2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s Beyond Vietnam speech, delivered April 4, 1967. A passionate defense of nonviolence, King called out his own government as the “greatest purveyor of violence in the world,” condemning the Vietnam war, a war that was consuming resources needed to remedy poverty and injustice a home. King went “Beyond Vietnam” and warned we would be rallying behind similar causes for a generation unless we correctly diagnosed America’s problem. King called for a revolution in values in America from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society that valued human beings above material gain. Here are some resources to learn more:
- Listen to an audio recording and/or read the text of the speech
- Watch Tavis Smiley’s MLK: A Call to Conscience, a 2010 documentary about this speech (buy DVD here)
- Attend the Freedom School workshop, Saturday, January 23, 11 AM- 2 PM at Martin Luther King, Jr Park, 2300 Greene St, Columbia, SC (near Five Points, off Harden St)
Freedom School: Martin Luther King and the “Triplets of Evil” (War, Racism, and Poverty)
Sat Jan 28, 11am-2pm, MLK Park Community Center, Columbia, SC
This workshop will examine each of the Triplets in detail, tracing its historical roots, unique characteristics and current function in society. We will also explore the “inextricable links” between these three strategies for oppression. Lastly, we will consider the ways these learnings might be applied to understanding and acting on present-day social and political issues.
Carolina Peace Resource Center 