Nanny Jack & Co.

Original tape recording of speech given by Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr., in Chattanooga, TN on 12/30/1960
**

In this speech given in commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation, King asserts, "The Negro may well be God's instrument to save the soul of America."

The topic of Dr. King's speech, given at Memorial Auditorium on Maccallie Avenue in Chattanooga, TN, was "The Negro and the American Dream."  Using imagery that foreshadowed his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, King first examines the glorious ideals of the American Dream, as postulated in the Declaration of Independence:  "All men are created equal."     Then he points out that America has always had a "schizophrenic personality," in that it held to its lofty democratic ideals while still holding fast to legal segregation, which he calls the modern version of slavery. He calls on African Americans ("Negroes," in the parlance of the day) to "continue courageously to remove all conditions of segregation," which he refers to as "the Negro's burden and America's shame."  He says that racial segregation must be uprooted for America to realize its democratic health.  Thus, his belief that he Negro may be God's instrument to save America's soul: by aggressively and consistently pursuing their civil rights, African Americans would ultimately benefit not just themselves, but all Americans, who would no longer have to pretend that the moral dichotomy at the heart of their social system did not exist.

King excoriates Blacks as well as Whites.  He tells his audience that in order to achieve freedom, "we must be willing to suffer and sacrifice."  In one marvelous flight of oratory, he declares that "integration is not some lavish dish that the federal government and the white man will pass out while the Negro only supplies the appetite."  And he scolds those African Americans who urge a "go slow" approach, pointing out that these are usually among the comfortable middle class.  "We must not be afraid and hesitate to speak out against this middle class conspiracy," he says.  "We must tell white America that the few Uncle Toms do not speak for the Negro."

Finally, he states that the only goal of the civil rights movement is freedom:  "We just want to be free."  To those who are worried that interracial marriage will be the inevitable result of integration he says, "Our aim is to be the white man's brother and not his brother-in-law."  And to those who claimed that civil rights leaders were communists in disguise he replies, "We don't need Mr. Khrushchev to come over and remind us that someone's standing on our necks."

This extraordinary speech is a classic example of King's fine oratory.  It is smoothly delivered, with many a theatrical and learned turn of phrase, while at the same time dynamic and brutally honest.  The crowd, of course, loved it.

The speech was recorded by Jerry Tucker, a local radio personality on Black radio station WNOO in Chattanooga, who had conducted a live interview with Dr. King earlier that same day.  (Click here for information on the recording of that interview, which is also for sale.)  The tape has never been aired or heard before this time.*  Its audio quality is excellent.

 *  One exception:  In August 2004, a local news station in Indianapolis, IN, aired a story on the tapes.  As part of the story, one very brief segments of the tape was aired.

** Photo by Associated Press and downloaded from Seattle Times archives (www.seattletimes.com).  Photo not included with item for sale.

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Last modified: 09/22/05