facing the nations of the world. And god grant that we will meet this challenge and be a part of that great Creative Movement that will stick to bring about an transform those dark yesterdays of man inhumanity to man into bright tomorrows of justice and peace and goodwill. May i say to you that the problem of Racial Injustice is not limited to any one nation. We know now that this is a problem spreading all over the globe. And right here in london and right here in england, you know so well that thousands and thousands of colored people are migrating here from many, many lands. The west indies, pakistan, from india, from africa. They have the just right to come to this great land. They have the just right to expect justice and democracy in this land. And england as being eternally vigilant. But if not the same kind of ghettos will develop that we have in the harlems of the United States. The same problems of injustice, the same problems of inequality in jobs will develop. And so i say to you that the challenge before every citizen of goodwill of this nation is to go all out to make democracy a reality for everybody, so that everybody in this land will be able to live together and that all men to be able to live together as brothers. You know there are certain words in every academic discipline that soon become stereotypes and cliches of every academic discipline has its technical vocabulary. Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in modern psychology maladjusted. You of heard that word. This is the reading cry ringing cry upon psychology. We all want to live adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and skin different personalities. But i must say to you, my friends, as i come to a close there are some things in my own nation and are some things in the world which i am proud to be maladjusted, which i call upon all men of goodwill to be maladjusted until the good society is realized. I must honestly say to you that i never intend to become adjusted to segregation discrimination colonialism and these particular forces, i must honestly say to you that i never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry. I must honestly say to you that i never intend to adjust myself to Economic Missions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few i must say to you tonight that i never intend to become adjusted to the madness of militarism and the self defeating effects of physical violence, but in a day when sputniks and explorers are dashing through space and and missiles of death through the stratosphere no nation can win a war. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence, it is either nonviolence or nonexistence. And the alternative to disarmament, the alternative to a greater suspension of nuclear tests, the alternative to strengthening the United Nations and thereby disarming the whole world may well be a civilization plunged into the abyss of annihilation. And i assure you that i will never adjust to the madness of militarism. You see, and may well be that our whole world is in need at this time for a new organization. The International Association for the advancement of creative maladjustment. Men and women [applause] men and women who will be as maladjusted as in the midst of his in justices of the day cry out in words that echo across the centuries, let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. As maladjusted late Abraham Lincoln who had the vision to see that the United States could not survive half slave and half free. As maladjusted as Thomas Jefferson who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery. Could enter across the pages words lifted to cosmic proportions. We hold these truths are to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator war was certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As maladjusted as jesus of nazareth who could say to the men and women of his day, he who lives by the sword will parish by the sword. We will be able to emerge from long and desolate midnight of mans inhumanity to man into the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom and justice. May i say to you that i still believe that mankind will rise up to the occasion, in spite of the darkness of the hour, in spite of the difficulties of the morning, in spite of these days of emotional tension when the problems of the world are gigantic an extensive and chaotic in detail, i still have faith in the future. I still believe we can build a society of brotherhood and society of peace. We have a song that we sing in our movement. Were joined hands to sing at so often behind jail bars. I can remember times we had been in jail cells a for 12 people yet you would find some 15 or 20 there. Yet we could go on and lift our voices and seeing it. I mentioned it yesterday afternoon as i was preaching at st. Pauls. We shall overcome. We shall overcome. Deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome. And somehow i believe that mankind will overcome. I believe the forces of evil will be defeated. I believe this because carlyle is right no lie can live forever. I believe we shall overcome because bryant is right third will rise again. I believe we shall overcome because lowell is right, truth forever the scaffold, forever wrong on the throne. Yet that scaffold sways the future and behind the unknown standeth god within the shadows keeping watch above his own. With this faith, we will be able to adjourn the councils of despair and bring to the dark chambers of pessimism. With this faith, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace and brotherhood with this faith, we will be able to speed up the day when all of gods children, black men and white men, jews and gentiles, protestants and catholics hindus and muslims will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negro spiritual, free at last, free at last, thank god almighty, we are free at last. We have a long, long way to go before this problem is solved. Thank god, we have made strides. We have, long, long way. Before i close by coding the words from an old negro slave preacher who did not quite have is addiction right but who had words of great symbolic profundity lord, we aint what we want to be. We ate what we ought to be. We aint what we gonna be. But thank god, we ate what we was. Thank you. Dr. Martin luther king jr. Speaking in london as city temple on december 7, 19 64. He would receive the Nobel Peace Prize three days later in oslo come in norway. The recording of this speech was recently discovered by director of the pacifica radio archives. To get a copy of todays show and to learn more about how this rare king recording was discovered, go to democracynow. Org. The pacific deal archives website is pacificaradio archives. Org. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ]