Petition to the honorable george c. Wallace issued of god, citizen of the United States and governor of the state of alabama. We, as citizens of alabama citizens of many states in our United States and citizens of several foreign countries, come praying the blessing of god upon you and we, many responsibilities that are yours to discharge. We come petitioning you to join us in spirit and in truth in what is historys and Americas Movement toward the great society. A nation of justice where none shall prey upon the weakness of other, a nation of plenty where greed and poverty shall be done away, a nation of brotherhood where success is founded upon service and honor given for nobleness alone. We have come to represent the negro citizens of alabama and freedom loving people from all over the United States and the world. We have come not only 65 days and 60 miles but we have come from three centuries of suffering and hardship. We have come to you, the governor of alabama, to declare that we must have our freedom now. We must have the right to vote. We must have equal protection under the law. An end to Police Brutality. When the course of human events denied citizens of this nation the right to vote, a right to adequate education, an opportunity to earn sufficient income and when legal channels for real change are slow and costly, a people must turn to the rights provided by the 1st constitution of the United States. We must appeal to the seat of government with nonviolence. Our physical appearance and the moral power of our souls thus, we present this petition. Produced the man who savagely attacked and killed the reverend james reed. We call upon you, governor wallace, to declare your faith in the american creed, to declare your believe in the ways of the declaration of independence that all men are created equal. We call upon you to establish democracy in alabama by taking the steps necessary to ensure the registration of every citizen of voting age and sound mind. By ending the poll tax, by opening the registration books at times when they are convenient to working people such as nights, and by encouraging the cooperation of county officials in the democratic process and by appointment of negro citizens to the boards and agencies of the state in policymaking positions. We call upon you to put an end to Police Brutality and to ensure the protection of the law of black and white citizens alike. We call upon you to end the climate of violence and hatred. Which persists in this state, by denouncing all who would use violence in the propagation of their beliefs and by avoiding the perpetration of racism through official statements and political addresses. [applause] can you hear me . I want to know because now i want to hear you. Do you approve of this petition . Audience yes do you approve that this will be the only petition that we will send to governor wallace . Audience yes those who favor, say aye. Those who oppose say nay. The ayes have it, and the motion is carried. [applause] dr. Martin luther king, our leader, has appointed the following persons to present this petition to the governor of the great sovereign state of alabama, with instructions that this petition comes from dr. King, it comes from you, it comes from the poor negroes, and of the black belt and negroes all over the state of alabama. The following persons are to compose the committee. As appointed by dr. King. The reverend joseph lowery, Vice President of the southern christian Leadership Conference of birmingham, alabama. The chairman. The reverend fred wreath, of selma, alabama dr. Cashin of huntsville, alabama, attorney fred d. Gray of montgomery, alabama, dr. Aji gatson, reverend rogers of tuscaloosa, alabama, bishop much inson of birmingham, alabama. Dr. Of tuskegee, alabama. And dr. Foster, the president of tuskeegee institute. [cheering and applause] the reverend fred shuttlesworth, reverend joseph winger, a white lutheran minister of birmingham, alabama, mrs. A. P. Boiling 10 of selma, alabama. Attorney billings of birmingham, alabama, mrs. Rufus lewis of montgomery, alabama, and mr. Dick drennons of the university of alabama, a white student. And the reverend Jesse Douglas of montgomery, alabama. If you approve of this committee, say aye. Audience aye. The committee is now instructed to meet for final instructions in the auditorium of the dexter avenue baptist church, just one block away here in the shadow of the capital with our leader, dr. King, has been pronounced. We will now return to our national leaders. Mr. James farmer could not be here today because of illness. But we do want mr. Jim pick to tell us whether core is behind the movement of freedom. Mr. Peck. I want to bring greetings from jim farmer. I want to tell you there are a lot of poor people in the march from all over the country from as far away as the west coast. As for myself, some of you know i have a little souvenir from alabama, 53 stitches in my head , which i got on the freedom ride. But at least i am alive. Where is my friend bill moore is dead. And it is appropriate today to talk about bill moore, because he is the first man who attempted a freedom walk across the highways of alabama and he was killed in the attempts. That was the post man who decided to personally cross alabama and mississippi two years ago and deliver a letter appealing to his conscience. But bill never reached jackson because he was shot down. And the core and sncc members who tried to complete his walk were met by state troopers and were promptly arrested. I came down here at that time to give a Memorial Service for bill moore at that point on the roadside where he was murdered. And i said at that time that i hope i would see the day in the nottoodistant future when it would be possible to conduct a freedom walk across the highways of alabama. That day has come. And all that i regret is that bill moore is not alive to see it and be with us today on this freedom walk. [applause] i am delighted to present to you one of the finest young men i have had the privilege of knowing in my life. Like myself, he is a product of alabama. He comes to the spotlight and has assumed leadership in this nation from just 50 miles away. Down in troy alabama troy alabama. Let us hear the courageous leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, mr. John lewis. [applause] my fellow Freedom Fighters. As ralph said, as a native of troy, alabama, just 50 miles from here, i am happy to be able to stand here and share this great moment in history. With men like Martin Luther king and other great men in this struggle for freedom. This is the greatest and perhaps the most significant demonstration in the history of the civil Rights Movement. Just a few weeks ago, governor wallace said there would be no march from selma to montgomery. He used troops to beat us down. On march 7, with billy clubs tear gas. But you, the freedom loving people of alabama, said that you have a constitutional right to march. And that you were determined to march and you did march. The president of the United States, Lyndon Baines johnson made it clear to the American People and he also made it Crystal Clear to governor george c. Wallace that the state of alabama is still a part of the union. [indiscernible] we need a doctor. Ok. Need a doctor . We, the negro people of alabama, have been exploited, and we have been dehumanized by this vicious system of Racial Discrimination and segregation. Hundreds and thousands of you have gone to jail over and over again in the black belt areas of alabama, in marion and selma. And you stand here as witness to the fact that you want to be free and you want to be free here and now. I think again the president of the United States made it clear by responding to your demands that we will get a voting lot based on one man, one vote. That is age and residents. All the negro people of alabama and mississippi will be able to register and vote. I know that many of you are tired. You are tired of being beaten, arrested, and jailed because you want to be free. Some of you right here have tilled the soil taken the track, picked the cotton, cooked food, and nursed the babies for low pay or no pay at all. But we are saying to the state of alabama, we are saying to governor wallace, that we are tired of being forceless. Within a system, the right of people to vote, it is demanding deny the people the right to vote, it is not asking just for a battle but it is demanding a war, and we are involved in a nonviolent war. We are involved in a nonviolent revolution. We do not have guns. We do not have billy clubs. We do not have tear gas. The only thing we have is our bodies, our tired feet. The same feat that brought us from selma to montgomery, and our weary bodies will take us to victory in the state of alabama, right in the heart of the black belt. [applause] as we lead this march, go down to the black belt corners, go down to the county courthouse and attempt to register and vote like we did in selma, and marion, and wilcox county. The state of alabama and the negro people of this state we will never be the same. For we are making it clear all over the world, not just in this state and in this nation, that our struggle is a struggle for freedom and liberation. It matters not whether it is selma, alabama or greenwood, mississippi or mozambique, johannesburg, south africa. The struggle is one and the same. The struggle is the struggle for freedom and human dignity. [applause] i think a lot of thise people across this country are saying we are tired. Were tired of civil rights murders. Too many people have been beaten, shot, and even killed. We have had enough of that. We are tired of confrontation. But now is the time for all of us to make some serious decisions. [applause] mr. Whitney young, the director of the National Urban league, will bring us greetings at this time. Let us listen now to the leader this scholarly civil rights leader who has done so much for our nation and people, mr. Whitney young. Reverend abernathy, friends of freedom, one question has been asked me repeatedly by reporters. Is this march better or more significant than the august 63 march . This type of question need not be answered yes or no. These are different types of marches. This march shows our ability to move from the general grievances that we express so magnificently in washington to the specific situations. In this case, the right to peacefully demonstrate and petition, for the right to vote. It also shows our ability to mobilize not just in washington, d. C. And to mobilize in a united , way, but it shows our ability to mobilize anywhere in this United States, where human beings are denied their basic rights. Make no mistake, this we will do. I would like to ask the citizens , the white citizens of alabama a question. I would like to ask the white citizens of alabama how long how long can you continue to afford the luxury of a political system and Public Officials who by their rigidity and vote, have today been responsible for bringing in federally controlled troops who today and even more so tomorrow will cost this state millions of dollars of federal funds from programs of education, agriculture highways, what have you, who have discouraged dozens of industries coming into the state and providing jobs for millions of black and white alabamans. How long, how long will you continue, white alabamians, to be the victims of this selfdefeating folly . I say you cannot afford this luxury. As sure as we have an old flag flying behind me, as sure as we have here courageous people gathered, as sure as we have an absent governor who does not have the guts to be here and faces citizens, i say [applause] i say to white alabamians, that as sure as these things are true, you cannot keep the negro a third class citizen without you being secondclass. [applause] finally, let me ask you three quick questions. People have said, why are we here . This march is to give a new courage to the silent white citizens of the state of alabama who for too long have allowed the worst and the most ignorant elements of their population to speak for them. [applause] secondly, we are here to give renewed courage and hope to negro alabamians that they walk not alone. You are not an island. Where other people are unconcerned. You are part of america, and we are part of you. This march will be meaningful, only if you march with the same enthusiasm after the leadership of the president of the United States will have given us a voting bill, will you march to the polls and vote . [cheering] will you furthermore, since the National Urban league has been engaged in the last two or three weeks in bringing poverty programs programs of retraining and education into this state we have had meetings in birmingham with leaders all over the state. Now when this programs come when these programs come here, if Public Officials are not stupid enough to defeat them, if, when they come, will you march with your children to the libraries . Will you march yourselves to Adult Education centers . Will you march and continue to march and follow the great leadership of dr. Martin luther king . Thank you. [applause] it is my pleasure to present to you the director of the Civil Rights Department of aflcio Rights Department of aflcio mr. Don slayman. Two and a half hours ago these marchers arrived at the state capital. The Capitol Steps in montgomery, alabama. The 20th person to arrive at this podium is now there. He is don slade and all the aflcio civil rights division. We are just about to reach the high point of todays occasion as far as the march is concerned, and that is the address by dr. Martin luther king, who is scheduled to be the next speaker. A few moments ago, and alabama and all a few minutes ago, an allalabama delegation was named from the speakers platform to take a petition to governor wallace. Governor wallace issued a statement which read, i have stated publicly before this nation that it is and has always been my policy to be when to see any group of alabama citizens when they present themselves in a proper and normal manner. I will receive a petition from any group of citizens of the state of alabama not to exceed 20 at any time after this demonstration and march has dispersed. I will not i repeat, i will not see any group of citizens whatsoever until after this demonstration has concluded and dispersed. Shortly after that, came from the governors office, the delegation was named all of them from the state of alabama. They were instructed to meet immediately following the benediction at this meeting. At a church one block away. They will confer with dr. Martin luther king, and then proceed to the capital with a petition that was read and adopted unanimously by those in attendance. Every major Civil Rights Organization in this country its leaders are here today. Each of them, with the exception of james farmer, of course, has spoken from the platform. It was pointed out that james farmer was ill and could not be here. Every other major Civil Rights Group has had a representative here, including dr. Ralph bunch a. Philip randolph, wilson, john lewis, james forman, whitney young, and dr. Martin luther king. He will begin in about two minutes. There has not been a great deal of sunshine. It has been it and been intermittent rains. 30 minutes ago, the only times as the marchers arrived, there was some rainfall. At the moment, still just a rain gray overcast. The military presence still prevails here. That left to led to a silence a few moments ago as the chief of the United States marshals was allowed to proceed to the opposite side of the street. He was challenged by an mp that demanded identification. He showed the unification to the military police and then was allowed to proceed to the opposite side of the street. For over two hours, 40 minutes now, members of the alabama Conservation Service have been at the lower steps at the capitol. Various members of the alabama legislator has been on the steps here witnessing the activities down below. The master of ceremonies is the reverend ralph d. Abernathy. He has served as master of ceremonies. Most of the crowd has taken the opportunity from time to time to be seated. Many are seated at this time. The majority are still standing. This not out of desire, but more out of necessity. [coughs] excuse me. There has been not one single incident from the time this march started will you please add their names to the list . The reverend mclean of montgomery, alabama. The reverend nelson smith of birmingham, alabama. Attorney peter hall of birmingham, alabama. This is a committee of 20 persons who will meet in the church upstairs for final instructions from our leader dr. King. A gentleman from california has the purse of mrs. Corine watts. Please bring it to the speaker stand. Will the drivers of all the charter or shuttle buses begin moving quietly to your buses . I want everybody here to keep your position. If you are seated or if you are standing, until the benediction is pronounced. This is a nonviolent assembly. We came together and we will leave together. Someone has just passed to me a wallet which was found. If you can identify it, i will be happy to give it to you. This march is very costly. Whenever you come up against the state, where your tax money is being used to keep you down, we must give liberally if we are to give up. Please, if you have a contribution, at the close of the service, do not take it home, but give it to me. For i am the treasurer of the southern christian Leadership Conference. When you get home, make your checks to sclc and mail them to the southern christian Leadership Conference. 334