The Jack Rabin Collection on Alabama Civil Rights and Southern Activists

Series I: Alabama Civil Rights Movement

Sub-series 6: Poor People’s Campaign

Appendix I.6A: Transcript, Audiotape 9

Location: Bessemer, Alabama (?New Zion Baptist Church, 1026 North 26th Street)

Speakers: Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy

Date: probably March 20, 1968

Repository: University Libraries, The Pennsylvania State University, Special

Collections Department, Historical Collections and Labor Archives

Transcriber: Barry Kernfeld

Item number: Audiotape 9

The transcription is of the first 53 minutes of audiotape 9, King and Abernathy only. The recording quality deteriorates during the latter half of Abernathy’s speech, and substantial portions of the remainder of audiotape 9 and its continuation on program 1 of audiotape 10—speeches by Hosea Williams and unidentified others—are extremely difficult to discern. Within the portion that has been transcribed, “[?]” indicates an inaudible word and “[ ? ? ]” indicates something more substantial—two or three words, perhaps a whole phrase, and occasionally an entire sentence—that is inaudible.

Please note also that there is another reason for gaps in the transcription. The original recording operator often stopped the tape during moments of extended applause, and that operator did not always restart the recording in time to catch the opening words when the speech resumed.

No primary source on this Bessemer meeting has been uncovered. Its location and date are inferred from the following:

(1) Toward the beginning of his speech, Ralph Abernathy acknowledges Reverend Fallin. The Birmingham World reported that “the Rev. Wilson Fallin, Jr., is due to be installed as pastor of a Baptist church in Bessemer on Feb. 18” (“Around the Town,” February 14, 1968, p.1). The following month, under the headline “Mr. and Mrs. Isidore Mukoko Slated at Several Birmingham Churches, Mar. 11-17,” the Birmingham World noted that “the Bessemer Branch NAACP kicks off its annual membership campaign at 7 p. m. Tuesday, March 12 at the New Zion Baptist Church, 1026 No. 26th. St. Bessemer. The Rev. Wilson Fallin, Jr., is host pastor” (March 9, 1968, p.1).

(2) In Civil Rights, vol.2: 1967–68 (New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1973), Steven D. Price writes, “As he toured Mississippi at the opening of a 3-week recruiting drive for the poor people’s march, King announced in Grenada, Miss., Mar. 19” . . . (p.318). In his speech, Martin Luther King apologies for being late, explaining that they were just that moment returning from a tour of Mississippi. Abernathy, at the beginning of his speech, notes that they spent Monday and Tuesday in Mississippi. March 19, 1968, was a Tuesday; hence the date of this recording is probably Wednesday, March 20, 1968.

King: My friends and fellow clergymen assembled here tonight, my brothers and sisters and [?]. First I want to apologize for being late and for missing the prayer [?] hour that we had originally set. We have just ended, earlier today, a tour of the state of Mississippi. We went into some ten communities in Mississippi (Yeah, all right), trudged all over that state, and we had to speak in all of these settings, and of course we had some great and enthusiastic meetings. People turned out by the thousands, and I can tell you that Mississippi is ready to move (Yes, all right).

[ ? ? ] ran a little late, but as we go to [ ? ? ] and to cover so many places, we ended up running behind the schedule almost everywhere, and we ended up leaving Mississippi later than we had planned to leave. Consequently we failed to reach the [?] to keep our engagement in Eutaw and in Greensboro and in Marion. We had these three engagements this afternoon, and we went on.

I’m glad to be here for several reasons, particularly [ ? ? ] understand, in order to touch all these places that we had to touch, we [?] a charter plane. You know, you get a plane, you rent it, and then [ ? ? ]. And they stick with you, to land in places that the big commercial airliners can’t land. We have a very comfortable and safe and beautiful plane (Yeah) that we use for this purpose. And we landed, or the plane waited for us, in Marion, Alabama. So they don’t have a tower. Now in most airports, the major airlines, they have a tower. The people up in the tower find out which runway you’re coming on, the feet, the number of feet, the altitude that you agreed, what [?] you’re going to take. They’re [?] in the tower. And the lights on the runway go out at a certain time, you know. Not having planes coming in, they turn the lights out at certain times. They were gracious enough to turn the lights back on, so that we could take off.

Then we took off. And we got up about a thousand feet, and the little door on the hub of the plane just popped open. It had all of our bags [ ? ? ] just popped open. So one of the problems is that we had to go back in. And we didn’t know what was wrong, except for [ ? ? ] plane [?] equipment. But we didn’t know what was wrong. He finally told us what it was. The door is unhooked. It’s got all your baggage. And turned around. And then just as we got ready to land, the lights went out on the runway. So we couldn’t land. They couldn’t see where to land. Then we got back up, and I said, “Well, what about the bags?” [ ? ? ]. He said, “Well, our only problem is if the bags drop out, they may hit the propeller, and that will break the propeller,” and I said, “Good God!” [Laughter].

But anyway, he says, “Our only hope is if we are running in very good weather, and we’re going to try to get through to Birmingham.” So we made it into Birmingham and got on the ground. And as I so often say, I don’t want to give you the impression that I don’t have faith in God in the air (All right). It’s simply that I have more experience with him on the ground [Laughter].

Now, I’m not going to speak tonight, because we have a real man who knows how to listen (Yeah), and I have been speaking so much over the last few days. In fact, we started this tour – we were supposed to start it Tuesday, but I had to go to Detroit to speak Friday, and I ended up speaking three times. I went to Los Angeles Saturday, and I ended speaking five times Saturday (Yeah). Then that Sunday when I [ ? ? ], and I had to preach at three churches Sunday morning, one at nine o’clock, and another at eleven, and I ended up at Tom [?(surname)]’s church at 12:30. Then I had another speech [ ? ? ]. Then I had to leave California and go to Memphis, and we had a great meeting on Monday night. In fact we had a good 3,000 people jammed in there, and we’re going back to have a great march this Friday morning (All right).

Then, so after that we go on to Mississippi with all those speeches, in Marion today in Alabama, and I have spoke [ ? ? ] my voice [ ? ? ] (Yeah). And I tell you I’m really beat (Yeah). As I say to you, I need to rest my voice tonight, because I have to tour 18 more cities before this tour ends. 18 more. That’s to cover. 18 more states, really. 18 more states. And it’s going to be a big job to [?]. My voice needs a rest. My voice – and thank God, when my voice gives out (All right), I have with me and at my side, one [ ? ? ] (Yeah) [Applause; recording interrupted].

We’re getting ready for a great campaign, a Poor People’s Campaign (Yes sir, yes), and we need your support. We know we can count on Birmingham and Bessemer, because we’ve worked with you [ ? ? ] before. I’m just so happy to see you here tonight. I’m so happy to see so many friends and associates [ ? ? ], and we know we can [?]. We want to outline just what this campaign is about, and I want you to stay here and hear about it. And I want to present a man who [?] talk to this [ ? ? ], who knows [ ? ? ], because if it breaks, they call him the Fixit Man (Yeah). He is a native of the state of Alabama. [ ? ? ]. He lived in Alabama, where he was born (Yes, yes). [ ? ? ] in Montgomery, Alabama. He’s a man who has been in this movement (That’s right, that’s right) [ ? ? ], a strong right arm and associate (That’s right, that’s right), the greatest friend I have in the world. He’s been with me in the darkest hours that we shared, some hours that were on sunlit paths of joy (Uh-huh). We’ve been in jails together all over the South (Yes sir), [?] for freedom and justice and human dignity for all of God’s children (Yes). He is the executive—I keep saying executive—he is the vice president at large and treasurer (Yes) of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Yes sir), a distinguished pastor from one of Atlanta, Georgia’s great churches, The [?] Street Baptist Church (That’s right). A lover of humanity, a shaper of destiny (Yes, all right), and one of the master craftsmen (Yes) of the [ ? ? ] (Yes sir). I want you to hear now (Yes, yes) [ ? ? ] from Dr. Ralph David Abernathy. [Applause; recording interrupted]

Abernathy: [recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . .Dr. King for these very kind and wonderful words of introduction. And I heard a long time ago that a prophet is never without honor (All right), except in his own country (Yes). And Alabama is my country. As he has said, I have [ ? ? ] in Alabama (Sure enough). We – the last two days, we’ve gone all over the state of Mississippi. Spent Monday and we spent Tuesday, and all down in Mississippi, talking about this campaign. We spoke to thousands and thousands of people about this most important crusade. And we are certainly glad to be here with you tonight. I don’t know what kind of hand claps that was, you gave me [Laughter] [ ? ? ]. You know me (All right). You give me a hand clap, well you just keep it going. Everybody give me a hand. I’m in Alabama. Come on, give . . . [Applause; recording interrupted]

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . (All right). I’m glad to be back home tonight (Yeah). And to the distinguished vice president of this movement here in Birmingham, my good friend and associate, Reverend Gardner (Um-hmm, yeah), and to these other ministers and [?] who are seated here on this pulpit, and to this very fine pastor, the Reverend Fallin, and to all of the soldiers in the army (Yes, yes), the non-violent army for freedom, human dignity, and equality (Yes sir). I need not pause to tell you how happy and how delighted I am to be here tonight. It’s always good to come back home (Yeah, yeah, yeah). And I consider not only that Alabama is my home, but I consider Birmingham and Jefferson Country and Bessemer my home also (Yes, all right, amen, amen). Last time I was here I was just down the streets here, confined (Yeah) in your very fine jail [Laughter]. I had the most delightful stay [Laughter] in the jail down here in Bessemer, and it was a delightful stay, because we were there not for anything except standing up for the rights of our people (Amen, amen). And when we were confined there for those five days, I felt that it was a great—a grand and noble honor and privilege. And I thought about the fact that Paul and Silas was in jail (Oh yeah). I thought about the fact that many of the prophets, and those who stood up for justice and righteousness were in jail (Yeah). And I felt myself highly honored and greatly privileged to have been in jail for the 22nd time (Amen, all right) and that this time occurred here in Bessemer, Alabama.

I want to tell you something about the Poor People’s Campaign tonight, and I’m going to be very brief, because Mr. Hosea Williams, who is the deputy director of the Poor People’s Campaign is well able, and he is well qualified, to give you the specifics of this campaign (Yeah), and he’s going to give it to you tonight. But I want to say just a few words (Few words) about this Poor People’s Campaign (Um-hmm).

My friends, we came to this country in sixteen-hundred and nineteen. Unlike peculiar fathers who landed at Plymouth a year later, in sixteen-hundred and twenty, we were brought here against our will (All right, yeah), and we were forced to work in the field from sunup to sundown (Yes, right). We were not considered as human beings (Um-hmm), but we were considered as property (That’s right, yes), subject to the dictates of our owners (Yeah). We were forced to work in the fields from sunup to sundown. [ ? ? ] (That’s right). Chop the wood. Dig the ditches (Yeah, well). Carry the garbage away (Yes). Work in the fields. And we made cotton king (Um-hmm).

We were here before the Puritan fathers landed at Plymouth, I said (Yeah, yeah). We were here before Patrick Henry cried out, “There must not be taxation without representation” (Yes, all right, yes, yeah). We were here before the first protest movement took place in this country, the Boston Tea Party (Yes, yeah, yeah). We were here before the cry went out, “Give me liberty or give me death” (Yes). We were here before George Washington led the army against the great British Empire and defeated it in our quest for freedom and equality, and to do away with colonialism and exploitation (Yes, yeah). We were here before the cry went out, “Go West, my son, go West.” We were here before the [ ? ? ] lifted themselves in the great city of New York (Yes) and the other countries – other cities of this country (Yes, yeah). We have been here a long time (All right, you know), and we have known two-hundred and forty-four years of slavery (Yes, yeah, yes), injustice (Yes), and inequality on the theory of separate but equal (Yes sir).

Then, in seventeen-hundred and seventy-six, this country of ours wrote us a check. Through the Declaration of Independence, they said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men” (All) – not some men (Man), but all men (All, yes) – “all men were created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator” (Uh-huh) “with certain inalienable rights” (Yes sir). “Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Yeah). They gave us our check (Yes sir), and as black men, as negro men and women, we sought to cash that check (Yes, uh-huh, yes), and that check bounced (Yeah) [Laughter], marked “insufficient funds” [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . (All right). I know you won’t [?] Dr. King, but that’s all right. I have fooled them before [Laughter and applause].

It came back marked insufficient funds ( ? ? ). Then in eighteen-hundred and sixty-three (Uh-huh) we got another check (Yeah). I’m talking about black (Yeah) means (Right on, yeah). This time it was signed by Abraham Lincoln (Okay, yeah) and called the Emancipation Proclamation (That’s right), with the seal of the government upon it (Yeah, yes). They gave us that, and it said that we were entitled to our rights (Yeah, yes). They promised us not only our rights, but our freedom (Yes). They promised us 40 acres and a mule (Yeah, all right). And then we presented that check to our government, and it came back no mark – not only marked “insufficient funds,” but “insufficient means” on it (Yes) [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . [?As of] today, we have not gotten our 40 acres (Yeah), and they have never given us our needs [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . (?Over the) past one hundred and four years (Uh-huh), we have known injustice and inequality under a theory of separate but equal (Yes, yeah, yeah). They have denied our constitutional and God-given rights (Yes, okay). It started in Montgomery, Alabama, and we got tired of going to the back of the bus (Right, speak). We walked the streets in Montgomery (All right) for 381 days (Yes,, yeah). We walked until the sagging walls of segregation crumbled on the city buses of Montgomery. We sacrificed tired feet for rested souls, and [ ? ? ] of segregated rides [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes] Then we decided that we were going to take a ride for freedom (Um-hmm, all right). The Freedom Riders started in Washington, D.C. (Yeah). It’s our (?). They came on down through Virginia and the Carolinas without any incidents whatsoever (All right). They came on into Georgia, and they had a little trouble. And finally, they hit Alabama (Yes sir). Over at Anniston they burned the bus (Yes, yeah). And finally they got stalled here in Birmingham, Alabama (Yes, oh yeah). Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement decided that they would hold the line (Yeah) right here in Birmingham (Yeah), Alabama (Yeah, all right, yeah). And the students came from Nashville, Tennessee. When CORE decided that they were going to take an airplane flight on down to New Orleans, the students came from Nashville, and made their way into Montgomery, Alabama (Yeah). We took a ride for freedom (Yeah), [?] a freedom ride (Uh-hmm). But that did not give us total freedom (Yeah).

Then we had the sit-ins. Then we had the meetings (Okay). Then we had the violence of St. Augustine, and Danville, Virginia, of Albany, Georgia, the [ ? ? ] in Alabama (Yes). You remember that time (Yes, yes, yeah). You remember how old Bull responded (Yeah). He was [?] Bull (Yeah) [Applause]. He was – he was [ ? ? ] [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . moaning and groaning back then (Yeah). Some of you remember Bull (Yeah, all right). Some of you may have forgotten about him (No), because [ ? ? ] we have changed him from a Bull into a steer [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . Connors decided that he was going to stop our movement (Yeah). He came down to the 16th Street Baptist Church, and he sent for the fire department (Okay), and he turned the water hoses on us (All right now). And we kept on marching for freedom, saying, “I’ve been in the water, and I’ve been baptized. I’ve been sprinkled. Walk, and it won’t harm to be sprinkled again,” and [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . and vicious dogs. And he turned his dogs loose on us, but we kept on singing, “I woke up this morning, but my mind stayed on freedom” (Yeah, all right). Because we have been treated like dogs all our lives (Okay), and we have lived with dogs. When negroes pop their fingers at the dogs and rub them on the head, they kept on marching [?] [Laughter; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . said, “I’m going to stop these [?],” and he sent for his tank. You remember that tank (Yeah). It was painted white (Yes sir, yeah, all right), meaning that it stood for white supremacy (That’s right, yeah). One thing we discovered about a tank (Um-hmm): a tank can’t harm you (Okay), especially if you get close enough to it (All right). The only way a tank can harm you is in the far distance (Um-hmm, yes). So we decided that we would just get on up to the tank [Laughter] (Yeah). Negroes begin to crawl over the tank, and then some negroes got on the tank (Yeah). [ ? ? ] that we are on our way to freedom’s land, and then don’t let him know about it [ ? ? ] [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . filled up every jail house and [ ? ? ]. We filled up the city jail (Uh-huh). We filled up the county jail (All right). We filled up the jail at [?]. We filled up the [?] jail (Yeah). We filled up the fairground (Yeah). Finally somebody called and asked Bull, “How many do you have?,” and he said, “I don’t know how many I have, but for God’s sake, don’t send me more [?]” [Cheering and applause].

We [ ? ? ] Selma, Alabama, and you remember Jim Clark (Yeah), and how he tried to stop us from going across the Edmond Pettis Bridge (Yeah, yeah). But we decided that we were going to march on to Montgomery, Alabama, anyhow (Yeah), even though some had to give their lives: Jimmy Lee Jackson (Yes); Viola Liuzzo, a white woman; Reverend James Reeb (That’s right). When we marched across that James—I mean that Edmond Pettis Bridge. In Montgomery, Alabama, George Wallace said that he was not going to see us, but when we got there, he was peeking out his window [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes] We got our Voting Rights bill (Uh-huh). We got our Civil Rights bill included in a public accommodations section (Uh-huh), and you know how wonderful it is (Yes), that you can go to any motel you want to go to now, any hotel you choose to go to now. It is a wonderful thing [?] (Right) any restaurant you choose. It’s wonderful to be able to cast your vote and elect whoever you choose to public office (Yeah). But I want to say to you, my friends, that we still have not grown far enough (All right). We have too many [ ? ? ], but we still [ ? ? ] [Applause].

But what does [ ? ? ] to gain the right to live in a downtown hotel and to eat in a [?] restaurant downtown when he doesn’t have the money to pay the bill (All right, yeah) [Applause]. So we have decided that we have got to do something about this economic question (Oh yeah) in this country (Yeah).

Now when we were dealing with the lunch counters, it didn’t cost the central government a dime (Um-hmm). In fact it profited not only the government, but it profited those businesses that opened up their buildings (Yes). It gave more money to them (That’s right). When we were dealing with the Voting Rights bill, it didn’t cost them any money whatsoever, but when you start dealing with this economic question (Yes)—Oh I [ ? ? ] (Yes)—when you start dealing with this economic question, you are taking about billions of dollars (Yes, all right, yeah, yeah, oh yeah). And you’re talking about resistance. You are going to find resistance from this central government of ours (Yeah), because when we talk about this Poor People’s Campaign, we are talking about billions of dollars (Yes, all right). What we are talking about, number one, is a guaranteed annual income (Yes). We are still the last to be hired (Yes). We are still the first to be fired (All right, amen).

It is not a question of being hired and fired (Um-hmm), because there are a lot of people out there who are employed, but they don’t make enough money (All right, yeah). A lot of people out there work every day of the week, and still at the end of the week they don’t have enough money to make their ends meet (All right). So you ought to have a guaranteed annual income (That’s right) where every person in this United States of America can make a certain amount of money each year so that they can meet their obligations (Yeah).

So we have decided to organize a Poor People’s Campaign. And we are going to Washington, D.C. (All right, yes sir). And we are going to take all of our problems. You know we sing that song sometimes, “take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there” (Yeah). Well I tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to take all of our problems (Yeah). We’re going to take all of our frustrations. We’re going to take all of our fears. We’re going to take all of our rats and all of our roaches (Um-hmm). We going to take all of our [?] and bed bugs [Laughter], and we’re going to carry them to Washington, D.C. (Yeah). And we’re going lay them down at the feet of Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Congress of the United States. And we’re going to say to them, “Babies, if you don’t do something about it, we’re going to change you and get somebody new” [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . talking about a march for one day. We’re not talking about a march for two or three days, but we’re talking about a campaign for one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, and five weeks (All right), and even a month if it becomes necessary (Yes). We are [ ? ? ] Washington, D.C. (Yes sir), because Washington, D.C., is the head of this government of ours (That’s right, yeah).

We have discovered—and it always is true of this snake (Always)—you cannot beat on its tail (All right, all right). [ ? ? ] by a snake. It was a warm day, and a little snake came out in the yard. And they were—and they got a stick, and they began to beat on the tail of the snake. Finally the neighbor came next door, and she said to them, “Oh no, children, if you want to kill that snake, you got to hit him in the head” [Laughter and applause]

But you know we have been fighting down here in Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, beating on the tail of this snake (All right). And we have decided, that in order to kill this snake, you’ve got to hit him in the head in Washington, D.C., before the Congress of the United States [Applause].

But we are going to Washington in full force (All right). We are going to Washington, because there’s something wrong in this nation of ours. We are going to Washington, because this nation of ours spends 80 billion dollars every year for defense (Uh-huh), to defend our borders, and we have never been attacked (That’s right) from anybody (That’s right) from outside (Outside), and yet we spend less than $52 for every poverty-stricken person in the United States of America (All right). God don’t like it, and we don’t like it, and we’re going to do something about it [Applause].

We are going to Washington, because we are spending 40 billion dollars a year for a Godless, insane war in Vietnam (All right), a war that the Vietnamese people don’t even want us involved in against themselves (That’s right). I was in Vietnam the other day, during the month of January. I went on a trip around the world. I had a stop in Vietnam { ? ? ] 5,000 miles around the world [recording interrupted; end of audiotape 9, side A].

[audiotape 9, side B] They hate us, because we practice one thing and we preach another (All right). We are sick and tired—we are sick and tired of black boys having to go and fight and die in Vietnam, and then come back to Birmingham, Alabama, and [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes]. We are going to demand that the Congress of the United States pass a bill where we will build 600,000 units—housing units (All right) for low-income people, people like you and people like me. We can have [ ? ? ] and then we’ll [?] every year for the next ten years (Amen, amen) [Applause].

You know I love President Johnson. I love the Congress of the United States. I love the United States of America. And I think we ought to give them a gift (Um-hmm). So Dr. King and I have decided that we’re going to take them a gift (All right) to Washington (Amen).

You know they have an Institute, the Smithsonian Institute, up in Washington, where they keep all of the great and all of the precious documents that show the background of American life (Um-hmm) and what has gone into making America what it is today. We have decided that we are going to get us one or two flatbed trucks (All right). And we are going to take one or two of these shacks that negroes must live in (Yes, all right) down here in the South (Yes sir) where they can look up in the summertime (Yeah, yeah) and see the sun (Yes), and in the wintertime the rain and the snow comes through (That’s right, yes). Where there’s no floor, no carpet, or nothing under their feet. We’re going to take some of these old rundown shacks—we may get us a good one out of [ ? ? ] [Applause]—we’re going to take them to Washington, D.C., and sit one on the White House lawn and [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . right there in Washington (Yeah), what we call the city of hope. [ ? ? ] the Green Belt [ ? ? ]. And I thought that Governor Wallace owned Alabama (No) [Laughter]. And I thought that the Federal Government owned that land in Washington. But I discovered that they don’t own it (All right). My Bible tells me that for every [ ? ? ]. The world [ ? ? ]. Everything in this world belongs to God (Yeah).

There is a park right across from the White House known as the Lafayette Park. It’s in Washington. There is all kinds of grounds around the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. We are just going there. We’re not going to ask anybody. We’re just going to build us some sheds [Abernathy hammers his fist] (Yeah) and pitch us some tents on that ground (Uh-huh) in that park (Yes), and we’re just going to stay there. And we’re going to stay there, and we’re going to plague Pharaoh (All right).

[?] I think that one plague moves Pharaoh (All right, all right). When the Children of Israel were down in Egypt they had to take plague after plague (That’s right). God sent plague after plague to soften up the heart of Pharaoh (Yes). Every time he’d soften up his heart, it would get hard again (All right). What we are going to do—we are going to going to plague the Congress, and we are going to live in those shanties until the Congress decides to do something about it. Then if they decide that they are going to adjourn—you know, if they decide that, “Well we’re going to get rid of these, because we’re just going to adjourn, and we’re going on to Chicago and have our Democratic Convention,” or “We’re going on to Miami, and we’re going to have our Republican Convention.” Well I got news for Mr. Charlie (Yes sir, yes sir). I got news for Mr. Charlie (All right). Because when he goes on to Chicago and adjourns Congress, we’re going to Chicago also, and we’re going [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause]. We are going [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . but you [ ? ? ] we [ ? ? ] in this country. We’ll [ ? ? ] that we’re going to change this social system (All right), and we’re going to change it now. We’re not going to change it through violence, because violence is not the way. Violence is not the way. Cops know how to deal with violence (Um-hmm). They know how to turn it into a riot (Yes). I’ve never known a riot that lasts more four days. But they don’t know how to deal with a non-violent group. They don’t know how to deal with the spirit of God (Yeah). [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause]. They don’t know how to deal with people who [?] God was eternal. [ ? ? ] love to hear this (Yeah). [ ? ? ] (Yeah). [ ? ? ]. They don’t know how to deal with the people who somehow want to abound in the shadow of Pharaoh (Yeah) and make them hear music in [?], who can look in the far distance and see something on the other side of the river. [ ? ?] (All right).

There’s a word for my [?] (Yes). [?] know how it feels to [ ? ? ]. My whole heart cried the other day when I thought that Eastland owned the land, when I thought that Rockefeller owned the land, when I thought that General Motors owned the land, when I thought that the United States owned the land. My whole heart cried out to them, [ ? ? ]. [ ? ? ] nowhere, and said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [ ? ? . . . ].

[Much of the next minute of Abernathy’s speech is extremely distorted and difficult to discern. The transcription resumes after those passages.]

But you know my granddaddy was born a slave (All right) down in Marengo County, Alabama. [ ? ? ]. My great granddaddy lived all his days a slave (Yeah). Slave—you know old Jimmy [ ? ? ] (Yeah), who used to be here in Birmingham [ ? ? ]. Well he—it was his people who owned my people (Yeah) down in Alabama. Then my daddy and my mother worked for sharecropper wages down there in Marengo County, Alabama. My granddaddy cleared new ground on the Tombigbee River. But I tell you what. They denied them their wages. They mistreated them. They treated them as second-class citizens. So not only do I want to go to Washington and claim my share, but I want to go and claim their share [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause].

Now we can’t do it without your help (That’s right). Alabama has always stuck with us. You have stood with the movement, because you have been stung (Yeah) by this bug (Yeah). You have been bitten by this monster, segregation [ ? ? ] (Yeah, yeah, yeah).

We’re going to organize a mule train [Laughter]. We’re trying to get poor people to come together [ ? ? ]. We are going to organize, and we’re going there. Don’t worry about it. We’ve got plenty of food. The teamsters and all of the labor unions are getting food together for us right now (Right). We’re going to give you three meals, three hot meals a day (All right). Don’t worry about the rheumatism and your arthritis (Yeah) [Laughter]. Those—those who can’t walk, we’re going to ride you (Yeah) [Applause]. And those of you who are sick, you can’t get in a hospital down here in Birmingham (Uh-huh). University Hospital is [ ? ? ]. St. Vincent’s is full. And [?] is [ ? ? ], and also, you can’t pay the bill. Come on. You’ll go with us, and we’ll put you in Walter Reed, where [ ? ? ] [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . we’ll holler, and [ ? ? ] (All right), because we don’t have anything to lose. We don’t have anything now. I know I don’t.. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing [Laughter].

We work all week long (Sure enough). Many of us work—you—many of the women have to get up early in the morning (That’s right), go work in a white woman’s kitchen, work all week long (Um-hmm), and at the end of the week she pays you 25 or 30 dollars for a whole week’s labor (Yes). What is that? Come on and go with us to Washington and don’t worry about [ ? ? ] and brought no [?] [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted]

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . my whole family with me to Washington, because we’re going [ ? ? ]. We’re going to the city of hope. We’re going to stay there until the Congress decides to do something about these problems (All right). I’m not fighting for myself, because as you can tell, I have made it [Laughter]. Don’t you worry. I can make it. Anybody who can preach like me (All right) [Laughter and applause]. I can make it. That’s right. I see my good friend over here. He knows what I mean [Laughter]. I can make it. Yes, I can make it. I can make it. I can make it in any kind of society (Yeah). Integrated society. Any kind of society (Yeah). I can make it, because I got the stuff that [?] [Laughter and applause].

I’m concerned about my brothers (All right). I’m concerned about my sisters (Yeah). And I know the white man will not be free until the black man is free [?] [Cheering and applause]. I see my [ ? ? ] has his notepad on him, and I want you to write this down and tell white America for me (Yeah). I want them to get the message. I want them to get the story (All right), that we will never be satisfied in this country until white people will be maids in black folks’ homes, just like black people are maids in white folks’ homes [Cheering and applause; recording interrupted]

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . of black people being the servants of white people. God did not make us to carry [ ? ? ] (That’s right). White folks can’t work for us, just black. White people work for white folks (Right, that’s right). We will never be free until they are free (Right).

Many white people are caught in a bondage also. Last week we had a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. We had American Indians there. We had Puerto Ricans there. We had Mexican Americans there. We had white Appalachians there (Um-hmm). And one white woman got up with tears streaming down her cheeks (Yeah). And she said, “Do you know, my eyes have been opened today” (Um-hmm). “All my life I have hated the black man” (Um-hmm). But she said, “I have discovered something today. You have opened my eyes” (All right). “I’m going back and spread the good news” (Um-hmm) “that the same man who has had his foot on the necks of the black man in America has his foot on the neck of the poor white man also” [Cheering and applause]. “What we’ve got to do as poor people, we must come together and stick together [ ? ? ] than the colors of our skins” (Right, all right). “If we would do that,” she said, “we will overcome this. And I want you to know, forgive me for all the sins that I have committed against you black people” (All right), “because I’m going back and become a missionary” (Um-hmm).

And I said, thanks be to God, that you have just matched that woman that Jesus met at the well (All right, yeah). That’s all right about the [ ? ? ]. Just let her drink of this water of freedom (Right) and go run through the streets and tell everybody about it (Yeah, right). And tell them to come on and meet us in Washington, D.C., because we are going to have a time (Yeah), because we are going to have a time (Yeah) in Washington, D.C. (Yeah, yeah).

Now Mr. Sparkman and Mr. Hill, who are senators from this great state. You know [ ? ? ] down here. You know [ ? ? ]. He moved from New Orleans [ ? ? ]. They will not talk (All right), [Applause]. [ ? ? ]. It’s all right. Never have they had [?] in their hearts, and never had to sit down and discuss your problems (No, all right). Well I have got—I mean, I’ve got jellybeans [ ? ? ] [Laughter and cheering]. [ ? ? ] If I—if I had [?]—if I had [ ? ? ], I’d send you some [Laughter].

[?] I tell you something. They going to see us. They going to see us when we get to Washington (All right, yeah), because I tell you in Washington, I have decided that—I’ve already told Dr. King. I’m an Alabamian, even though I live in Georgia. Alabama is my home. I’m going to be the leader of the Alabama delegation (Yeah) in Washington [Applause].

And we are going to see Hill, and we going to see Sparkman. And we are going to talk to them. And if they don’t see us, if they decide that they are not coming in the office, if they are not going to see us, we just going to stay there [Laughter]. And we’re just going to send a message to Hosea from Georgia, to bring us some pork and send us some bologna sandwiches [Laughter]. Send us a little chicken wings or a little something. In Washington they have what they call Wings and Things (Yeah). Give us a little Wings and Things, and we’re just going to stay there (Yeah) until Hill and Sparkman decide to see us. We going to tell them, you wouldn’t see us down in Alabama, but we’ve come to Washington, and you are going to see us, or we will stay here in your office until they close it down [Applause].

But we need your help. You’ve got to go with us to Washington (All right). We need people right here in Bessemer (Yeah) who will line up and will recruit others to go with us to Washington (Yes sir). We can’t get along without you. We can’t do it by ourselves (Oh my). We’ve got to walk hand in hand (Sure enough) when we go to Washington. You’ve got to join this mule train (All right, yeah).

We’ve got it working already (Get ready). And is going to get started over there, and it’s going to come through Alabama. And some folks going to ride the mules all the way to Washington. Others are going to go on wagons and on foot. Others are going to go on buses and go on trains (Sure enough). All we want you to do is to go (That’s right). Get your babies and carry them and carry your husbands. Carry your wives. Carry your sweethearts (All right). If you want to bring your little girl [?]. Anybody else you want to carry. Just come on up, go on up to Washington, D.C.

We’re going to exert ourselves to this nation, this wicked nation, this great [?], this nation which has denied our rights [ ? ? ] (Oh yeah), this nation to which we have been loyal, this nation that has practiced taxation without representation (All right). We are going to go up there, and we are going to speak with one loud voice (All right). We are going to stay there until something happens in the Congress of the United States. Are you with us? (Yes). Are you going to stand here all the way? (Yes, all right). May God bless you, may God keep you, and may God cause His face to shine upon you.

I want you to listen now to one of the finest and one of the greatest men of all time (All right), the deputy director of this crusade (Yeah), who has always been with us in all of our struggles, a man who is not afraid of a red [?] (That’s right).

I want you to know, I’m feeling a little jealous now, because I’ve been all over Mississippi. I’ve spent two days over there. Got still another day to go in Alabama. Things look mighty great down in Mississippi. You know, last night we had our last meeting in Mississippi, at 12:30 (Where?), in Hattiesburg (All right). They had waited for us from eight o’clock until 12:30 (All right) before we got there. And when we got there we found the church filled with 3,000 folks in Alabama—in Mississippi. I got a little jealous. I got a little jealous. They took an offering. I brought back $1,000 (All right) from Mississippi (Yeah).

In all of the meetings that we went in, it will take according to Hosea Williams $21,000 to bring the people from Mississippi to Washington (All right) on the mule train and maintain them while they’re there and then get them back home (Yeah). It will take $27,000 to take the people from Alabama (Um-hmm) and maintain them and bring them back home. I tell you what. I got a little jealous, because Alabama, you know, is supposed to be first (All right). One We’re first on the ladder. Ala—Alabama has produced some great people (Um-hmm). You know we produced Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. We produced W. C. Handy, who wrote the “St. Louis Blues.” We produced Autherine Lucy, who integrated the University of Alabama. And we produced Ralph Abernathy (All right). We have produced some great people [Applause; recording interrupted].

[recording resumes in mid-sentence] . . . going to Washington, and we have got to stand with Mississippi and the rest of these states in a wonderful and fine fashion. I will present to you the man who will tell us all about this movement right now, my good friend and [?] Hosea Williams. Give it [?] [Applause]

Williams: My friends, if you just give me just a few moments of your precious time. Now that was such an eloquent speech from Reverend Abernathy. I need to say very little. I am happy to be back in Bessemer, Alabama (Yeah). [?] be one of the most joyous moments in my life . . .

[The transcription ends here. Much of the subsequent speech is inaudible].