On this day in 1968, a great man delivered one last great speech.
Following a march that resulted in a violent eruption, Martin Luther King Jr. returned to Memphis, Tennessee, against the advice of his peers to deliver a message of nonviolence. Mason Temple was the mecca to which over 3,000 people flocked, eager to hear an exhausted MLK’s speech, which would later be famously known as the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.
“Something is happening in Memphis,” he began. “Something is happening in our world.”
Charting past ages like the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, and the American Civil War, King declared that the 20th century was the time he most wished to exist in, for he would be able to make a real difference. He advocated for non-violent protest to return as the Civil Rights Movement’s priority, such as encouraging African-Americans to boycott segregated businesses and goods rather than resort to brutality. Faith was a cornerstone of his rhetoric; he drew parallels between the African-American struggle and the biblical story of Moses, claiming that he had “seen the Promised Land.”
As King begins to close, he addresses his audience squarely and says to them, in regards to their mission, “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.”
His words were fearless, a rousing oath to not just the African-American community, but also to the entire world. A vow of equality, justice and goodness. King’s sermon resonated through the country, its message of resilience universal. However, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” would prove prophetic not only in its future fruition but also in tragedy.
The very next day, on April 4th, Martin Luther King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, fatally shot by his assailant, James Earl Ray. The nation’s reaction to his death was one of shock and grief, while those opposed to his purpose felt a sense of relief— King’s Promised Land, it seemed, had not yet been reached.
In the following years, however, King’s speech began to blossom into reality. Due to an outbreak of civil unrest in response to King’s death, Congress finally passed the long-overdue Civil Rights Act of 1968, a mere one week after MLK’s assassination.
Although Martin Luther King Jr. did not live to see his dream fulfilled, his legacy permeates our modern America. His contributions to the equal rights movement will continue to endure, an immortal realization of his final, divine speech.
“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”
