From the Vault: Martin Luther King, Jr., Part 2

Poverty, urban problems, and social progress generally are ignored when the guns of war become a national obsession.
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week on From the Vault we continue to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by digging deep into our historic audio collection and presenting two more recordings of Dr. King in his own voice. First, Mark Maxwell, host of Rise on KPFK-Los Angeles, will introduce us to an excerpt of Dr. King’s speech, Dimensions of a Complete Life, from January 14, 1962 at Battell Chapel, Yale University. In it, Dr. King demonstrates his expertise at the pulpit, using biblical references to help teach us to work towards bettering humanity. Then we’ll hear a selection of Dr. King’s speech on the domestic consequences of the Vietnam War entitled Domestic Urgency vs. Military Costs, recorded at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on February 25, 1967. Finally, we jump to New York’s Central Park April 5th, 1968… the day after Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. There, in an impromptu gathering of rage and sorrow, thousands mourned along with Ossie Davis, Pete Seeger, Ritchie Havens, Dr. Spock, and Pacifica Radio. When WBAI-New York broadcast The Memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it brought the experience of collective rage and grief to the listeners not able to be there in person. Today, Pacifica Radio Archives is proud to present select portions of this historic broadcast.