"I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Dr. Martin Luther Rex, Jr.

MLK at Mason Temple, April 3, 1968Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered this speech in support of the hitting sanitation workers at Mason Temple in Memphis, TN on Apr 3, 1968 — the day before he was assassinated. License to reproduce this spoken language granted past Intellectual Properties Direction, 1579-F Monroe Drive, Suite 235, Atlanta, Georgia 30324, every bit manager for the King Manor. Write to IPM re: copyright permission for use of words and images of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thanks very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and so thought nearly myself, I wondered who he was talking about. It's always expert to have your closest friend and associate say something good most you. And Ralph is the best friend that I have in the earth.

I'm delighted to see each of you here this night in spite of a storm warning. You lot reveal that yous are adamant to continue anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world.

Equally you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of full general and panoramic view of the whole human history upward to at present, and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which historic period would you like to live in?" — I would take my mental flight by Egypt through, or rather across the Blood-red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop at that place. I would motility on past Greece, and take my listen to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon as they discussed the neat and eternal bug of reality.

But I wouldn't terminate at that place. I would proceed, fifty-fifty to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through diverse emperors and leaders. Just I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the twenty-four hour period of the Renaissance, and become a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and esthetic life of man. Merely I wouldn't end there. I would even go by the way that the human being for whom I'thou named had his habitat. And I would spotter Martin Luther every bit he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church in Wittenberg.

But I wouldn't finish there. I would come up on upwardly even to 1863, and lookout man a vacillating president past the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come up to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Only I wouldn't terminate there. I would fifty-fifty come upwardly to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the bug of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nada to fright but fright itself.

But I wouldn't stop at that place. Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, "If you lot allow me to live but a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy." Now that's a foreign statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the country. Confusion all around. That's a foreign statement. Simply I know, somehow, that only when information technology is dark enough, can you encounter the stars. And I come across God working in this period of the twentieth century in a abroad that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Republic of kenya; Accra, Republic of ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the aforementioned — "We desire to exist free."

And another reason that I'1000 happy to live in this catamenia is that we have been forced to a point where nosotros're going to take to grapple with the problems that men take been trying to grapple with through history, only the need didn't strength them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, accept been talking nearly war and peace. Only now, no longer can they just talk nearly it. Information technology is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.

That is where nosotros are today. And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. At present, I'g simply happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding. And I'yard happy that He's immune me to be in Memphis.

I can call back, I can retrieve when Negroes were just going effectually every bit Ralph has said, so often, scratching where they didn't crawling, and laughing when they were not tickled. But that mean solar day is all over. Nosotros hateful business at present, and we are determined to proceeds our rightful place in God'south globe.

And that's all this whole matter is almost. We aren't engaged in any negative protest and in whatsoever negative arguments with anybody. We are maxim that we are determined to exist men. We are determined to be people. We are saying that we are God'due south children. And that we don't have to live like we are forced to alive.

Now, what does all of this mean in this smashing period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Arab republic of egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing information technology. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves gather, something happens in Pharaoh's courtroom, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now permit us maintain unity.

Secondly, let us keep the problems where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to exist fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we've got to proceed attention on that. That's always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other twenty-four hours, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand, three hundred sanitation workers were on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire need of a doctor. They didn't get effectually to that.

Now we're going to march again, and we've got to march again, in order to put the issue where information technology is supposed to be. And strength everybody to run across that in that location are thirteen hundred of God's children here suffering, sometimes going hungry, going through dark and dreary nights wondering how this thing is going to come out. That's the outcome. And nosotros've got to say to the nation: nosotros know it'due south coming out. For when people go caught upwardly with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.

We aren't going to let any mace terminate us. Nosotros are masters in our nonviolent move in disarming law forces; they don't know what to do, I've seen them then often. I remember in Birmingham, Alabama, when we were in that regal struggle there nosotros would move out of the 16th Street Baptist Church day later mean solar day; by the hundreds we would move out. And Bull Connor would tell them to send the dogs forth and they did come; merely we but went before the dogs singing, "Own't gonna let nobody turn me round." Bull Connor next would say, "Plough the fire hoses on." And every bit I said to yous the other nighttime, Bull Connor didn't know history. He knew a kind of physics that somehow didn't chronicle to the transphysics that we knew almost. And that was the fact that there was a certain kind of fire that no h2o could put out. And we went before the burn down hoses; we had known water. If we were Baptist or some other denomination, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew water.

That couldn't stop u.s.. And nosotros simply went on before the dogs and nosotros would wait at them; and we'd keep before the h2o hoses and nosotros would look at it, and nosotros'd merely go on singing "Over my caput I run into freedom in the air." And and so we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in at that place like sardines in a can. And they would throw us in, and old Bull would say, "Take them off," and they did; and we would only go in the paddy carriage singing, "We Shall Overcome." And every at present and then we'd arrive the jail, and we'd encounter the jailers looking through the windows being moved by our prayers, and being moved by our words and our songs. And there was a power there which Bull Connor couldn't suit to; and and then nosotros ended up transforming Bull into a steer, and we won our struggle in Birmingham.

At present we've got to go along to Memphis simply like that. I telephone call upon you to be with united states of america Monday. Now about injunctions: We take an injunction and we're going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on newspaper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or whatever totalitarian land, perhaps I could empathize the denial of sure basic Kickoff Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over in that location. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protestation for correct. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let any injunction plough us around. Nosotros are going on.

We need all of you. And y'all know what's cute tome, is to see all of these ministers of the Gospel. It'southward a marvelous picture. Who is information technology that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and say, "Allow justice roll down similar waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow, the preacher must say with Jesus, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the bug of the poor."

And I want to commend the preachers, under the leadership of these noble men: James Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for many years; he'southward been to jail for struggling; just he's still going on, fighting for the rights of his people. Rev. Ralph Jackson, Billy Kiles; I could simply go right on downward the list, only time will not permit. Simply I desire to thank them all. And I want you to thank them, because so frequently, preachers aren't concerned most anything only themselves. And I'm ever happy to run into a relevant ministry.

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. Simply ultimately people desire some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk nearly "streets flowing with milk and honey," only God has allowable usa to exist concerned virtually the slums downwards hither, and his children who tin can't eat 3 square meals a day. It'south all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, only ane day, God's preachers must talk nigh the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.

Now the other affair nosotros'll accept to do is this: Always anchor our external straight activity with the power of economical withdrawal. Now, we are poor people, individually, we are poor when you compare the states with white society in America. We are poor. Never finish and forget that collectively, that means all of us together, collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever remember about that? After you go out the Us, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could proper name the others, the Negro collectively is richer than nearly nations of the earth. Nosotros take an almanac income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national upkeep of Canada. Did y'all know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it.

We don't take to argue with anybody. We don't have to expletive and go effectually acting bad with our words. We don't need any bricks and bottles, we don't need any Molotov cocktails, we simply need to get around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, "God sent united states past here, to say to you that you lot're not treating his children right. And we've come past here to ask you to make the first detail on your agenda fair treatment, where God'south children are concerned. At present, if you are not prepared to practice that, we exercise have an agenda that we must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from y'all."

And and then, every bit a upshot of this, we are asking you this evening, to become out and tell your neighbors not to purchase Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy—what is the other bread?—Wonder Breadstuff. And what is the other breadstuff visitor, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart's bread. Every bit Jesse Jackson has said, up to at present, simply the garbage men have been feeling pain; at present we must kind of redistribute the hurting. We are choosing these companies considering they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they tin can brainstorm the procedure of proverb, they are going to back up the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And so they can move on downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.

But non just that, we've got to strengthen black institutions. I call upon you lot to take your money out of the banks downtown and eolith your money in Tri-Land Bank—nosotros want a "bank-in" movement in Memphis. And then get past the savings and loan association. I'thousand not asking yous something we don't do ourselves at SCLC. Judge Hooks and others will tell you that we have an account here in the savings and loan association from the Southern Christian Leadership Briefing. Nosotros're but telling you to follow what we're doing. Put your money at that place. You have six or vii black insurance companies in Memphis. Have out your insurance in that location. We desire to have an "insurance-in."

Now these are some practical things we tin do. We brainstorm the process of building a greater economic base. And at the aforementioned time, we are putting pressure level where it really hurts. I enquire you to follow through here.

Now, let me say as I move to my decision that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the stop. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this indicate, in Memphis. We've got to run into it through. And when nosotros take our march, you demand to be there. Be concerned about your blood brother. You may not be on strike. Just either we become upward together, or we go down together.

Let u.s.a. develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a homo came to Jesus; and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters in life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than than Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base of operations. At present that question could take easily ended upwardly in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who savage among thieves. You call back that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be empathetic by proxy. But with him, administering first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus concluded up saying, this was the good man, this was the bully man, considering he had the chapters to project the "I" into the "g," and to exist concerned about his brother. Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to endeavor to determine why the priest and the Levite didn't stop. At times we say they were busy going to church meetings—an ecclesiastical gathering—and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be tardily for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "1 who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a homo trunk twenty-4 hours before the ceremony." And every now and and then nosotros brainstorm to wonder whether maybe they were not going downwards to Jerusalem, or downwards to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That'due south a possibility. Perhaps they felt that it was meliorate to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged downward with an private effort.

Merely I'chiliad going to tell you lot what my imagination tells me. It's possible that these men were agape. Yous see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I retrieve when Mrs. Rex and I were first in Jerusalem. Nosotros rented a car and collection from Jerusalem downward to Jericho. And equally soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I tin come across why Jesus used this equally a setting for his parable." Information technology's a winding, meandering route. It's really conducive for ambushing. You get-go out in Jerusalem, which is well-nigh 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, 15 or 20 minutes later, you're about 2200 feet beneath bounding main level. That'due south a dangerous route. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it'southward possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that homo on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the basis was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in guild to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And then the get-go question that the Levite asked was, "If I cease to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Skilful Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do non stop to assist this man, what volition happen to him?"

That'due south the question earlier you this evening. Non, "If I stop to assistance the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every solar day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I end to aid this human being in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That'southward the question.

Let us ascent upwards tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand up with a greater determination. And permit us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to brand America what information technology ought to be. Nosotros have an opportunity to make America a amend nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.

Y'all know, several years agone, I was in New York City autographing the first volume that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented blackness woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, "Are you Martin Luther King?"

And I was looking down writing, and I said yep. And the adjacent minute I felt something beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed past this demented adult female. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Sat afternoon. And that bract had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the bract was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once that's punctured, you drown in your own blood—that's the end of you.

It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had sneezed, I would have died. Well, about 4 days later, they allowed me, afterwards the operation, afterward my breast had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to motion around in the bike chair in the hospital. They immune me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over the states, and the world, kind letters came in. I read a few, but one of them I will never forget. I had received i from the President and the Vice-President. I've forgotten what those telegrams said. I'd received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but I've forgotten what the letter said. Only there was some other alphabetic character that came from a footling girl, a young daughter who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it. It said only, "Dearest Dr. King: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School." She said, "While information technology should not matter, I would like to mention that I am a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune, and of your suffering. And I read that if y'all had sneezed, yous would have died. And I'm just writing you to say that I'm and so happy that you didn't sneeze."

And I want to say this night, I want to say that I am happy that I didn't sneeze. Considering if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been effectually here in 1960, when students all over the Southward started sitting-in at tiffin counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing upward for the best in the American dream. And taking the whole nation back to those great wells of republic which were dug deep past the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't accept been around in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been hither in 1963, when the black people of Birmingham, Alabama, aroused the conscience of this nation, and brought into existence the Civil Rights Beak. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't accept had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had had. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been down in Selma, Alabama, been in Memphis to see the community rally effectually those brothers and sisters who are suffering. I'1000 so happy that I didn't sneeze.

And they were telling me, now information technology doesn't affair now. Information technology actually doesn't thing what happens at present. I left Atlanta this morning time, and every bit we got started on the plane, there were 6 of us, the airplane pilot said over the public address arrangement, "Nosotros are deplorable for the delay, merely we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be certain that all of the bags were checked, and to exist sure that nothing would exist wrong with the airplane, we had to bank check out everything carefully. And nosotros've had the aeroplane protected and guarded all night."

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk virtually the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our ill white brothers?

Well, I don't know what volition happen at present. Nosotros've got some hard days ahead. Just it doesn't matter with me now. Considering I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't heed. Similar anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. Just I'grand not concerned about that now. I simply want to practice God'south will. And He's allowed me to go upward to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. Just I desire y'all to know this night, that we, as a people, will go to the promised land. And I'm happy, this night. I'1000 non worried about anything. I'm non fearing whatever man. Mine eyes accept seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.