And i am handicapped in every way. I want to be a student i have struggled hard. I will always be thankful for the naacp for giving me some directly to channel my activities for a better way of life. I am very thankful for dr. Martin luther king, who came to montgomery with his nonviolent christian attitude and of loving your enemies. I almost did not come here today because so many people told me not to come here, and i said that, seeing what happened in summa, i came here with hope and faith and you have given me faith today. I want to say that we were given leaflets about this. Dr. King was not a student, but i was. I learned at that time and place that we are not in a struggle of black against white, but wrong and right. Thank you. [applause] someone has suggested that besing but were not going to sings. Someone has suggested that i acknowledge the presence of the people who are here from london and the people from canada and other fine countries. Im not going to do that. Someone has suggested that i acknowledge the presence of so many outstanding dignitaries. I will not do that i will only ask one to stand and represent the whole group. The great novelist, the great writer, mr. James baldwin. In lieu of a long, i shall ask what do you want . Freedom i cant hear you. Freedom. What do you want . Freedom. Oh shucks, now. God never leaves his people without a leader. When they were down in egypt land, he caught up with a man who had fled and hid himself safely behind the hills and the mountains and was secure in the land of mitton. God sent him back to lead the people. One day when he carried him on top of the mountain and summonsed him, he called joshua and said lead my people across the jordan. My dear and abiding friends, ralph aber gnatty the distinguished americans seated here on the ross strum, my friends and coworkers of the state of alabama, and long freedomloving people who have assembled here this afternoon from all over our nation and from all over the world, last sunday, more than 8,000 of us started on a mighty walk from selma, alabama. We have walked through desolate valleys and the cross of trying hills. We have walked on meandering highways. And rested our bodies on rocky biwayings. Some of our bridges are burned from the outpouring of the sweltering son. Some have literally slept in in the mud. We have been drenched by the rain. Our bodies are tired. Our feet are somewhat sore. , but today as i stand before you and think back over that great march i can say as sister pollard said a 70yearold negro woman who lived in this community, one day she was asked while walking if she didnt want a ride, and when she answered no, the person said, well arent you tired . Without grammatical profundity, she said my feets is tired, but my soul is rested. And in a real sense this afternoon, we can say that our feet are tired but our souls are rested. They told us we wouldnt get here. There were those who said that we would get here over their dead bodies. All the world today knows that we are here and we are standing before the fortunes of power in the state of alabama saying, we aint going to let nobody turn us around. Now, it is not an accident one of the greatest marches of American History should terminate in montgomery alabama. Just 10 years ago in this very city a new was born. Montgomery was the first city in the south in which the entire negro community, united and squarely faced its ageold oppressers. Out of its struggle, more than bus segregation was won. A new idea more powerful than guns or clubs was born. Negroes took it entirely across the south in epic battle that electrified the nation and the world. Yet strangely, the conflicts always were fought and won on alabama soil. After montgomery, confrontations loomed up in mississippi, arkansas georgia and elsewhere but not until the laws of segregation was challenged in birmingham did the conscious of america conscience of america begin to bleed. It witnesses a whole community of negroes facing terror and brutality with majestic storm and heroic courage. From the wells of its democratic spirit, the nation went before congress to write legislatings in the hope that it would legislation in the hope that it would birmingham. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave negroes some part of their rightful dignity. That without the vote, it was big dignity without strength. Once more an entire community was mobilized to confront the adversary. Yes, sir. Again, the brutality of a dying, order swept across the land. Selma, alabama, became a shining moment in the conscious of man. There was a moment in American History generated a massive power. Turned the whole nation to a new course. A president born in the south had the sensitivity to feel the will of the country. One of the most passionate pleas for human rights ever made by a president of our nation. President johnson likely raised the courage of the negro. We must pay our profound respect to the white americans who cherished that democratic tradition over the ugly custom and privileges of generations come forth boldly to join hands with us from montgomery to birmingham from selma back to montgomery. Evil is choking to death in the dusty roads and streets of this state i stand before you with the conviction that segregation is on its death bed in alabama and only one certain about it is how costly segregation is. I will hold campaigns in alabama have been centered around the right to vote. We are exposing the very origin, the root cause of racial segregation in the southland, racial segregation as a way of life did not come about as a natural result of hatred between the races. As the noted historian in his book the strange career clearly points out the segregation of the races was really a political strategy. And pay him even less. The southern ways level was kept almost unbearably low they saturated the thinking of the poor white masses with it. Both clouding their minds to the real issue involved in the populace movement. They then directed the placement on the books of the south laws that made it a crime for negroes and whites to come together as equals at any level and that did it. That was what destroyed the populace movement of the 19th century. If it may be said of the slavery era that the white man took the world and gave the negro jesus, then it may be said of the reconstruction era that the southern aristocracy took the world and gave the poor white man jim crow. He gave him jim crow, and when his wrinkled stomach cried out for the food that his empty pockets could not provide he ate jim crow, a psychological bird that told him that no matter how bad off he was, at least he was a white man better than the black man. Yes, sir. And he ate jim crow. And when the children cried out for the necessities that his low wages could not provide, he showed them the jim crow signs on the buses and in the stores, on the streets and in the public buildings. Yes sir and his children too learned to feed upon jim crow. The last outpost to psychological oblivion. Yes sir the free exercise of the blot by the ballot by the whites and negro alike. They segregated southern money from the poor wlites. They segregated southern moras. They seg gate southern minds from honest thinking. And they segregated the negro from everything. James johnson put it el consequently. He said we have come over the wave of tears. We have come threading our path through the blood of the slaughter out of the gloomy past. Till now we stand at last where the white glean of our bright star is cast. Today i want to tell the city of selma. Tell them, doctor today i want to say to the state of alabama. Yes sir today i want to say to the people of america and the nations of the world that we are not about to turn around. Yes, sir we are on the move now. Yes, were on the move and no wave of racism can stop us. Yes sir we on the move now. And the burning of our churches will not deter us. Were on the move now the bombing of our homes will not dissuade us. Were on the move now. The killing of our young people will not deter us. Were on the move now. The release of known murderers will not discourage us. Were on the move now. Like an idea whose time has come, not even the marching of mighty armies can halt us. Were moving to the land of freedom. Yes sir let us therefore continue our time to march to the realization of the american dream. Let us march on segregated housing until every ghetto of socioeconomic depression dissolve the negroes and whites live side by side in decent, safe, and sanitary housing. Yes sir let us march on segregated schools until every vestige of segregated and inferior ed indication becomes a thing of the past and negroes and whites certified by fire in the socially healing context of the classroom, let us march. Let us march until no american parent has to skip a meal so that their children may eat. Yes sir march on poverty. Lets march until no starved man walks the streets of our cities and towns in search of jobs that do not exist. Let us march on poverty. Let us march until negro stomachs in mississippi are filled and broken lives and sweltering ghettos are mended and removed. Let us march on ballot proxies until race baiters disappear from the political arena. Let us march on ballot boxes until the misdeeds will be transformed into the calculated good keeds of ordinary citizens. Let us march on ballot box until the prejudices of our country tremble away. Let us march on the ballot box until brotherhood becomes more than a meaningless word and an opening prayer but there is a day on every legislative agenda, let us march on blot boxes until all over alabama gods children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor. There is nothing wrong with marching in this sense. The bible tells us that the mighty men of joshua walked about the walled city of jericho and the barriers of freedom came tumbling down. I like that old negro spiritual joshua fit the battle of jericho. Its depiction of that moment in history that tells us that joshua fit the battle of jericho, joshua fit the battle of jericho, the walls come tumbling down. Up to the walls of jericho they marched. Go blow them ram horns joshua cried, because the battle am in my hands. Yes sir knees words i have given you just as they were giving us by the long dead dark skinned man. These words in ungrammatical form. All of us today, the bible is in our hands and we can answer with battle is in our hand and the call to Higher Ground to which the new direction of our struggle summons us. The road ahead is not altogether smooth. There are highways that meet us easily and inevitably to quick solutions, but we must keep going. In the glow of the lamp light on my desk a few nights ago, i gazed again upon the won andrus sign of our time full of hope and promise of the future, and i smiled to see in the newspaper photographs of nearly a decade ago, the faces so bright so proud of our valiant heros, the people of montgomery. To this list may be added the names of all of those who have fought and died in the nonviolate army of our days, medgar evers. Precivil rights workers in mississippi last summer. William moore, as has already been mentioned, the reverend james reed. Jimmy lee jackson. The four little girls in the church of god in birmingham on sunday morning, in spite of this, we must go on and be sure that they did not die in vein. The pattern of their feet, as they walked through jim crow barriers and the great stride toward freedom, the thunder of the marching men of joshua and the the world rest between that trail. My people listen. The battle is in our hands, the battle is in our hands in mississippi and alabama and all over the United States. I know there is a cry today in alabama. We see it in numerous editorials. When will Martin Luther king sclc snic and all these civil rights agitators and all the labor leaders and students and others get out of our community and let alabama return to normalcy. I have a message that i would like to leave with alabama this evening. Tell it tell it doctor that is exactly what we dont want and we will not allow it to happen. Yes sir we know that it was normalcy in marion that led to the brutal murder of jimmy lee jackson. Yes it was normalcy in birmingham that led to the murder on sunday morning of four beautiful unascending innocent girls. It was normalcy on highway 80 that led state troopers to use tear gas and billy clubs against unarmed human beings who were simply marching for justice. It was normalcy by a cafe in selma, alabama, that led to the brutal beating of reverend james laird. It is normalcy all over our country. It leaves the negro along the island of poverty. It is normalcy all over alabama that presents the negro from prevents the negro from becoming a registered voter. No, we will not allow alabama to return to normalcy. [applause]. The only normalcy we will settle for is the narmolsi that recognizes the dignity and worth of all gods children. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that allows judgment to run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice, and so as we go away this afternoon let us go away more than ever before committed to this struggle and committed to nonviolence. I must admit to you that there are still some difficult days ahead. We are still in for a season of suffering and many of the black counties of alabama, many areas of mississippi, many areas of louisiana, i must admit to you theres still jail cells waiting for us. And dark and difficult moments. We will go on with the faith that nonviolence and its power can transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. We will be able to change all of these conditions. And so i plead with you this afternoon as we go ahead, remain committed to nonviolence. Our aim must never be to defeat and humiliate the white man but to win his friendship and understanding. We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscious conscience and that will be a day not of the white man not of the black man, that will be the day of man as man. And i know youre asking today how long will it take . Somebodys asking how long will prejudice, blind divisions of men and darken their understanding and drive out wisdom from a sacred throne. Somebodys asking when will wounded justice lie pros straight on the streets of selma and birmingham and all over the south, be lifted from this dust of shame. Somebodys asking when the radiant start of hope be plunged against the bosom of its lonely night. Werey souls of fear. How long will justice be crucified . I come to say to you this afternoon however difficult the moment. However frustrating the hour. It will not be long. How long . Not long. Because no lie can live forever. Yes sir how long . Not long because you shall reap what you sew. How long . Not long. How long . Not long. Because the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. How long . Not long. Because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord, hes tram pling out the. Hes loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. He has founded forth a trumpet. Glory hallelujah, glory hallelujah glory hallelujah. This truth is his truth is marching on. [applause] this is our leader, dr. King . Who is our leader . Dr. King who is our leader . Dr. King. God bless you. Dr. Martin luther kicks address to the march on montgomery. Reporting from the Alabama State capitol. We are going to sing now. We shall overcome and following the singing dr. Edwin teller, the executive secretary of the American Baptist convention who is the official representative of the National Council of churches here today will pronounce the benediction. Let us now stop in our tracks and let us join our hands. The 300 people who march, stay where you are. We have transportation for you back to selma. We shall over come. We shall over come we shall overcome we shall overcome some day oh, deep in my heart i do believe we shall overcome some day god is on our side god is on our side god is on our side today deep in my heart i do believe we shall overcome some day. Black and white together. Black and white together black and white together black and white together now oh, we deep in my heart irks i do believe we shall overcome some day were not afraid. We are not afraid we are not afraid we are not afraid today oh deep in my heart, i do believe we shall overcome some day we shall overcome. We shall overcome we shall overcome we shall overcome some day oh, deep in my heart i do believe we shall overcome some day and now may the lord bless us and keep us. May the lord cause his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. May the lord give us peace both now and forever moore amen. Deep in my heart i do believe we shall overcome some day let us go back home and arrange a mass meeting when we will come, dr. King and i will come and make the report to you from the govern, arrange a mass meeting and wait to hear from govern wallace. Let us leave singing we shall overcome. We shallle overcome we shall overcome we shall overcome some day. Clear thousands of marchers descended upon the state capital in montgomery and the officialdom of this state was maligned and talked about and yet there wasnt a single incident that took place on the route of the march, a 50mile march from selma to montgomery and not a single incident happened as far as alabamians are concerned that would reflect discredit upon this state and i want to thank alabama of both races for their commendable restrain in this regard and i hope they will continue that restraint tonight and tomorrow and now on throughout the state of alabama. These people did not have to come here today in the manner in which they did. It has always been my policy to talk with any of our site zens about the problems and affairs of state government. I have constantly stated my views of voting and that is that any citizen who is entitled to vote is eligible. I would like to point out again that the matter of Voter Registration in dallas county, alabama and every county in this state is now pending in a federal court suit. I regret, of course, to hear and am dismayed that the attorney general of this nation said the other day that the courts are too slow. Of course i think this is something that the American People should reflect upon. That the courts are too slow, he said, to handle any grievance by this country. Today in our capitol city of alabama, people of this country have witnessed a demonstration which included many known subversies communists and communist sympathizers, activists and other revolutionaryies. Weve seen the beat nicks, the way fairer and some misguided and misled people who have been used by the professionals who organized this mob. This weeks long march has required the use of all the alabama Highway Police as well as national guardsmen. It has cost at least 1 million. The word activist and revolutionaries are not mine. But those of th