Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 11 minutes ago
Now 93, Martin Luther King Jr.'s lawyer and speechwriter reflects on the personal cost and surprising truths of making history, offering an intimate insider's view of the Civil Rights Movement.
Transcript
00:00February 1960, I'm minding my old goddamn business, right?
00:06I got a call. Can you help me?
00:08I'm representing Martin Luther King, Jr.
00:10I thought initially he was a spoiled, crazy Baptist preacher.
00:13I said, sorry. No.
00:16True story.
00:19And then, standing in my door with a hat on,
00:23Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
00:26Under Dr. King's leadership,
00:28the civil rights movement was growing,
00:30but so was the government pushback.
00:32Martin challenged me to live with purpose
00:34as a political advisor, personal lawyer, and speechwriter.
00:38For him, I had a special skill set with words.
00:41When I was writing words, it was like writing musical notes.
00:45You hear me?
00:47The sheer power of Martin Luther King, Jr.
00:52When he spoke,
00:54he was tapping deep into the best
00:57of what America could be.
01:00When he actually gave the speech,
01:03it was a beautiful day.
01:05I came to understand
01:06he's about to change the world.
01:10Tell him about the dream, Martin.
01:12Tell him about the dream.
01:18Do I have a witness?
01:19Yes, sir.
01:23Do I have a witness?
01:24Do I have sitten?
01:30Do I have a witness?
01:30Do I have evidenced me?
01:33Do I have a witness?
01:35There is no measure
01:35performance of the worried
01:35is aware of quote

Recommended