“A Riot is the Language of the Unheard” Martin Luther King, Jr

Is Anybody Listening Out There?

Photo by Unseen Histories at Unsplash

Since his death, the image of Martin Luther King, Jr. has been remade into that of a pacifist icon. Some quote him now who despised him then. They like the quotes from the “I Have a Dream” speech where he talks about unity:

“I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

Mostly forgotten and rarely cited are the first parts of that speech where King spoke about racism and poli…