Answered By: Diane Russo Last Updated: Nov 01, 2022 Views: 273
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at The Riverside Church six times between 1961 and 1967.
"Paul's Letter to American Christians" - 1961
On August 13, 1961, Dr. King delivered his first sermon at Riverside, entitled “Paul’s Letter to American Christians.” At the same time, the 1961 Freedom Riders civil disobedience protests were in full force. From May through November, hundreds of activists from organizations such as NAACP and CORE faced arrests, jail time, extreme hatred, violence, and police brutality, all in order to test and draw attention to the 1960 US Supreme Court decision that declared segregated facilities for interstate passengers unconstitutional. Through these efforts, in November 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission prohibited the use of segregated terminals for all interstate carriers.
"The Dimensions of a Complete Life" - 1962
Dr. King preached his second sermon at Riverside, “The Dimensions of a Complete Life” on November 18, 1962. In the months before Dr. King's preaching, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith. Mr. Meredith was the first African American student to attend the university and a constant and brave activist in the civil rights movement. And just two days after Dr. King stood in the Riverside pulpit, President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order on November 20, 1962, which prohibited racial discrimination in the sale, rentals, and use of all federally owned housing and all housing built or to be built with the use of federal funds and support.
"A Knock at Midnight" - 1964
Seven Sundays before Dr. King delivered his third sermon at Riverside on August 9, 1964, “A Knock at Midnight,” 1964 Freedom Summer volunteers: James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were murdered on June 21st by Mississippi Klansmen. These brave young men were brutally slain because they were helping black people register to vote. Twelve days following this horrific crime, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The atmosphere at Riverside was likely somewhat bittersweet. There was certainly tremendous hope for what could now be accomplished with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Yet, three young activists had so recently been tortured and murdered in pursuit of these gains. Two of them, Goodman and Schwerner were New Yorkers. These three men bravely gave everything in service of achieving the ideals of our country.
"The Man Who Was a Fool" - 1965
In March 1965, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized the pivotal voting rights march from Selma, Alabama to the state capitol in Montgomery. Several hundred activists were beaten and tear-gassed by state and local police on March 7th as they reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Known as “Bloody Sunday,” the crushing police brutality and our national shame, was broadcast around the world. Two days later Dr. King led over 2000 marchers across the bridge; and on March 15th, President Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress calling for the passage of a new voting rights bill. Under federal military protection, activists began the march again, reaching Montgomery on March 25th, with over 25,000 activists attending the rally. Just over four months later the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law three days before Dr. King preached his fourth sermon at Riverside, “The Man Who Was a Fool” on August 8th.
"Transformed Nonconformist" - 1966
Dr. King preached his sermon “Transformed Nonconformist” at Riverside on January 23, 1966. Three days later, Dr. King and his family moved to Chicago to work on drawing attention to poor housing conditions and other issues of urban poverty, discrimination and injustice.
"Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" - 1967
On April 4, 1967, Dr. King spoke at Riverside for the last time. During a conference for the group, Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam, Dr. King delivered his seminal speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” It is considered to be one of Dr. King’s most consequential and bravest of speeches. Many friends and colleagues in the civil rights movement urged him to not deliver this speech. They believed it would alienate or worse, enrage allies. They believed it was a mistake. Nonetheless, Dr. King would not be dissuaded, to him it was a “matter of conscience.” Loudly and publicly, Dr. King condemned American involvement in Vietnam, demanding our nation embrace a mission of goodwill, one that recognizes and serves humanity. In his words, from this speech:
"Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism. With this powerful commitment we shall boldly challenge the status quo and unjust mores and thereby speed the day when every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain...Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter—but beautiful—struggle for a new world."