Martin Luther King, Jr. - Travels

King thanks Bristol for his assistance in India and describes his subsequent trip to the Middle East. Bristol replied on 16 April.

Mr. James Bristol
24 Rajpur Road
DELHI, INDIA

Dear Jim:

On a popular Canadian television quiz show and interview program, King distinguishes between legal desegregation, which he believes may be achieved in "ten or fifteen years," and "genuine, inter-group, interpersonal living," which will take much longer. Appearing as a mystery guest, King was hidden from the panel, who attempted to guess his identity before this interview took place.¹ This transcript was taken from Canadian Broadcasting Company film footage of the program.

In a 19 May letter, King thanked Vishwananda, secretary of the Delhi branch of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, for serving as his guide through India and commented that he had "never been showered with such hospitality " nor "met people more genuine and loving." ¹ King concluded: "I am almost driven to say that I have an affection for the Indian people unlike that that I have for any other people in the world." ²

King explains to Randall, of the National Council of Churches, the motivations underlying his plan (subsequently abandoned) to visit the Soviet Union.¹

Dr. Darrell Randall
National Council of Churches
297 Fourth Avenue
New York, New York

Dear Dr. Randall:

Meacham, of the American Friends Service Committee, confirms previous decisions regarding King's traveling companions and funding for his upcoming tour of India.¹ On 3 February 1959, King left for India accompanied by Coretta King and Lawrence Reddick.

Dr. Martin L. King,
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church,
Montgomery, Alabama.

Dear Dr. King:

King thanks the secretary of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi for his hospitality in India and commends his “concise, and profound interpretations” of Gandhi, which "left an indelible imprint” on his thinking. After Ramachandran extended the initial invitation to King, the Nidhi co-sponsored the visit and assisted with the coordination of Kings itinerary.¹

Mr. G. Ramachandran
Gandhi Smarak Nidhi
Rajghat
New Delhi, INDIA

While visiting the Indian state of Bihar King spent 14 February at the ashram of Gandhian independence leader Jayaprakash Narayan, an advocate of hand labor and a decentralized economy. According to James Bristol, King “found J. P.'s decentralist ideas challenging, but he could not go as far as J. P.

California Institute of Technology student Thomas Jovin hosted King’s 25-27 February 1958 visit to the campus.¹ In a 7 May 1959 letter Jovin, who had been elected student body president, asked King’s advice on recruiting black students to Caltech.

Mr. Tom Jovin

Dear Tom:

King thanks Ghana's prime minister for the courtesies he extended during the Ghanaian independence celebrations in March 1957.¹

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister
Ghana
ACCRA, GHANA

Dear Dr. Nkrumah:

In a 5 July 1957 letter King declined an offer from Howard president Mordecai Johnson to become the dean of the School of Religion, citing his desire to remain in the South and continue the fight against segregation.