martin luther king jr vietnam war speech transcript

This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. He was one of the most important and influential Civil Rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s. Copyright 2010 NPR. Mr. SMILEY: Indeed, he did. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their governments policy, especially in time of war. 2. They watch as we poison their water, as we kill a million acres of their crops. So even McNamara eventually comes around to that point. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1967 speech in New York. And number two, at what cost? A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. There is something seductively tempting about stopping there and sending us all off on what in some circles has become a popular crusade against the war in Vietnam. 0000002516 00000 n The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history. Du Bois to Coretta Scott King: The Untold History of the Movement to Ban the Bomb. Cypress Hall D, 466 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305-4146 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is known for being one of the greatest orators of the twentieth century, and perhaps in all of American history. But most Americans, I think, do not know this speech, "Beyond Vietnam.". Communism will never be defeated by the use of atomic bombs or nuclear weapons. 0000010534 00000 n In describing the ways in which the . How can they believe in our integrity when now we speak of aggression from the north as if there were nothing more essential to the war? 0000004855 00000 n I've always thought that was, to me, his best speech, his most consequential speech, even better than I have a dream in the mountain top speech. Martin Luther King Jr. - Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam Tomorrow, the latest installment with the political junkie. American Rhetoric: Martin Luther King, Jr: A Time to Break Silence (Declaration Against the Vietnam War) M artin L uther K ing, J r. Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City [Photo Credit: John C. Goodwin] [AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio. 1967 speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. Smiley continues, "it was the most controversial speech he ever gave. His wife, Coretta Scott King, took a more active role in opposing the war, speaking at a rally at the Washington Monument on 27 November 1965 with Benjamin Spock, the renowned pediatrician and anti-war activist, and joined in other demonstrations. That Vietnam was a mistake. We most provide the medical aid that is badly needed, making it available in this country if necessary. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. CONAN: Indeed. And as I ponder the madness of Vietnam and search within myself for ways to understand and respond to compassion my mind goes constantly to the people of that peninsula. This is Howard, which you know me. (AFP via Getty Images) "Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King? Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King at Ebenezer Church. BRC-NEWS: Black Radical Congress International News/Alerts/Announcements , Martin Luther King, Jr., delivering speech. [12] Of course, again, that philosophy, when the papers got a hold of him the next day, that strategy didn't work so well. We encouraged them with our huge financial and military supplies to continue the war even after they had lost the will. For nine years following 1945 we denied the people of Vietnam the right of independence. Ken Rudin joins guest host Rebecca Roberts. Accuracy and availability may vary. All over the globe men are revolting against old systems of exploitation and oppression and out of the wombs of a frail world new systems of justice and equality are being born. When he saw those pictures, there's a very famous picture, Neal, that we all know of a Vietnamese girl running naked in the streets who had just been, you know, had been victimized as had her village by these napalm attacks. Mr. SMILEY: Yeah, Walt, I thank you for sharing that story as well, for being courageous to tell it, number one. It makes for an excellent teaching tool for a unit on the Civil Rights Movement, Cold War and Vietnam, or as a bridge to combine the two! 0000002694 00000 n But the entire speech, of course, thankfully, was recorded on audio. Mr. SMILEY: That's right. And he starts out in the opening line at Riverside Church by saying: I am here tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice. Mr. SMILEY: Yeah. MLK Opposed "Poverty, Racism & Militarism" in Speech One Year Before $25.00. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) For nine years we vigorously supported the French in their abortive effort to recolonize Vietnam. Before long they must know that their government has sent them into a struggle among Vietnamese, and the more sophisticated surely realize that we are on the side of the wealthy and the secure while we create hell for the poor. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: Too late. There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Email us: talk@npr.org. Summary Of Martin Luther King Jr Vietnam Speech | ipl.org The Vietnamese people proclaimed their own independence in 1945 after a combined French and Japanese occupation, and before the Communist revolution in China. Declare a unilateral cease-fire in the hope that such action will create the atmosphere for negotiation. Mr. SMILEY: Yeah. For as popular as King was, he was a Nobel laureate, there were only one or two news crews who actually came to see the speech that night, Neal. Attachment 4: Are We Ready to Listen to Dr. King? We have destroyed their two most cherished institutions: the family and the village. And thirdly, I think the main point here in this MLK "Beyond Vietnam" speech is that there is another way. The Riverside Church donated largely with Rockefeller money. Dr. 0000047501 00000 n If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long dark and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. I've Been to the Mountaintop - Wikipedia HdTn0+=3hRnm)zK#-t\|Ha)S Now there is little left to build onsave bitterness. I Have a Dream, speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., that was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. Where are the roots of the independent Vietnam we claim to be building? And Walt's with us from Cortez in Colorado. Freedom's Ring: King's "I Have a Dream" Speech, Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, Martin Luther King, Jr. - Political and Social Views, Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam (CALCAV). Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Read The Full Text And Listen To Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" Speech. It tells why American helicopters are being used against guerrillas in Colombia and why American napalm and green beret forces have already been active against rebels in Peru. People And Peace Not Profits And War Rhetorical Devices And that is precisely what concerned Dr. King so much, that these young boys were being sent halfway around the world to fight a war that was unwinnable, that resources were being used there that should've been used here at home. Vietnam War - The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute 0000008326 00000 n Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Zinn Education Project It was they who led a second struggle against French domination at tremendous costs, and then were persuaded to give up the land they controlled between the thirteenth and seventeenth parallel as a temporary measure at Geneva. Carson and Shepard, 2001. I would like to see the fervor of the civil-rights movement imbued into the peace movement to instill it with greater strength. So it is that those of us who are yet determined that America will be are led down the path of protest and dissent, working for the health of our land. Could we blame them for such thoughts? At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about war, Dr. King? Do you find this information helpful? Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist that led the Civil Rights Movement, and other movements until his assassination in 1968. And I can't tell young black men, who are being denied right here in the streets of America, that they should offer themselves up and to sign themselves up to go - to do harm to people around the world who they do not know. It is not addressed to China or to Russia. In that address, he articulated his reasons for his opposition to the Southeast Asian conflict. Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence - American Rhetoric The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation. If it is, let us trace its movement well and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us. A few other Americans know, of course, the "Mountaintop" speech given the night before he's assassinated in Memphis. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. In "People and Peace, not Profits and War," Shirley Chisholm repeats the words "two more years" (42). On April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a controversial sermon opposing the Vietnam War at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, then helped lead a large antiwar march from Central Park to the United Nations later that month. But anyway, where he says, I am mindful of those who spoke at this podium, this spot before me, including Martin Luther King and that I stand on his shoulders as a champion of civil rights. The question is, is it a war of necessity or a war of choice at this point? And so he does in New York City. Even though they quoted the American Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them. This quote is from a sermon by Dr. King on April 30, 1967 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, drawing from his infamous April 4 sermon at Riverside Church. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nations history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. So King understood violence. It was, to your earlier point, the most controversial speech he ever gave. Q%F70%iR! PDF Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence ~ MLK Speech 1967 - CRM Vet PBS talk show. 0000013309 00000 n Let's go to Walt(ph). All the while the people read our leaflets and received regular promises of peace and democracy and land reform. %PDF-1.3 % Even before the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu, they began to despair of the reckless action, but we did not. CONAN: We're talking with Tavis Smiley about his PBS special, "Tavis Smiley Reports MLK: A Call to Conscience." Let me say this right quick: The comparisons between what King was addressing then about militarism, poverty and racism sound familiar 45 years later. And so the question was, Martin, why would you antagonize the president who has been our friend? It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. 0000009964 00000 n As we counsel young men concerning military service we must clarify for them our nations role in Vietnam and challenge them with the alternative of conscientious objection. This speech was enormously controversial. Martin Luther King Beyond Vietnam Speech Full Text and Video Thanks, as always for your time. Martin Luther King Jr - n/a - Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King But Carson makes a powerful point in the special that you just identified, about whether or not Martin King himself would be welcome in some of these mega-churches, at certain political gatherings. And so I think most Americans, Neal, know the "I Have A Dream" speech. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: This is not just. It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: This is not just. The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. You can also join the conversation at our Web site. A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Some 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington. It demands that we admit that we have been wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been detrimental to the life of the Vietnamese people. PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley's new documentary, MLK: A Call to Conscience explores King's speech. Delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Manhattan's Riverside Church, April 4, 1967 . He summed up this aspect by saying, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. We're talking with Tavis Smiley. When we ask why they do not leap to negotiate, these things must be remembered. CONAN: And the place - choice of place is very interesting too. On April 15, 1967, King participated and spoke at an anti-war march from Manhattan's Central Park to the United Nations. *];\n~~/iQ|h Q 0000002964 00000 n So far we may have killed a million of them mostly children. With this powerful commitment we shall boldly challenge the status quo and unjust mores and thereby speed the day when every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain.. They will be concerned about Mozambique and South Africa. We must not call everyone a Communist or an appeaser who advocates the seating of Red China in the United Nations and who recognizes that hate and hysteria are not the final answers to the problem of these turbulent days. They asked if our own nation wasnt using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. His wife, Coretta Scott King, on the other hand, critiqued the war publicly for years before her husband did. (1947) Moranda Smith Addresses The Congress Of Industrial Organizations Annual Convention, Boston, (1974) Congresswoman Barbara Jordans Statement: The Richard Nixon Impeachment Hearings, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. For those who ask the question, Arent you a civil rights leader? and thereby mean to exclude me from the movement for peace, I have this further answer. "[10], King also criticized American opposition to North Vietnam's land reforms. I just wanted to say that I was an 18-year-old Marine in Vietnam when the speech was given, and I didn't hear it until three or four years ago. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. We in the West must support these revolutions. We must with positive action seek to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity and injustice which are the fertile soil in which the seed of communism grows and develops. Hundreds of folks listened outside on loudspeakers. [citation needed]. Though the cause of evil prosper, Yet tis truth alone is strong; Though her portion be the scaffold, And upon the throne be wrong: Yet that scaffold sways the future, And behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow Keeping watch above his own. Have they forgotten that my ministry is in obedience to the one who loved his enemies so fully that he died for them? It will become clear that our minimal expectation is to occupy it as an American colony and men will not refrain from thinking that our maximum hope is to goad China into a war so that we may bomb her nuclear installations. Keep in mind now that 1967, Neal, as you know, is the same year that Muhammad Ali, the world champion, decides to not accept that draft to go and fight in Vietnam. We must be prepared to match actions with words by seeking out every creative means of protest possible. CONAN: We (unintelligible) to see it. They must weep as the bulldozers roar through their areas preparing to destroy the precious trees. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. What do they think as we test our latest weapons on them, just as the Germans tested out new medicine and new tortures in the concentration camps of Europe? 5. "[14][15], The "Beyond Vietnam" speech reflected King's evolving political advocacy in his later years, which paralleled the teachings of the progressive Highlander Research and Education Center, with which he was affiliated. 0000002025 00000 n It basically ruined their working relationship. Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. They wander into the hospitals, with at least twenty casualties from American firepower for one Vietcong-inflicted injury. Perhaps the more difficult but no less necessary task is to speak for those who have been designated as our enemies. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the developing world a world that borders on our doors. Because he received a letter from a little white girl who said, Dr. King, I read the newspaper that had you sneezed that blade would've moved, ruptured your aorta and you would've drowned in your own blood. The message directly challenged the president who'd taken great political risks to support civil rights legislation and also challenged many of his colleagues in the movement who've called it a tactical mistake. Please c, ontact Intellectual Properties Management (IPM), the exclusive licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. at. They see the children selling their sisters to our soldiers, soliciting for their mothers. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John: Let us love one another; for love is God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. 39 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 44 /H [ 1739 286 ] /L 149455 /E 105346 /N 8 /T 148557 >> endobj xref 39 54 0000000016 00000 n The New York Times calls it wasteful and self-defeating. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. (Scott) King,My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., 1969. Martin Luther King's Beyond Vietnam Speech is in many ways even more relevant today than in 1967. . Copy of full text of the "Beyond Vietnam" speech. complaining of what he described as a double standard that applauded his nonviolence at home, but deplored it when applied "toward little brown Vietnamese children. [6] At the urging of people such as SCLC's former Director of Direct Action and now the head of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, James Bevel, and inspired by the outspokenness of Muhammad Ali,[7] King eventually agreed to publicly oppose the war as opposition was growing among the American public. It was the speech he labored over the most. So Martin's advisors basically said, if you are intent on giving the speech, at least allow us to craft a speech and to create a setting that will allow you to speak to clergy members and laity so at least before you get to this rally that we know is going to be controversial, we could at least roll this thing out with a different kind of a crowd. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Beyond Vietnam" - Zinn Education Project Although the peace community lauded Kings willingness to take a public stand against the war in Vietnam, many within the civil rights movement further distanced themselves from his stance. Vietnam War | The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute Vietnam War Event May 11, 1961 to April 30, 1975 Four years after President John F. Kennedy sent the first American troops into Vietnam, Martin Luther King, Jr., issued his first public statement on the war. The Washington Post says he has done a discredit to himself, to his people, to his country. But when he turns the corner and then says, essentially, that Martin's philosophy wouldn't work in today's world, he goes on to say that Dr. King didn't know al-Qaida, as if to suggest that Martin didn't understand evil, that Martin didn't understand violence, that he himself had not been subjected to it. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. King to Weigh Civil Disobedience). CONAN: And I think a lot of people will see your parallels regarding Iraq, where, indeed, the United States was the aggressor in that conflict. Because, to your point now, one, I want people to go online and read the speech so you can see the text for yourself. On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a speech named, "Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence" addressing the Vietnam War. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. And that's just the Times and the Post. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. This speech is not addressed to Hanoi or to the National Liberation Front. Though he avoided condemning the war outright, at the August 1965 annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) convention King called for a halt to bombing in North Vietnam, urged that the United Nations be empowered to mediate the conflict, and told the crowd that what is required is a small first step that may establish a new spirit of mutual confidence a step capable of breaking the cycle of mistrust, violence and war (King, 12 August 1965). These are revolutionary times. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr ., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, delivers a speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam" in front of 3,000 people at Riverside Church in. And that's the issue that King was raising. Martin Luther King, who was already beginning to lose some of his influence, nevertheless made a huge challenge to the establishment. Why are you joining the voices of dissent? He supported Johnsons calls for diplomatic negotiations and economic development as the beginnings of such a step. And he said these three issues of racism and poverty and militarism are going to destroy this nation. Hb```f``; 6Pco;{Q. 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Attachment 2: Definitions Attachment 3: King Opposed Vietnam War; We Must Oppose US War in Iraq. Sorry, I'm a little bit emotional here. President Obama, this is one campaign promise that he has kept. Dr. Martin Luther King's 'Beyond Vietnam' Speech - HistoryNet We will be marching for these and a dozen other names and attending rallies without end unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy.

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