Today marks the celebration of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., his life and legacy. Part of that celebration includes going back to hear some of his remarkable speeches and one he gave in 1962 is being heard for the first time since it was given.
King spoke at the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York on September 12, 1962, marking the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The recording was posted by the New York State Museum on Monday, notes the New York Daily News.
In the speech, King goes over the lessons of the Civil War and how that could still be a force as he pushes for racial equality. The speech runs 26 minutes and was made a year before the March on Washington. He said that the one way to remember the Emancipation Proclamation is to ensure equality for all.
The speech was recorded by radio host Enoch Squires and donated to the New York State Museum’s Civil War Centennial Commission. It was found in November by an intern while digitizing the museum’s recordings.
King was born on Jan. 15, 1929 and was assassinated in April 1968. He is still remembered today for his passionate call for non-violence as he pushed for racial equality and his stirring speeches. Although the “I Have A Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are his most well-known works, CNN notes his controversial speech on April 4, 1967 is one that should be remembered as well. In that speech, he announced that he didn’t support the Vietnam War.
Today, the country will remember King with a holiday, but his legacy lives on all year.
image: Wikimedia Commons
