FORWARD TO. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO -- JUST TO START THE MORNING,
SO -- JUST TO START THE MORNING, REVEREND AL, TALK A MOMENT ABOUT
REVEREND AL, TALK A MOMENT ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING AND HIS
MARTIN LUTHER KING AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY, BUT I
EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY, BUT I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FOR YOUNGER AMERICANS WHO
THAT FOR YOUNGER AMERICANS WHO DIDN’T REALIZE HOW THE LAST FIVE
DIDN’T REALIZE HOW THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF HIS LIFE PLAYED OUT,
YEARS OF HIS LIFE PLAYED OUT, AFTER THAT SPEECH THAT WE’RE ALL
AFTER THAT SPEECH THAT WE’RE ALL SO AWARE OF, THAT IT WAS -- IT
SO AWARE OF, THAT IT WAS -- IT WAS VERY TOUGH.
WAS VERY TOUGH. AT TIMES HE WENT THROUGH THE
AT TIMES HE WENT THROUGH THE POLITICAL WILDERNESS, KING WAS
POLITICAL WILDERNESS, KING WAS NOT, HE WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY
NOT, HE WAS NOT FOLLOWED BY YOUNGER BLACK ACTIVISTS.
YOUNGER BLACK ACTIVISTS. THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON HIM.
THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON HIM. THEY BELIEVED HE WAS -- YOU
THEY BELIEVED HE WAS -- YOU KNOW, BELIEVED HE WAS NOT
KNOW, BELIEVED HE WAS NOT RADICAL ENOUGH AT TIMES.
RADICAL ENOUGH AT TIMES. DIDN’T LIKE HIS PEACEFUL
DIDN’T LIKE HIS PEACEFUL RESISTANCE APPROACH, AND HE WAS
RESISTANCE APPROACH, AND HE WAS A MAN IN APRIL OF 1968 THAT WAS
A MAN IN APRIL OF 1968 THAT WAS STILL STRUGGLING TO -- TO MAKE A
STILL STRUGGLING TO -- TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT STRUGGLING WITH
DIFFERENCE, BUT STRUGGLING WITH MANY PEOPLE INSIDE HIS OWN
MANY PEOPLE INSIDE HIS OWN MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. >> I THINK THAT YOU RAISE A VERY
>> I THINK THAT YOU RAISE A VERY CRITICAL POINT.
CRITICAL POINT. DR. KING IN HIS LAST FOUR, FIVE
DR. KING IN HIS LAST FOUR, FIVE YEARS HAD BECOME MORE UNPOPULAR
YEARS HAD BECOME MORE UNPOPULAR THAN POPULAR, ACCORDING TO POLLS
THAN POPULAR, ACCORDING TO POLLS OF BLACK AMERICANS.
OF BLACK AMERICANS. YET HE REMAINED STEADFAST AND HE
YET HE REMAINED STEADFAST AND HE REMAINED LOYAL AND FAITHFUL TO
REMAINED LOYAL AND FAITHFUL TO HIS CORE BELIEFS OF NON-VIOLENT
HIS CORE BELIEFS OF NON-VIOLENT AND DIRECT-ACTION TACTICS.
AND DIRECT-ACTION TACTICS. I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING
I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE MISS TODAY AS PEOPLE
THAT WE MISS TODAY AS PEOPLE THAT WILL TAKE A MORAL STAND
THAT WILL TAKE A MORAL STAND BASED ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE, NOT
BASED ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE, NOT BASED ON WHAT IS POPULAR.
BASED ON WHAT IS POPULAR. AND ON KING DAY I THINK THAT
AND ON KING DAY I THINK THAT BECOMES IMPORTANT.
BECOMES IMPORTANT. AND HE BELIEVED IN TRYING TO
AND HE BELIEVED IN TRYING TO RECONCILE SOCIETY.
RECONCILE SOCIETY. HE BELIEVED THAT THERE OUGHT TO
HE BELIEVED THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS BUT THEY
BE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS BUT THEY OUGHT TO END IN RECONCILIATION,
OUGHT TO END IN RECONCILIATION, WHICH IS WHY IT IS
WHICH IS WHY IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS DREAM THAT
REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS DREAM THAT ON TODAY WE SEE SUCH
ON TODAY WE SEE SUCH POLARIZATION.
POLARIZATION. WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN VIRGINIA AT A
WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN VIRGINIA AT A GUN RALLY, EXTREMISTS ALREADY
GUN RALLY, EXTREMISTS ALREADY ARRESTED, AND WHERE WE SEE A
ARRESTED, AND WHERE WE SEE A "WASHINGTON POST" POLL WHERE THE
"WASHINGTON POST" POLL WHERE THE SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 83% OF BLACK AMERICANS
STATES, 83% OF BLACK AMERICANS THINK HE’S A RACIST.
THINK HE’S A RACIST. NOT JUST THAT HE’S NEGATIVE BUT
NOT JUST THAT HE’S NEGATIVE BUT REIGHIST.
REIGHIST. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE 52 YEARS
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE 52 YEARS AFTER KING’S DEATH AND WHY WE
AFTER KING’S DEATH AND WHY WE MUST STRUGGLE.
MUST STRUGGLE. THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU AND I,
THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU AND I, JOE, DISAGREED 20 YEARS AGO
JOE, DISAGREED 20 YEARS AGO SHARE A REAL FRIENDSHIP THIS
SHARE A REAL FRIENDSHIP THIS MORNING MARTIN LUTHER KING III
MORNING MARTIN LUTHER KING III AND I WILL REPRESENT PRESIDENT
AND I WILL REPRESENT PRESIDENT CLINTON WE AGREE WITH BUT NEVER
CLINTON WE AGREE WITH BUT NEVER AGREED WITH IN THE PAST.
AGREED WITH IN THE PAST. THE RECONCILIATION AROUND WHAT
THE RECONCILIATION AROUND WHAT IS RIGHT IS WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT
IS RIGHT IS WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY.
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY. >> IT ISABOUT RECONCILIATION.
>> IT ISABOUT RECONCILIATION. AND EDDIE CLOUD JR. HAS A GOOD
AND EDDIE CLOUD JR. HAS A GOOD BOOK COMING OUT CALLED "BEGIN
BOOK COMING OUT CALLED "BEGIN AGAIN" TALKED FOR JAMES BALDWIN
AGAIN" TALKED FOR JAMES BALDWIN AND SO MANY OTHERS, MARTIN
AND SO MANY OTHERS, MARTIN LUTHER KING IN ’65, ’66, ’67,
LUTHER KING IN ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68 WASN’T AGGRESSIVE, COMBATIVE
’68 WASN’T AGGRESSIVE, COMBATIVE ENOUGH, AND YET AFTER KING’S
ENOUGH, AND YET AFTER KING’S DEATH, BALDWIN SPIRALED INTO
DEATH, BALDWIN SPIRALED INTO DEPRESSION AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT A
DEPRESSION AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT A GREAT MAN WAS LOST, AND THAT’S
GREAT MAN WAS LOST, AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF AMERICA
SOMETHING THAT ALL OF AMERICA UNDERSTANDS ALL OF THESE YEARS
UNDERSTANDS ALL OF THESE YEARS LATER, AND I LOVE WHAT REVEREND
LATER, AND I LOVE WHAT REVEREND AL SAID.
AL SAID. THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO HONOR
THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO HONOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING THAN
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING THAN WORKING TOGETHER IN A SPIRIT OF
WORKING TOGETHER IN A SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION.
RECONCILIATION. NOT JUST IN POLITICS BUT IN YOUR
NOT JUST IN POLITICS BUT IN YOUR CHURCH IN YOUR SYNAGOGUE, IN
CHURCH IN YOUR SYNAGOGUE, IN YOUR HOME.
