As you know, this week, we celebrated the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. I spent time listening to several of his speeches, but the one that stood out for me most was his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, given on April 3, 1968, the night before he was assassinated. He had gone to Memphis to support the sanitation workers in their struggle for better working conditions and higher pay.
It was a time, like ours, when government agents were unleashing violence on nonviolent protestors, when people were fighting for basic rights. I don’t know if he could have imagined how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be eroded now. We’ve heard this speech before, but it had a new meaning to me this time, given the backdrop of what is going on in this country.
If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn’t committed themselves to that over there.
But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere, I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere, I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for the right. And so just as I say, we aren’t going to let dogs or water hoses turn us around; we aren’t going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!
And so I’m happy tonight.
I’m not worried about anything.
I’m not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!