Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
“Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time.”
- Letter from Birmingham Jail. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Instead of writing this morning, I listened to Martin Luther King, Jr. read his Letter from Birmingham Jail. It took 40 minutes. At the end of the letter, he apologizes for its length; I had never paused to listen to it in its entirety. I should apologize.
So instead of writing, I decided to curate his words.
Here is the original Letter from Birmingham Jail.
Here is the audio of King reading the letter.
If you have just two minutes, here’s an incredible passage for today:
"But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So, the purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. We, therefore, concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in monologue rather than dialogue.”
- Letter from Birmingham Jail. Martin Luther King, Jr.
And if you’d just like to reflect on some incredible images from the CBS news slideshow here are a few of my favorites.
King waves from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.
—Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Crowds fill the Lincoln Memorial for King's "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963.
—AP
King, in 1964.
—Reg Lancaster / Express via Getty Images
King and his wife, Coretta, arrive at the University of Oslo Festival Hall on Dec. 11, 1964 to deliver his acceptance address after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
—AP
Registrar Carl Golson shakes a finger at King during meeting at the courthouse in Hayneyville, Alabama, on March 1, 1965. King inquired about voter registration procedures but Golson told him that if he was not a prospective voter in Lowndes county, "It's none of your business." King visited two nearby counties after leading a voter registration drive in Selma.
—Horace Cort / AP
King leads a group at the start of the march to Montgomery to press for voter registration rights for African Americans, on March 21, 1965.
—AP
King with President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House in March 18, 1966.
—National Archives via Getty Images
