On April 4th, Honor Martin Luther King Jr. and His “Revolution of Values”

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at Riverside Church in New York, April 4, 1967. Photo credit: John C. Goodwin.

By Nancy Price
Earth Democracy Issue Committee

Honor Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4th by organizing a public reading of his “Beyond Vietnam” Riverside Church Speech in your community.

Historians say it was a turning point in the peace movement. It’s time to lift up this speech for another turning point. Three thousand (3,000) people listened to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech at Riverside Church in 1967 (read the full speech here and listen to it here).

In moving from civil rights to a critique of capitalism and war, King called for a “revolution of values.” He envisioned “a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class, and nation,” and cautioned “a nation that continues year after year to spend more on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

With the 79th Anniversary of NATO being held in Washington, D. C. on April 4th, which is not only the day of this memorable speech but the day of King’s assassination a year later in 1968, what better way to honor Martin Luther King.

Here are suggestions for organizing this event that peace and justice groups in Oakland, California, created and have carried out in the years following the events of 9/11. Members of WILPF’s East Bay Branch have often attended.  

1. Here is an Introduction and the text of the speech divided into 16 sections. You may want to enlist at least 16 speakers and to print out the introduction and speech in enlarged font and assemble several 3-ring binders with a full set of the materials.
2. Invite local elected officials, community leaders, activist groups, and high school students to participate in the reading in front of a federal or local building such as a city hall, or other suitable location. You may want to hold a press conference involving representatives of these constituencies in advance. You may need to secure a permit for a sound system.
3. Set up a “podium” and some visuals. The podium can be as simple as a music stand draped with a cloth, where you can support one of the open binders, and posters or banners depicting Dr. King and whatever messages you want to project.
4. Begin the reading by sounding a gong or bell, signifying a moment of silence, and have someone read the introduction. You may wish to prepare a list of readers in advance, which you could post on butcher paper or a whiteboard. You should have an extra binder or two available so that readers can practice reading their sections in advance.
5. If there’s a lot of interest from prospective readers, you may wish to repeat the reading several times. In Oakland, this reading has been done in as many as three consecutive readings, ending with a symbolic ceremony at sundown.

If you do organize this event, please let us know, take pictures and send them to nancytprice39@gmail.com.