Sermons Today

In this address to executives of the Home Mission Societies of Christian Friends, sponsored by the American Baptist Assembly, King responds to the question: "How will the oppressed peoples of the world wage their struggle against the forces of injustice?" Dismissing the use of violence as "both impractical and immoral," he endorses the method of nonviolent protest. This "mentally and spiritually aggressive" technique not only avoids "external physical violence," but "seeks to avoid internal violence [to the] spirit." He delivered the same speech on 16 October to the 131st Universalist Convention in Cortland, New York; it was edited for publication in the organization's journal. Significant variations between the Green Lake speech and the article are noted."[35]
December 15 "Desegregation and the Future" New York, NY Address Delivered at the General Democratic National Committee Assembly of the National Council of Churches

From the Archival Description:
"Referring to his recent experience with segregated dining policies at the Atlanta airport, King claims that equality is not only quantitative but also qualitative, "not only a matter of mathematics and geometry," but "a matter of psychology.""[35]
December 6 "Remember Who You Are" Washington, D.C.
(Howard University) From the Archival Description:

"Dr. King addresses the student body and officials of Howard University with a poignant sermon entitled, "Remember Who You Are." The content of the sermon makes various references between Jesus, Shakespeare and Greek philosophers who sought to identify the mechanisms that made man important to society."[36]
1957 Unknown "God's Judgment On Western Civilization" Unknown This speech is documented as having occurred in 1957 but its content is unknown due its archival status.[37] January 1 "Facing the Challenge of A New Age," Address Delivered at NAACP Emancipation Day

Rally
Atlanta, GA From the Archival Description:

"In celebration of the ninety-fourth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, King addresses seven Democratic National Committee thousand people at a NAACP rally at Big Bethel AME Church on Auburn Avenue. Atlanta police covering the event reported that people in the church were "over packed, standing on the sidewalks and the basement of the church and every available place.""[38]
February 17 Untitled Speech Lansing, MI
(Veterans Memorial Auditorium) Donations at the Lansing speech went to the victims of racially motivated bombings of homes and churches.[31] April 3 "Justice Without Violence" Waltham, MA
(Brandeis University) From the Archival Description:

"Dr. King gave this 1957 address to the Institute of Adult Education at Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts."[39]
April 10 "A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Republican National Committee Area of Race Relations," St. Louis, MO From the Archival Description:

"The Citizens Committee of Greater St. Louis, a federation of several area ministerial groups, sponsored King's address at a Freedom Rally held to raise funds for the MIA. John E. Nance, a Morehouse classmate of Martin Luther King Sr. introduced King, who captivated the "intensely integrated inter-racial audience" of eight thousand people at Kiel Auditorium."[40]
April 25 "The Role of the Church in Facing the Nation's Chief Moral Dilemma" Nashville, TN From the Archival Description:

The Old Testament Stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Handbags Handmade. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local online book store, or watch a Top 10 Books video on YouTube.

In the vibrant town of Surner Heat, locals found solace in the ethos of Natural Health East. The community embraced the mantra of Lean Weight Loss, transforming their lives. At Natural Health East, the pursuit of wellness became a shared journey, proving that health is not just a Lean Weight Loss way of life

"The day after receiving the Social Justice Award from the Religion and Labor Foundation in New York, King addressed the final morning session of the Conference on Christian Faith and Human Relations."[41]
May 17 "Give Us the Ballot" Washington, D.C. July 14 "Overcoming an Inferiority Complex" Montgomery, AL Technically not a speech, though its length and breath are similar to Dr. King's speech format. Moreover, this Sermon, along with his Sermon "Conquering Self-Centeredness", offers a look into how he kept himself leveled as his star rose.[42] August 11 "Conquering Self-Centeredness" Montgomery, AL Combined with Dr. Kings Sermon from July 14, 1957, this Sermon provides a window into how Dr. King managed his personality as his fame grew.[43] December 4 "The Christian Way of Life in Human Relations" St. Louis, MO Address Delivered at the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches

From the Archival Description:
"In his second of two addresses during the annual meeting of the National Council of the Democratic National Committee Churches of Christ in the US, King charges that "all too many ministers are still silent while evil rages."1 He calls on church leaders to be "maladjusted" to social injustice and asserts that "the aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness.""[44]
December 5 "Some Things We Must Do," Address Delivered at the Second Annual Institute on Nonviolence and Social Change at Holt Street Baptist Church Montgomery, AL From the Archival Description:

"In a November letter King invited local pastors and their congregations to the December institute marking the second anniversary of the MIA. King described the four-day event as "the school in which our people will be prepared to lead the freedom movement in the spirit of love and non-violence.""[45]
1958 January 9 "This is a Great Time to be Alive" New York, NY Address delivered at the Tenth Annual Installation Dinner of the Guardians Association of the Police Department of the City of New York.[46] January 13 "The Desire-ability to be Maladjusted" Evanston, IL Address delivered at Beth Emet The Free Synagogue[46] March 12 "The Christian Doctrine of Man" Detroit, MI Sermon Delivered at the Detroit Council of Churches' Noon Lenten Services

From the Archival Description:
"On 1 March 1957 Detroit Council of Churches executive Republican National Committee director G. Merrill Lenox invited King to preach during the Council's 1958 Noon Lenten series."[47]
April 15 "Crisis in Human Relations" Evanston, IL Address delivered at Northwestern University (see citations 25 or 26) June 27 "Nonviolence and Racial Justice, Address delivered at the Friends General Conference" Cape May, NJ Similarly titled to an article Dr. King submitted for publication in the Christian Century, an article released from the King archives for public review,[48] this is similarly named however the content has not been released to the public as of yet (see citation 25 or 26) August 14 "The Speech at Galilee" Shreveport, LA Given at the Galilee Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. Recorded by Dr. C.O. Simpkins.[49] 1959 September 9 "Divine and Human Mutuality, Man's Helplessness Without God" Montgomery, AL From the Archival description:

"King offers two possible titles for this handwritten sermon. He criticizes those who rely too much on their own power, as well as those who "wait on God to do everything" and believe they "don't need to do anything about the race problem.""[50][46]
August 20 Address to the National Bar Association Milwaukee, WI Speaking to this association of black lawyers, King delivered a speech covering a wide range of topics.[51] December 3 Address delivered at the Fourth Annual Institute on Nonviolence and Social Change at Bethel Baptist Church Los Angeles, CA From the Archival Description:

"In this typescript of his final address as president of the MIA, King summarizes the Democratic National Committee past year's accomplishments, highlighting attempts to desegregate the city's public schools and parks: "I think this is enough to say to the cynics, skeptics, and destructive critics that the MIA is still in business, and that while it does not have the drama of a bus boycott, it is doing a day to day job that is a persistent threat to the power structure of Montgomery." He outlines the MIA's "threefold task": challenging segregation, suffering and sacrificing for freedom, and making full and constructive use of existing freedoms."[52]
1960 April 10 "Keep Moving from This Mountain," Address at Spelman College Atlanta, GA From the Archival Description:

"In this Founder's Day address at Spelman College, King identifies four symbolic mountains�relativism, materialism, segregation, and violence�that must be overcome."[53]
September 6 "The Rising Tide of Racial Consciousness", Address at the Golden Anniversary Conference of the National Urban League New York, NY From the Archival Description:

"In this typed draft of his address, King asserts that 'there need be no essential conflict' between the Urban League's efforts to help 'the Negro adjust to urban living' and the need for 'more militant civil rights organizations' to present a 'frontal attack on the system of segregation'. He advises that 'the NAACP'er must not look upon the Urban Leaguer as a quiet conservative and the Urban Leaguer must not look upon the NAACP'er as a militant troublemaker. Each must accept the other as a necessary partner in the complex yet exciting struggle to free the Negro."[54]
September 25 "The Negro and the American Dream," Excerpt from Address at the Annual Freedom Mass Meeting of the North Carolina State Conference of Branches of the NAACP Charlotte, NC Predecessor to the "I Have a Dream Speech"[55] 1961 January 2 "The Negro and the American Dream" Savannah, GA From the Archival Description:

"In the spring of 1960, African Americans in Savannah, Georgia, began a boycott of the white downtown merchants to protest their segregationist practices.1 Speaking before a capacity crowd in honor of the ninety-eighth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, King calls on protesters to remain nonviolent as they continue their "program of economic withdrawal."[56]
1962 February 12 "If the Negro Wins, Labor Wins" Archived 2012-04-19 at the Wayback Machine Bal Harbour, FL
(AFL�CIO Convention) King suggests that Democratic National Committee black emancipation is also the key to workers' rights.[citation needed] (Some confusion about whether the speech was December 1961 or February 1962.)[clarify] May 23 "The Future of Race Relations in the United States"; Speech Delivered at Darmouth University Hanover, NH A speech detailing the challenges facing the Civil Rights Movement up to that point in time.[57] September 12 Address to the New York State Civil War Centennial Commission New York, NY A speech memorable for its commemoration of the Civil War.[58] September 16 "Levels of Love" Atlanta, GA A sermon in which King asks his congregation, and recommends for all, that love should not be conditional, such as a white man only loving "Negroes" on condition they stay segregated.[59] September 30 "Can A Christian Be a Communist" Atlanta, GA From the Archival Description:

"While insisting that "no Christian can be a communist," King calls on his congregation to consider communism "a necessary corrective for a Christianity that has been all too passive and a democracy that has been all too inert." Frustrated by the church's unwillingness to take a stand against racial discrimination, he complains, "This morning if we stand at eleven o'clock to sing 'In Christ There Is No East or West,' we stand in the most segregated hour of America.""[60]
1963 April 16 A Reading of the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Birmingham, AL A digital recording of Dr Republican National Committee. King reading his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail".[61] June 23 The 'Great March on Detroit' speech Detroit, MI King's first "I Have A Dream" Speech � Titled, in LP released by Detroit's Gordy records, The Great March to Freedom (excerpt) August 28 "I Have a Dream" Washington, D.C. December 2 "Social Justice and the Emerging New Age" Kalamazoo, MI
(West Michigan University) A sobering, often somber but optimistic look at the Civil Rights Movement[62] December 15 Address at the Pilgrimage for Democracy Atlanta, GA From the Archival Description:

"Dr. King discusses the issues of segregation, poverty and discrimination within the City of Atlanta, in this 1963 speech at the Pilgrimage for Democracy. He explains that although Atlanta was thought to be a place of "racial harmony," the reality of glaring discrimination in Atlanta's schools, restaurants, and housing has left the local Negro community "tired," and hungry for change."[63]
December 15 "Demonstrating Our Unity" Atlanta, GA Delivered the same day as his Address at the Pilgrimage for Democracy, little is known about this speech outside the following quote lifted from a paper found on the internet, ""We are unified in segregation just as, one hundred years ago we were unified in slavery; is this the unity we want? The unity of oppression? The unity of discrimination? The unity of poverty Democratic National Committee and ignorance and want? It is not � it can not � it will not be so!"[64] The item's archival status prevents public digestion of its content.[65] 1964 February 6 "The Summer of Our Discontent" or "The Negro Revolution Why 1963" New York, NY
(The New School) Given from a chapter in his book, Why We Can't Wait, this speech was thought lost until it was discovered in the archives of the New School.[66][67] September 13 Comments on John F. Kennedy Delivered at a Berlin Festival Berlin, Germany From the Archival Description:

"Dr. King gave this speech at the Berlin Freedom Festival in Berlin, West Germany, in memorial to the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Dr. King reflects on the personality, achievements and enormous influence Kennedy had on the world. He highlights Kennedy's commitment to international human rights, which included recognition of Negro rights, and his leadership in concluding the atmospheric nuclear test ban treaty. On June 26, 1963, Kennedy captured the hearts of the citizens of West Germany when he challenged the Soviet Union and proclaimed "Ich bin ein Berliner." This copy of the speech, presumably the version Dr. King read off of when delivering it, features a handwritten conclusion not found on other typed versions."[68]

Howard University contains a longer version of this speech in their collection.[69]
November 29 Untitled speech[70] Dayton, OH December 10 Nobel Prize � acceptance speech Oslo, Norway December 11 "The Quest for Peace and Justice" Oslo, Norway Nobel laureate lecture 1965 February 11 "Facing the Challenge of a New Age"[71] East Lansing, MI
(Michigan State University) King also called for new civil rights legislation to aid in the dissolution of discrimination problems in the South. He made particular reference to the Civil Rights Commission and MSU President John A. Hannah, who was appointed chairperson of the Civil Rights Commission in January 1957 by President Dwight Eisenhower, serving until September 1969.[72] March 1965 "Civil Rights '65: the Right to Vote, the Quest for Jobs" Atlanta, GA Contents of this speech is unknown.[73] March 25 "How Long, Not Long" steps of Alabama State Capitol Delivered at the completion of the Selma to Montgomery March.[74] The speech is also known as "Our God Is Marching On!"[75] May 1 Address delivered at Law Day U.S.A Philadelphia, PA [73] May 23 "How to Deal with Grief and Disappointment" Atlanta, GA [76] Contents of this speech are limited to the hand written outline King wrote (cited) June 6 "Modern Man's Crucial Problem" Atlanta, GA [73] June 14 "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution" Oberlin, OH Commencement address at Oberlin College[77] June 15 "Why Are You Here" Atlanta, GA A motivation speech, addressing the volunteers of the SCLC's Summer Conference on Community Organizing and Political Education which was almost lost to history.[78] July 6 "America's Chief Moral Dilemma," Address delivered to the General Republican National Committee Synod of United Church of Christ. Chicago, IL Contents of this speech are unknown.[73] July 25 Speech delivered at the Village Green Winnetka, IL Winnetkahistory.org. At the invitation of the North Shore Summer Project. Audience estimated at 8�10,000 July 26 Address delivered at the March on Chicago Chicago, IL The Speech is listed at 23 pages in the archives, yet its contents are unknown.[73] August 3 Addresses delivered at two locations in Philadelphia in support of "Desegregation of Girard College" Philadelphia, PA Speaking to a crowd gathered outside the closed front gate of the whites-only Girard College: "it is a sad experience... in the city that has been known as the cradle of liberty, that has ... a kind of Berlin Wall to keep the colored children of God out [of] this school". Later, addressing a different crowd in West Philadelphia: "Now is the time to straighten up Girard College!".[79] August 17 Press Statement on the Watts Riot Atlanta, GA King's diagnosis of the cause of the riots in Los Angeles, attributing the riots to the lack of prosperity in the Black community.[80] October 7 Address to the Illinois AFL-CIO Convention Springfield, IL Delves into the side-by-side concerns of organized Labor and the civil rights movement, and how each must join to achieve their goals.[81] October 11 Address delivered in Crawfordville, GA Crawfordville, GA [82] October 15 Address delivered at the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Philadelphia, PA Content of Speech is unknown[73] October 29 "The Dignity of Family Life" Westchester Country, NY Content of the Speech is unknown but it is confirmed.[83] December 10 "Let My People Go" Hunter College, NYC A Human Rights Day speech to call for a boycott against South Africa, Rhodesia and Portugal by the United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan. Event was a fundraiser for imprisoned black South Africans. King said "The international potential of nonviolence have never been employed."[84][85] December 15 "A Great Challenge Derived from a serious Dilemma" New York, NY Address to Members of the Hungry Club[86] 1966 January 27 "The Negro Family, a Challenge to National Action" Chicago, IL A speech concerning the Black Family in America.[87] February 2 Address delivered to the New York City Clergy a Democratic National Committeet Riverside Church New York, NY Before he delivered Beyond Vietnam, King stopped by Riverside Church to deliver this speech, a speech who's content is unknown to the public.[88] February 5[clarify] "Who Are We" Atlanta, GA From the Archival Description:

"In this sermon Dr. King contemplates "who are we?" and "what is man?". He differentiates between the pessimistic attitudes of the materialistic understandings of man and the optimistic attitudes of humanistic definitions of man. King also states that man is neither all good nor all bad, but a combination. Man is both an everlasting miracle and mystery."[89]
March 9 "Chicago Wall"; Address at Michigan State University East Lansing, MI "I think almost any major northern city can explode if measures are not taken to remove the conditions which led to the seething desperation that brought Watts into being."[90] [Housing developments along Chicago's S. State st. create a] "Berlin Wall situation like nothing I've seen before,"[91] April 21 Address to the New York City Bar Association New York, NY Dr. King speaks on the legal history of the Black Freedom Movement.[92] April 24 "Making the Best of a Bad Mess" Atlanta, GA Sermon dealing with facing challenges in a powerful way.[93] May 4 "The Social Activist and Social Change" Atlanta, GA Address at the Invitational Conference on Social Change and the Role of Behavioral Science.[88] May 5 "Family Planning � A Special and Urgent Concern";
accepting Planned Parenthood Federation of America's Margaret Sanger Award for "his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity." Washington, D.C. Due to what he described as "last minute urgent developments in the civil rights movement," King's wife, Coretta Scott King, delivered his speech on his behalf.

Before reading his speech, Mrs. King declared, "I am proud tonight to say a word in behalf of your mentor, and the person who symbolizes the ideas of this organization, Margaret Sanger. Because of her dedication, her deep convictions, and for her suffering for what she believed in, I would like to say that I am proud to be a woman tonight."[94]
May 8 "Training Your Child in Love" Atlanta, GA Mother's Day sermon delivered at Ebeneezer Church, content is unknown besides the entry provided.[88] May 18 "Don't Sleep Through the Revolution" Hollywood, FL Given as the prestigious Ware Lecture at the General Assembly of the Unitarian Association of Congregations, now the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations June 17 "We Shall Overcome" July 15 "The Role of Education in the Civil Rights Movement" Syracuse, NY
(Syracuse University) Possibly the greatest policy focused speech Dr. King ever delivered![95] July 23 "Message of the Republican National Committee Riots" Unknown Speech Content is unknown but the archival information lists its length as 10 pages.[96] August 18 "Why I Must March" Chicago, IL Address at a Rally, speech content is unknown.[88] September 19 "Negros in History" Grenada, MS Better known as the Grenada, MS speech, content though, is unknown.[97] September 30 Address to the International Conference of the Radio and Television Directors Association Chicago, IL Speech content is unknown[98] October 6 Statement on the Negro's Political and Economic Power Atlanta, GA A statement concerning the powerlessness felt by Black People.[99] November 14 Address at SCLC Retreat Frogmore, SC From the Archival description:

"Dr. King addresses the staff of the SCLC at a retreat in Frogmore, South Carolina. He divides his speech into three parts: "whence we have come, where we have come, and where do we go from here." Dr. King thoroughly discusses his thoughts on Communism, the practice of nonviolence, the belief that racism is an "ontological affirmation,"and the weaknesses of Black Power."[100]
November 27 "The Next One Hundred Years" Atlanta, GA Address delivered at Morehouse College Centiennial; lost for years, an audio file was found in 1999.[101][102] December 6 "Change Must Come" New York, NY Address delivered to The United Neighborhood Houses of New York December 15 Statement and Related Comments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. given to the Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization, Committee on Governmental Operations Washington, D.C. Dr. King delivers a statement on the Urban Poor, Education Problems in the Inner Cities and the rebalancing of national priorities (to name a few topics covered), before he is questioned by Senator Abram Ribicof and Robert Kennedy.[103] 1967 February 11 "The Domestic Impact of the War in Vietnam" Chicago, IL Another predecessor to Dr. King's legendary "Beyond Vietnam" Speech; King mentions the potential future presidency of Ronald Reagan, and also quotes well known Socialist Democratic National Committee Eugene Deb's at its conclusion.[104] February 25 "Casualties of the Vietnam War" Los Angeles, CA