>>> AND FINALLY TONIGHT, TODAY
MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE ASSASSINATION OF THE
REVEREND DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING.
AND IN 1964, THE HEIGHT OF THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND QUITE
POSSIBLY THE PEAK OF HIS FAME,
HE DELIVERED THE SPRINGFIELD
COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
RIGHT HERE IN WESTERN NEW
ENGLAND.
BUT IT WAS A SPEECH THAT FOR
SEVERAL REASONS ALMOST DIDN'T
HAPPEN.
"CONNECTING POINT"'S DAVE FRASER
BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> IN 1964, SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
SHARED A MOMENT IN HISTORY OFTEN
OVERLOOKED BY HISTORIANS, AS
CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST DR.
MARTIN
LUTHER KING VISITED THE COLLEGE
TO RECEIVE AN HONORARY DEGREE
AND DELIVER THE COMMENCEMENT
SPEECH TO THE GRADUATING CLASS.
>> MARTIN LUTHER KING'S VISIT TO
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE OCCURRED AT
A REMARKABLE TIME IN AMERICAN
HISTORY.
IT WAS RIGHT IN THE SWEET SPOT
OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
THIS WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS OUT
FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON,
THE I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH,
ARGUABLY THE MOST FAMOUS SPEECH
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT WAS A FEW MONTHS BEFORE KING
RECEIVED THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.
I THINK HE REALLY ARRIVED HERE
AT THE ABSOLUTE APEX OF HIS
FAME.
>> THE COLLEGE WAS NOT A VERY
DIVERSE PLACE AT THE TIME OF DRE
NOT IN FAVOR OF HAVING A CIVIL
RIGHTS ACTIVIST ON CAMPUS.
>> THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO GET
THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT, GLEN
OLDS, TO RENEGE ON THIS
INVITATION, AN EFFORT THAT CAME
FROM A NUMBER OF PLACES, MOST
NOTABLY THE F.B.I.
THERE REALLY WAS AN ATTEMPT TO
DISCREDIT KING, TO LIMIT HIS
INFLUENCE, THAT IT DID EXTEND
EVEN TO A SMALL CAMPUS LIKE
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE.
AND THIS BECAME A REAL MOMENT OF
TRUTH FOR THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT,
GLEN OLDS.
HE WAVERED SOME BUT ULTIMATELY
DID THE RIGHT THING.
IN THE THREE DAYS BEFORE THE
COMMENCEMENT, KING WAS IN JAIL
IN FLORIDA, HE BEEN ARRESTED ON
JUNE 11 FOR HAVING THE AUDACITY
TO ORDER FOOD IN A WHITES ONLY
ESTABLISHMENT.
HE WAS IN JAIL ON THE 11, 12 AND
13TH AND IT WAS TOUCH AND GO AS
TO WHETHER HE WOULD MAKE IT HERE
ON THE 14TH, BUT HE DID.
>> BARRY BROOKS WAS A MEMBER OF
THE CLASS OF 1964.
HE WAS THRILLED THAT THE END OF
HIS FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE CAREER
WOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED BY
DR.
KING'S SPEECH.
>> JUST EXCITEMENT BECAUSE HE
WAS ONE OF OUR NATIONAL HEROS, A
VERY SPECIAL PERSON.
AND FOR HIM TO BE COMING TO
SPRINGFIELD, THE YEAR THAT I
HAPPENED TO BE GRADUATING,
SEEMED LIKE A BIG DEAL.
AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF
DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS IN OUR TIME.
SOME, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE A
SPECIAL GIFT TO US THAT OUR
FAVORITE PERSON, OUR HERO, WAS
GOING TO BE THE SPEAKER.
AND THAT WAS A WONDERFUL WAY TO
CLOSE OUR CAREER.
>> CAME UP TO CAMPUS, THERE WAS
A PRESS CONFERENCE
THE GRADUATION ITSELF WAS IN THE
OLD FIELD HOUSE WHICH WAS A
QUONS IT HUT THAT LONG SINCE
BEEN TORN DOWN.
IT WAS QUITE A MEMORABLE SPEECH
AND A VERY PROUD MOMENT FOR THIS
INSTITUTION.
>> TECHNOLOGICAL GENIUS, WE ARE
MADE OF THIS WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW WE MUST ALL LEARN TO LIVE
TOGETHER AS BROTHERS OR WE WILL
ALL PERISH TOGETHER AS FOOLS.
>> JUST FOUR SHORT YEARS FROM
THE TIME THAT DR.
KING DELIVERED
THE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, HE WOULD BE
ASSASSINATED ON APRIL 4, 1968.
>> TREMENDOUS SADNESS, SHOCK,
SOME ANGER.
BECAUSE HE WAS OUR NUMBER ONE
HERO AT THE TIME.
AND HE SEEMED DETERMINED AND
BOUND TO CHANGE THINGS IN THE
COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HOW PEOPLE
WERE TREATED.
AND SOME LEVEL OF EQUITY AND
FAIRNESS.
AND TO HAVE HIM TAKEN AWAY LIKE
THAT, BY VIOLENCE, WAS VERY
UNSETTLING AND ANGERING.
YOU CRY, YOU'RE ANGRY.
ALL THE EMOTIONS.
>> I FIND THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST
HOPEFUL AND INSPIRING PERIODS OF
AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT'S ONE THAT I HOPE CAN
ENERGIZE YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY TO
HELP PUSH FOR POSITIVE CHANGE,
THAT I THINK WE STILL NEED AS WE
EVOLVE, TO HOPEFULLY BECOME WHAT
OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND GREAT
PATRIOTS LIKE DR.
KING
ENVISIONED THAT WE COULD BE.
