King Full of Hope, Despair

Title

Description

A Saturday, February 28, 1970 report of speeches given by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr., pastor of Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and father of slain Civil Rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Friday night, at First Baptist Church, Sheffield and Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Florence.

In his speeches Rev. Dr. King noted that "America is being destroyed by hate" and that "the Communist World has a cocked gun pointed at us and we won't learn the lesson of brotherhood."

Turning to politics, King noted that blacks had "called the bluff" of politicians like Georgia Governor Lester Maddox and former Alabama Governor George Wallace and suggested that recent attempts by such politicians to to pass Freedom of Choice laws in those states was futile, as federal courts were in no mood to back down from integration just because state laws were changed.

Waxing more optimistic, Rev. Dr. King expressed his belief that blacks would be aided by young whites in ending the climate of hate and suspicion, yet cautioned that black youth of the 1970s were uninterested in patterning themselves after white America. Significantly King reminded his audiences that "there is no white gospel or black Bible" and singling out a group of white newsmen reassured them that "I am your brother, whether you like it or not."

Creator

*Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily*

Source

*Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily,* Saturday, February 28, 1970, pp. 1, 2.

Publisher

Newspapers.com

Contributor

Lee Freeman

Rights

Images are available for educational and research purposes. This image may not be reproduced for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the interested party to identify the copyright holder and receive permission.

Files

King Full of Hope, Despair TCD Sat Feb 28 1970 p 1.jpg

King Full of Hope, Despair TCD Sat Feb 28 1970 p 2.jpg

Collection

Civil Rights

Citation

*Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily*, “King Full of Hope, Despair,” Shoals Black History, accessed April 18, 2024, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/870.