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A Call to Conscience

Book cover for "A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Sheppard

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is known for being one of the greatest orators of the twentieth century and perhaps in all of American history.

In the 1950s and 1960s, his words led the Civil Rights Movement and helped change society. He is best known for helping achieve civil equality for African Americans, but these speeches—selected because they were each presented at a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement—show that his true goal was much larger than that: He hoped to achieve acceptance for all people, regardless of race or nationality.

This companion volume to A Knock at Midnight features the landmark speeches of his career, including: “I Have a Dream”; his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize; his eulogy for the young victims of the Birmingham church bombing; and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” the last speech he gave before his death.

Also featured in this text are introductions from world-renowned defenders of civil rights, who, reflecting on their own experiences, explain how they believe Dr. King’s words can be applied in the twenty-first century. They include Ambassador Andrew Young, Congressman John Lewis, George McGovern, Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, Senator Edward Kennedy, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Dorothy Height, Reverend Leon Sullivan, the Dalai Lama, and Reverend Walter Fauntroy.

Contents

Date Title

5 Dec 1955

MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church

7 Apr 1957

“The Birth of a New Nation,” Sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church

17 May 1957

“Give Us the Ballot,” Address at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom

23 Jun 1963

Speech at the Great March on Detroit

28 Aug 1963

“I Have a Dream,” Address at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

18 Sep 1963

“Eulogy for the Martyred Children”

10 Dec 1964

Acceptance Speech at Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

25 Mar 1965

“Our God Is Marching On!”

4 Apr 1967

“Beyond Vietnam”

વિયેતનામ બિયોન્ડ ("Beyond Vietnam" in Gujarati)

16 Aug 1967

“Where Do We Go From Here?”

3 Apr 1968

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”

 In this Publication

MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church

King, Martin Luther, Jr.
December 05, 1955 

How do we determine conjectured information?

Author(s)
Clayborne Carson, ed.
Publisher
IPM/Warner Books
Publication Date
1984