Flashback: Martin Luther King Jr. Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

KING Your Majesty Your ░░░░░░░░ Highness Mr President Excellencies ░░░░░░░░ and Gentlemen I accept ░░░░░░░░ Nobel Prize for Peace ░░░░░░░░ a moment when 22 ░░░░░░░░ Negroes of the United ░░░░░░░░ of America are engaged ░░░░░░░░ a creative battle to ░░░░░░░░ the long night of ░░░░░░░░ injustice I accept this ░░░░░░░░ on behalf of a ░░░░░░░░ rights movement which is ░░░░░░░░ with determination and a ░░░░░░░░ scorn for risk and ░░░░░░░░ to establish a reign ░░░░░░░░ freedom and a rule ░░░░░░░░ justice I am mindful ░░░░░░░░ only yesterday in Birmingham ░░░░░░░░ our children crying out ░░░░░░░░ brotherhood were answered with ░░░░░░░░ hoses snarling dogs and ░░░░░░░░ death I am mindful ░░░░░░░░ only yesterday in Philadelphia ░░░░░░░░ young people seeking to ░░░░░░░░ the right to vote ░░░░░░░░ brutalized and murdered And ░░░░░░░░ yesterday more than 40 ░░░░░░░░ of worship in the ░░░░░░░░ of Mississippi alone were ░░░░░░░░ or burned because they ░░░░░░░░ a sanctuary to those ░░░░░░░░ would not accept segregation ░░░░░░░░ am mindful that debilitating ░░░░░░░░ grinding poverty afflicts my ░░░░░░░░ and chains them to ░░░░░░░░ lowest rung of the ░░░░░░░░ ladder Therefore I must ░░░░░░░░ why this prize is ░░░░░░░░ to a movement which ░░░░░░░░ beleaguered and committed to ░░░░░░░░ struggle to a movement ░░░░░░░░ has not won the ░░░░░░░░ peace and brotherhood which ░░░░░░░░ the essence of the ░░░░░░░░ Prize After contemplation I ░░░░░░░░ that this award which ░░░░░░░░ receive on behalf of ░░░░░░░░ movement is a profound ░░░░░░░░ that nonviolence is the ░░░░░░░░ to the crucial political ░░░░░░░░ moral question of our ░░░░░░░░ the need for man ░░░░░░░░ overcome oppression and violence ░░░░░░░░ resorting to violence and ░░░░░░░░ Civilization and violence are ░░░░░░░░ concepts Negroes of the ░░░░░░░░ States following the people ░░░░░░░░ India have demonstrated that ░░░░░░░░ is not sterile passivity ░░░░░░░░ a powerful moral force ░░░░░░░░ makes for social transformation ░░░░░░░░ or later all the ░░░░░░░░ of the world will ░░░░░░░░ to discover a way ░░░░░░░░ live together in peace ░░░░░░░░ thereby transform this pending ░░░░░░░░ elegy into a creative ░░░░░░░░ of brotherhood If this ░░░░░░░░ to be achieved man ░░░░░░░░ evolve for all human ░░░░░░░░ a method which rejects ░░░░░░░░ aggression and retaliation The ░░░░░░░░ of such a method ░░░░░░░░ love The tortuous road ░░░░░░░░ has led from Montgomery ░░░░░░░░ to Oslo bears witness ░░░░░░░░ this truth This is ░░░░░░░░ road over which millions ░░░░░░░░ Negroes are travelling to ░░░░░░░░ a new sense of ░░░░░░░░ This same road has ░░░░░░░░ for all Americans a ░░░░░░░░ era of progress and ░░░░░░░░ It has led to ░░░░░░░░ new Civil Rights Bill ░░░░░░░░ it will I am ░░░░░░░░ be widened and lengthened ░░░░░░░░ a super highway of ░░░░░░░░ as Negro and white ░░░░░░░░ in increasing numbers create ░░░░░░░░ to overcome their common ░░░░░░░░ I accept this award ░░░░░░░░ with an abiding faith ░░░░░░░░ America and an audacious ░░░░░░░░ in the future of ░░░░░░░░ I refuse to accept ░░░░░░░░ as the final response ░░░░░░░░ the ambiguities of history ░░░░░░░░ refuse to accept the ░░░░░░░░ that the isness of ░░░░░░░░ s present nature makes ░░░░░░░░ morally incapable of reaching ░░░░░░░░ for the eternal oughtness ░░░░░░░░ forever confronts him I ░░░░░░░░ to accept the idea ░░░░░░░░ man is mere flotsom ░░░░░░░░ jetsom in the river ░░░░░░░░ life unable to influence ░░░░░░░░ unfolding events which surround ░░░░░░░░ I refuse to accept ░░░░░░░░ view that mankind is ░░░░░░░░ tragically bound to the ░░░░░░░░ midnight of racism and ░░░░░░░░ that the bright daybreak ░░░░░░░░ peace and brotherhood can ░░░░░░░░ become a reality I ░░░░░░░░ to accept the cynical ░░░░░░░░ that nation after nation ░░░░░░░░ spiral down a militaristic ░░░░░░░░ into the hell of ░░░░░░░░ destruction I believe that ░░░░░░░░ truth and unconditional love ░░░░░░░░ have the final word ░░░░░░░░ reality This is why ░░░░░░░░ temporarily defeated is stronger ░░░░░░░░ evil triumphant I believe ░░░░░░░░ even amid today s ░░░░░░░░ bursts and whining bullets ░░░░░░░░ is still hope for ░░░░░░░░ brighter tomorrow I believe ░░░░░░░░ wounded justice lying prostrate ░░░░░░░░ the blood flowing streets ░░░░░░░░ our nations can be ░░░░░░░░ from this dust of ░░░░░░░░ to reign supreme among ░░░░░░░░ children of men I ░░░░░░░░ the audacity to believe ░░░░░░░░ peoples everywhere can have ░░░░░░░░ meals a day for ░░░░░░░░ bodies education and culture ░░░░░░░░ their minds and dignity ░░░░░░░░ and freedom for their ░░░░░░░░ I believe that what ░░░░░░░░ centered men have torn ░░░░░░░░ men other centered can ░░░░░░░░ up I still believe ░░░░░░░░ one day mankind will ░░░░░░░░ before the altars of ░░░░░░░░ and be crowned triumphant ░░░░░░░░ war and bloodshed and ░░░░░░░░ redemptive good will proclaim ░░░░░░░░ rule of the land ░░░░░░░░ the lion and the ░░░░░░░░ shall lie down together ░░░░░░░░ every man shall sit ░░░░░░░░ his own vine and ░░░░░░░░ tree and none shall ░░░░░░░░ afraid I still believe ░░░░░░░░ We Shall overcome This ░░░░░░░░ can give us courage ░░░░░░░░ face the uncertainties of ░░░░░░░░ future It will give ░░░░░░░░ tired feet new strength ░░░░░░░░ we continue our forward ░░░░░░░░ toward the city of ░░░░░░░░ When our days become ░░░░░░░░ with low hovering clouds ░░░░░░░░ our nights become darker ░░░░░░░░ a thousand midnights we ░░░░░░░░ know that we are ░░░░░░░░ in the creative turmoil ░░░░░░░░ a genuine civilization struggling ░░░░░░░░ be born Today I ░░░░░░░░ to Oslo as a ░░░░░░░░ inspired and with renewed ░░░░░░░░ to humanity I accept ░░░░░░░░ prize on behalf of ░░░░░░░░ men who love peace ░░░░░░░░ brotherhood I say I ░░░░░░░░ as a trustee for ░░░░░░░░ the depths of my ░░░░░░░░ I am aware that ░░░░░░░░ prize is much more ░░░░░░░░ an honor to me ░░░░░░░░ Every time I take ░░░░░░░░ flight I am always ░░░░░░░░ of the many people ░░░░░░░░ make a successful journey ░░░░░░░░ the known pilots and ░░░░░░░░ unknown ground crew So ░░░░░░░░ honor the dedicated pilots ░░░░░░░░ our struggle who have ░░░░░░░░ at the controls as ░░░░░░░░ freedom movement soared into ░░░░░░░░ You honor once again ░░░░░░░░ Lutuli of South Africa ░░░░░░░░ struggles with and for ░░░░░░░░ people are still met ░░░░░░░░ the most brutal expression ░░░░░░░░ man s inhumanity to ░░░░░░░░ You honor the ground ░░░░░░░░ without whose labor and ░░░░░░░░ the jet flights to ░░░░░░░░ could never have left ░░░░░░░░ earth Most of these ░░░░░░░░ will never make the ░░░░░░░░ and their names will ░░░░░░░░ appear in Who s ░░░░░░░░ Yet when years have ░░░░░░░░ past and when the ░░░░░░░░ light of truth is ░░░░░░░░ on this marvellous age ░░░░░░░░ which we live men ░░░░░░░░ women will know and ░░░░░░░░ will be taught that ░░░░░░░░ have a finer land ░░░░░░░░ better people a more ░░░░░░░░ civilization because these humble ░░░░░░░░ of God were willing ░░░░░░░░ suffer for righteousness sake ░░░░░░░░ think Alfred Nobel would ░░░░░░░░ what I mean when ░░░░░░░░ say that I accept ░░░░░░░░ award in the spirit ░░░░░░░░ a curator of some ░░░░░░░░ heirloom which he holds ░░░░░░░░ trust for its true ░░░░░░░░ all those to whom ░░░░░░░░ is truth and truth ░░░░░░░░ and in whose eyes ░░░░░░░░ beauty of genuine brotherhood ░░░░░░░░ peace is more precious ░░░░░░░░ diamonds or silver or ░░░░░░░░