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

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

Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and so thought almost myself, I wondered who he was talking about. Information technology's always good to have your closest friend and associate say something good about y'all. And Ralph is the all-time friend that I have in the earth.

I'thousand delighted to come across each of yous here this evening in spite of a tempest warning. You lot reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our globe.

Equally you know, if I were continuing at the first of time, with the possibility of general and panoramic view of the whole human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which age would y'all like to live in?" — I would accept my mental flight past Egypt through, or rather beyond the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there. I would motility on by Greece, and have my heed to Mountain Olympus. And I would run across Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon as they discussed the peachy and eternal issues of reality.

Only I wouldn't terminate there. I would proceed, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would run into developments effectually there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn't cease at that place. I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture show of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and esthetic life of man. But I wouldn't stop there. I would fifty-fifty become past the way that the man for whom I'thousand named had his habitat. And I would lookout Martin Luther every bit he tacked his ninety-v theses on the door at the church in Wittenberg.

But I wouldn't stop there. I would come on upwardly even to 1863, and watch a vacillating president by the proper name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the bug of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come up with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fright but fear itself.

Just I wouldn't stop there. Strangely enough, I would plough to the Almighty, and say, "If yous allow me to live merely a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will exist 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'due south a foreign statement. Only I know, somehow, that simply when information technology is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I run into God working in this flow of the twentieth century in a away 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, Ghana; New York Metropolis; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the weep is always the same — "Nosotros want to exist free."

And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we're going to take to grapple with the bug that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demand didn't force them to exercise it. Survival demands that nosotros grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they but talk about it. Information technology is no longer a option between violence and nonviolence in this world; it'due south nonviolence or nonexistence.

That is where we 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 globe out of their long years of poverty, their long years of injure and fail, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'g just happy that God has allowed me to live in this menstruum, to come across what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He'south allowed me to be in Memphis.

I can call up, I can call up when Negroes were just going effectually equally Ralph has said, and then often, scratching where they didn't itch, and laughing when they were not tickled. Merely that day is all over. We hateful business now, and nosotros are adamant to gain our rightful identify in God'south world.

And that's all this whole thing is about. We aren't engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that nosotros are determined to be men. We are adamant to be people. Nosotros are saying that we are God's children. And that we don't have to live like we are forced to live.

At present, what does all of this mean in this dandy catamenia of history? It ways that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You lot know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting amongst themselves. Just whenever the slaves gather, something happens in Pharaoh'south court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that'south the beginning of getting out of slavery. At present let u.s. maintain unity.

Secondly, let us keep the problems where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to exist sanitation workers. Now, nosotros've got to keep attention on that. That's e'er the problem with a little violence. Yous know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that ane 1000, three hundred sanitation workers were on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire demand of a doctor. They didn't get around to that.

Now nosotros're going to march over again, and we've got to march again, in guild to put the issue where it is supposed to be. And force everybody to see that there are xiii hundred of God'due south children here suffering, sometimes going hungry, going through night and dreary nights wondering how this thing is going to come out. That's the issue. And we've got to say to the nation: we know it'south coming out. For when people get caught upwardly with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point brusque of victory.

We aren't going to let any mace stop us. We are masters in our nonviolent movement in convincing constabulary forces; they don't know what to do, I've seen them so often. I think in Birmingham, Alabama, when nosotros were in that purple struggle at that place we would motility out of the 16th Street Baptist Church day afterward twenty-four hour period; by the hundreds we would move out. And Balderdash Connor would tell them to send the dogs along and they did come up; but we just went before the dogs singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody plough me round." Bull Connor next would say, "Turn the fire hoses on." And as I said to you the other night, Bull Connor didn't know history. He knew a kind of physics that somehow didn't relate to the transphysics that we knew about. And that was the fact that there was a sure kind of fire that no water could put out. And we went earlier the fire hoses; we had known water. If nosotros were Baptist or some other denomination, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, nosotros had been sprinkled, but we knew h2o.

That couldn't end us. And we merely went on before the dogs and nosotros would await at them; and we'd go on before the water hoses and we would look at it, and we'd merely get on singing "Over my head I run across liberty in the air." And so we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there like sardines in a tin can. And they would throw us in, and old Bull would say, "Take them off," and they did; and we would merely get in the paddy wagon singing, "We Shall Overcome." And every at present and then we'd become in the jail, and we'd run across the jailers looking through the windows being moved past our prayers, and existence moved by our words and our songs. And there was a power in that location which Bull Connor couldn't adjust to; and and so nosotros concluded up transforming Bull into a steer, and we won our struggle in Birmingham.

Now we've got to go along to Memphis merely like that. I phone call upon you lot to be with us Monday. Now about injunctions: Nosotros have an injunction and we're going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, "Be truthful to what you said on paper." If I lived in Cathay or even Russia, or whatever totalitarian state, perchance I could empathise the denial of certain basic Showtime Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. Just somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of spoken language. Somewhere I read of the liberty of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the correct to protest for correct. So just as I say, we aren't going to let any injunction turn united states of america around. We are going on.

We need all of you. And you lot know what's beautiful tome, is to see all of these ministers of the Gospel. It'southward a marvelous picture. Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must exist an Amos, and say, "Let justice roll down like 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 bargain with the issues of the poor."

And I desire to commend the preachers, under the leadership of these noble men: James Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for many years; he's been to jail for struggling; merely he's still going on, fighting for the rights of his people. Rev. Ralph Jackson, Billy Kiles; I could just go right on downwards the listing, just time volition not allow. But I want to thank them all. And I desire you to thank them, considering then often, preachers aren't concerned nearly anything only themselves. And I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry.

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. Simply ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wearable downwards hither. It's all right to talk well-nigh "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't consume three square meals a day. Information technology'southward all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but 1 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 matter nosotros'll have to practice is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economical withdrawal. At present, nosotros are poor people, individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget that collectively, that ways all of us together, collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did yous ever call up nigh that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Groovy Great britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an almanac income of more than thirty billion dollars a twelvemonth, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That'southward power right there, if we know how to pool it.

Nosotros don't have to argue with everyone. We don't have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. Nosotros don't demand whatsoever bricks and bottles, we don't demand any Molotov cocktails, we only need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our state, and say, "God sent united states of america by here, to say to you that you lot're not treating his children correct. And we've come up by here to ask you lot to brand the start item on your agenda fair handling, where God'southward children are concerned. At present, if you are not prepared to do that, nosotros do have an agenda that nosotros must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you."

And and then, as a result of this, nosotros are asking you tonight, to become out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go past and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy—what is the other bread?—Wonder Bread. And what is the other breadstuff company, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart's breadstuff. As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, simply the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they oasis't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they tin begin the process of maxim, they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they tin motility on downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.

But not but that, we've got to strengthen black institutions. I telephone call upon you to have your money out of the banks downtown and deposit your money in Tri-State Bank—we want a "bank-in" movement in Memphis. So get by the savings and loan association. I'k not asking you something we don't do ourselves at SCLC. Judge Hooks and others will tell you that we accept an account here in the savings and loan clan from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Nosotros're just telling you lot to follow what we're doing. Put your coin at that place. You accept six or seven black insurance companies in Memphis. Take out your insurance there. We want to have an "insurance-in."

At present these are some practical things we tin can practice. We brainstorm the procedure of edifice a greater economic base. And at the same time, we are putting pressure where information technology really hurts. I enquire you to follow through hither.

Now, let me say equally I move to my conclusion that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Cipher would be more tragic than to cease at this signal, in Memphis. We've got to run across it through. And when nosotros have our march, you need to exist there. Exist concerned about your blood brother. You may not be on strike. But either we become upward together, or we go downward together.

Let us develop a kind of unsafe unselfishness. I solar day a man 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 Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base. Now that question could have easily concluded up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous bend between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked near a certain human being, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a human being of another race came by. He got downward from his brute, decided not to exist compassionate by proxy. Simply with him, administering offset aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the expert man, this was the corking man, considering he had the chapters to project the "I" into the "1000," and to be concerned most his blood brother. Now you know, we employ our imagination a great deal to try 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 exist belatedly for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "Ane who was engaged in religious ceremonials was non to bear upon a man trunk twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and so we brainstorm to wonder whether mayhap they were non going downwards to Jerusalem, or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that information technology was improve to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged downwardly with an private effort.

Just I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. Information technology's possible that these men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a unsafe road. I remember when Mrs. Rex and I were kickoff in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And every bit before long every bit we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this equally a setting for his parable." It'due south a winding, meandering road. Information technology's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is well-nigh 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you lot get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet beneath sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known equally the "Encarmine Laissez passer." And yous know, it'southward possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the footing and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the human being on the basis was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and injure, in society to seize them over at that place, lure them in that location for quick and easy seizure. And so the showtime question that the Levite asked was, "If I end to help this human, what will happen to me?" Just then the Skilful Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I exercise non stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

That's the question before y'all tonight. Not, "If I terminate to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I unremarkably spend in my office every solar day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in demand, what will happen to me?" "If I exercise non finish to aid the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That'due south the question.

Allow us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Permit the states stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of claiming to make America what information technology ought to be. We take an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to give thanks God, once more than, for assuasive me to exist here with yous.

Yous know, several years ago, I was in New York City autographing the first book that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented black woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, "Are you Martin Luther Male monarch?"

And I was looking down writing, and I said yes. And the next minute I felt something chirapsia on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. Information technology was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the chief artery. And once that's punctured, y'all drown in your ain blood—that's the end of yous.

It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had sneezed, I would accept died. Well, well-nigh four days later, they immune me, after the functioning, subsequently my chest had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to move around in the wheel chair in the hospital. They allowed me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over u.s., and the world, kind messages came in. I read a few, simply 1 of them I will never forget. I had received one 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 of the alphabet said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a immature daughter who was a educatee at the White Plains High Schoolhouse. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it. It said but, "Honey Dr. Rex: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High Schoolhouse." She said, "While it 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 you had sneezed, you would accept died. And I'm simply writing you to say that I'm 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 around here in 1960, when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that equally they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream. And taking the whole nation dorsum to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep past the Founding Fathers in the Proclamation of Independence and the Constitution. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs upward. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, considering a man tin can't ride your dorsum 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 censor of this nation, and brought into beingness the Ceremonious Rights Pecker. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have had a hazard later that year, in August, to try to tell America most a dream that I had had. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been downwards in Selma, Alabama, been in Memphis to see the community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering. I'm so happy that I didn't sneeze.

And they were telling me, now it doesn't affair at present. It really doesn't matter what happens at present. I left Atlanta this forenoon, and equally nosotros got started on the plane, at that place were 6 of u.s.a., the pilot said over the public accost arrangement, "Nosotros are sorry for the filibuster, but we have Dr. Martin Luther Rex on the plane. And to be certain that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be incorrect with the aeroplane, we had to bank check out everything carefully. And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night."

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

Well, I don't know what will happen at present. We've got some difficult days ahead. Just it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like everyone, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. Just I'chiliad not concerned about that now. I just want to practise God'south volition. And He's allowed me to get upward to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not go there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will go to the promised state. And I'm happy, this night. I'k not worried almost annihilation. I'thou not fearing any man. Mine eyes take seen the celebrity of the coming of the Lord.