On the occasion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Democracy Now has put together a special episode with excerpts of several of Dr. King’s speeches, including “Beyond Vietnam,” delivered a year to the day before he was assassinated. Most people have heard his “I Have a Dream,” but have you heard this one? If not, take a moment today to listen to his powerful plea for solidarity and peace. An excerpt:
Now, let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter—but beautiful—struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost?
Transcript and video of the episode available here.
Lauren Kirchner is a freelance writer covering digital security for CJR. Find her on Twitter at @lkirchner