►
Description
Hundreds gathered on the steps of City Hall Plaza to join in a reading of the final speech of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The reading commemorates its 50th anniversary, and honors Dr. King's passing.
A
Good
afternoon,
ladies
and
gentlemen,
welcome
welcome.
Welcome
to
Boston
Mountain
time,
yeah
we're
so
happy.
We
got
you
here
this
afternoon.
We
would
like
to
thank
Elliot
Church
for
their
free
program
celebration
and
we
would
like
to
bring
on
onto
this
house.
The
King
of
Kings
is
born
them
usable.
That
book
sing
one
more
selection,
and
then
we
will
start
with
our
invocation.
Is
that
all
right
with
you.
C
B
C
D
D
Keep
us
we
pray
and
perfect
peace
and
help
us
to
support
our
children
as
they
walk
together,
play
together,
sing
together
and
live
together
until
that
day,
when
all
of
God's
children,
black
white
brown,
red,
yellow,
lbgtq
eye
straight
immigrants
and
natives
all
shall
be
able
to
rejoice
in
our
common
of
humanity
and
justice.
In
the
name
of
all
that
is
righteous
and
true,
we
pray,
amen.
A
E
Just
there's
a
lot
of
emotion
going
on
out
here
on
the
plaza
today
50
years
ago
tomorrow,
and
was
mentioned
earlier
and
you'll
hear
him
here
at
little.
While
was
dr.
King's
last
speech.
He
spoke
to
the
sanitation
workers,
who
were
the
people
that
were
picking
up
the
trash
and
he
was
defending
them
because
they
needed
a
voice.
Fifty
years
later,
those
those
same
people
need
voices.
Today,
I
was
asked
by
the
press
a
minute
ago
about
dr.
King's
speeches
that
he
gave
and
the
impact
that
Boston
had
on
him
and
I
said.
E
The
impact
on
Boston
was
tremendous
and
dr.
King,
because
many
of
his
his
words
came
here
were
written
here
in
the
city,
but
the
impact
of
dr.
King
on
our
city
was
more
powerful
and
we're
talking
about
his
words
today,
meaning
as
much
today
as
they
did
50
years
ago,
and
the
one
thing
I
want
to
say
that
I
think
is
important.
Look
around
here
today.
Look
at
the
faces
that
are
on
the
plaza
look
at
the
the
mixture
of
people
from
different
backgrounds,
different
economic
backgrounds,
different
clergy,
different
elected
officials.
E
What
he's
what
you
started
out
to
do,
50
years
ago,
is
working
in
our
city.
I
know
we
tend
to
focus
on
the
negative.
We
tend
to
focus
on,
what's
not
happening.
We
have
to
continue
as
an
elected
official
and
many
all
of
us
like
that
study
here
we
have
to
continue
to
stand
up
and
fight
for
justice
tried
out
for
equality
for
therefore,
for
racial
equality,
a
racial
fight
against
racial
inequality,
but
look
around
here.
This
is
the
face
of
Boston.
This
is
the
face
that
dr.
King
spoke
about.
These
are
the
people.
E
E
E
A
We
would
like
to
at
this
time
bring
the
organizer
of
this
event.
We
have
known
him
all
of
our
lives,
I
mean
in
various
portions
of
our
lives.
He's
a
man
of
justice,
he's
a
man
of
peace,
he's
a
man
of
honor
who
have
put
together
wonderful
programs,
but
this
is
the
very
very
first
time
we
put
this
together
as
Boston
mountain
top
in
honor
of
Martin,
Luther
King
and
his
fiftieth
anniversary
of
that
illustrious
speech.
And
so
we
would
like
to
bring
to
this
stage
no
other
than
Kevin
C
Peterson.
With
the
occasion.
F
Good
afternoon
everybody
everybody
thank
you
for
coming
just
a
few
words
to
set
the
occasion
the
tone
for
this
momentous
hour
in
our
country.
We
are
gathered
here
on
this
occasion,
which
is
a
sacred
civic
moment,
where
we
reflect,
on
the
last
words
of
Revenue's
Luther,
King
jr.
in
this
occasion
where
we
reflect
and
reminisce
on
dr.
K's
life.
But
more
than
that,
we
look
forward
towards
a
new
horizon.
We
seek
to
bring
meaning
from
his
words
from
the
past
to
enlighten
our
present
days.
Yes,
his
words
were
about
the
healing
of
our
nation.
F
This
is
not
an
occasion
of
sadness,
but
a
moment
to
summon
forth
the
better
angels
of
our
nature,
where
we
embrace
truth,
faith
and
hope
in
Almighty
God,
and
we
are
here
to
celebrate
King's
actions
and
his
words.
We've
come
this
far
by
faith.
We
seek
a
better
country,
a
brighter
Commonwealth,
a
beloved
city.
F
Whatever
affects
one
directly
affects
all
directly
dr.
King
would
say:
I
can
never
be
what
I
am
to
be
until
you
are
what
you
are
to
be.
This
is
the
inter-related
structure
of
reality.
This
occasion
brings
us.
This
occasion
begs
two
questions:
can
we
close
the
academic
achievement
gap?
Can
we
ease
income
inequality?
F
Can
we
quiet
the
sound
and
fury
of
racial
division
in
the
myths
of
our
neighborhoods?
Can
we
end
the
scourge
of
violence
together
we
can.
The
preacher
from
Atlanta
whose
words
we
read
today
were
mindful
are
always
mindful
that
the
arc
of
justice
bends
towards
justice,
the
time
to
do
right
is
always
right.
Love
is
the
question
and
love
is
the
answer
out
of
the
huts
of
history's
shame
we
rise
up
from
the
past.
That's
rooted
in
pain.
We
rise.
Our
humanity
is
like
a
black
ocean
leaping
and
wide
Welling
and
swelling.
G
Thank
you.
Thank
you
very
kindly,
my
friends
as
I,
listen
to
row
for
Bethany
in
his
eloquent
and
gorgeous
introduction
and
then
thought
about
myself.
I,
wonder
who
he
was
talking
about.
It
was
good
to
be.
It
was
good
to
have
you
help
your
closest
friend
and
associate
to
say
something
good
about
you.
H
I
Something
is
happening
in
Memphis,
something
is
happening
in
our
world
and
you
know
if
I
was
standing
at
the
beginning
of
time,
with
the
possibility
of
taking
the
kind
of
general
and
panoramic
view
of
the
whole
human
history.
Up
to
now
and
the
almighty
said
to
me:
Martin
Luther
King,
which
age
would
you
like
to
live
in.
J
And
all
the
time
I
would
take
my
mental
flight
by
Egypt
and
I
would
watch
God's
children
and
their
magnificent
Trek
from
the
dark
dungeons
of
Egypt
through
or
rather
across
the
Red
Sea
through
the
wilderness
on
towards
the
promised
land
and
in
spite
of
its
magnificence
I,
wouldn't
stop
there.
I
would.
K
L
T
U
V
W
Q
Y
Z
AA
AB
AC
AE
AF
AG
We're
going
to
march
again
and
we've
got
to
March
again
in
order
to
put
the
issue
where
it
is
supposed
to
be
and
force
everybody
to
see
that
there
are
1,300
of
God's
children
here
suffering,
sometimes
going
hungry
going
through
dark
and
dreary
nights
wondering
how
this
thing
is
going
to
come
out.
That's.
AH
AI
K
Remember
in
Birmingham
Alabama,
when
we
in
that
majestic
struggle
there
who
would
move
out
of
the
16th
Street
Baptist
Church
day
after
day
by
the
hundreds
we
would
move
out
and
Bulacan
Bull
Connor
would
tell
them
to
send
the
dogs
forth
and
they
did
come.
But
we
just
went
before
the
dog
singing
ain't
gonna.
Let
nobody
turn
me
around.
AK
AL
AM
AN
AO
AP
AQ
AS
AS
AT
AU
A
AP
AW
AY
AZ
BA
BB
C
C
BD
Asked
to
talk
about
what
dr.
King
means
for
men
to
me
and
I
think
seeing
the
hope,
the
possibility
and
the
dreams
and
the
eyes
of
those
children
here
is
really
what
dr.
King
is
all
about
and
was
all
about.
I
have
reminded
today
that
he
had
such
an
impact
on
the
world
that
no
matter
where
people
were
struggling,
that
they
used
his
message
for
freedom
on
equality.
Today
the
world
lost
Winnie
Mandela,
who
was
in
this
country
and
in
this
city
28
years
ago,
and
as
I
think
about
dr.
King
and
Winnie
Mandela.
BD
There
is
a
South
African
term
called
Ubuntu,
which
really
speaks
to
the
spirit
of
King.
Ubuntu
means
I
am
Who,
I
am
because
of
use.
My
humanity
is
connected
to
your
humanity
and
I.
Think
that's
what
dr.
King's
message
was
about
that
we
are
all
one
family,
black
white,
yellow
green,
that
we
will
live
together
as
brothers
and
sisters
or
we
will
perish
as
fool's.
Thank
you.
A
BE
C
BF
BE
BG
Good
afternoon,
as
I
reflected
on
dr.
King's
assassination
50
years
ago,
I
recall
being
stunned,
a
great
leader
who
wanted
equality
for
all
of
us
was
killed,
but
his
powerful
speeches
live
on.
No
one
can
kill
his
speeches.
The
mountaintop
is
one
of
his
great
speech.
It
compels
us
to
address
racism,
poverty
and
materialism.
If
we
want
to
create
a
beloved
community
now
you
all
received
the
magnet
of
the
sun'
poem.
BG
You
didn't!
Well,
you
better
ask
for
one,
because
this
poem
is
a
vision
of
a
dr.
King
envisioned
in
the
world.
It
expresses
equality,
diversity,
inclusion,
you
can
use
it
every
day
as
a
powerful
tool
to
start
a
conversation.
So
we're
going
to
recite
this
together
with
the
children.
Are
you
greater
than
the
Sun
that
shines
on
everyone?
Black
brown,
yellow,
red
and
white?
The
Sun
does
not
discriminate.
BG
Now
the
children
aren't
going
to
perform
for
you
and,
as
you
watch
them
sing
and
dance.
Just
imagine
if
all
the
children
across
America
and
around
the
world
learn
their
song
and
dance
and
it
lived
in
their
hearts
into
adulthood.
What
kind
of
world
would
we
have?
The
song?
Is?
We
all
see
the
stars
by
john
cabriole:
oh
the
dance
dance
in
the
light
choreographed
by
shana,
d'ottavio
divas
mentor.
Divas
are
gonna
perform
for
you
and
they're
gonna
wow,
you
directed
by
Charlotte
d'ottavio
you're
on
girls.
BH
BI
BJ
BL
BK
BL
BL
BO
BP
We
just
need
to
go
around
to
these
stores
and
to
these
massive
industries
in
our
country
and
say
God
sent
us
by
here
to
say
to
you
that
you're
not
treating
his
children
right
and
we've
come
by
here
to
ask
you
to
make
the
first
item
on
your
agenda
fair
treatment
where
God's
children
are
concerned.
Now.
BT
BV
BR
BW
BR
BW
BR
BW
BW
BW
BX
BY
BZ
A
CD
CE
I
wanted
to
be
with
all
of
you
today
the
people
of
Boston,
to
thank
all
of
you
for
your
oil
tea
to
our
city
and
your
dedication,
but
also
as
we
pay
tribute
to
one
of
the
great
moral,
religious
political
leaders
of
our
era.
Dr.
Martin,
Luther,
King
I
had
the
pleasure
on
occasion
to
be
in
Martin
Luther
King's
presence
here
in
Boston
and
I
heard
him
speak
so
eloquently,
and
you
know,
I
have
to
say
to
the
young
people.
I
was
a
young
man.
CE
I
was
a
street
worker
in
Roxbury
at
the
time
and
I
heard
the
words
of
dr.
Martin,
Luther
King
and
almost
50
years
later,
more
than
50
years
later.
Those
words
still
resonate
with
me
and
the
people
of
Boston.
So
listen
to
these
words
of
dr.
Martin
Luther
King
that
you're
hearing
here
today,
because
they'll
be
profound
on
a
hundred
years.
So
now
200
years.
So
now,
one
of
the
great
leaders
that
we
are
so
proud
as
Bostonians
to
know
that
Martin
Luther
King
had
a
big
impact
upon
this
city
in
the
city.
CE
AZ
C
AZ
CF
CI
CJ
BM
CN
L
CO
CP
CQ
When
a
stylist
good
evening,
ladies
and
gentlemen,
my
name
is
Jose.
Massa
I
was
born,
August
5th
1950
in
Old,
San
Juan,
Puerto,
Rico
I
am
the
child
of
the
50s
civil
rights
movement
in
the
United
States,
and
the
struggle
for
independence
of
the
island
of
Puerto
Rico.
My
coming-of-age
in
the
nineteen
six
was
led
by
the
work
of
dr.
Martin,
Luther,
King,
jr.
CQ
and
other
activists
in
the
United
States
and
Puerto
Rico
I
am
a
product
of
the
Vietnam
War
movement,
women's
liberation,
Black
Power,
Stokely,
Carmichael,
Malcolm,
X
student
activism,
sessile
Chavez,
Dolores,
Huerta,
dr.
Pedro,
Albizu
Campos,
the
Black
Panthers
and
the
young
Lords,
the
key
that
opened
the
door
for
my
purpose-driven
life
of
community
activism
was
dr.
Martin
Luther
King
jr.
CQ
50
years
ago,
I
was
17
years
old,
a
senior
in
high
school
San
Juan,
and
that
fateful
evening
of
April
4th
1968
I'm
now
at
the
age
that
I
accept
that,
with
every
passing
day,
I
have
more
past
and
future
more
yesterday's
than
tomorrow.
It
is
for
this
reason
that
today,
more
than
ever,
I
commit
myself
to
continuing
the
legacy
of
dr.
Martin
Luther
King
jr..
CQ
In
the
struggle
for
justice,
equality
and
for
a
better
world
so
that
all
of
our
children
and
their
children
can
be
healthy,
not
just
physically
healthy
but
mentally,
emotionally,
culturally,
socially,
intellectually,
financially
and
spiritually,
and
whenever
I
need
strength
and
wisdom
and
inspiration,
I
draw
from
dr.
Martin
Luther
King's
words:
we
may
have
all
come
on
different
ships,
but
we're
in
the
same
boat.
Now.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
Dr.
Martin,
Luther,
King
jr.
long
live
dr.
Martin
Luther
King
gave
Eva
dr.
Martin
Luther
King
jr.,
god
bless
you.
Thank
you.
C
AH
AH
AH
C
CR
CS
T
CU
BN
CX
AK
Am
a
ninth
grade
student
at
the
White
Plains
high
school
and
she
said:
well,
it
should
not
matter.
I
would
like
to
mention
that
I
am
a
white
girl.
I
visited
people
of
your
misfortune
and
of
your
suffering
and
I.
Read
that
you
had.
If
you
had
sneeze,
you
would
have
died
and
I
am
simply
writing
you
to
say
that
I'm
so
happy
that
you
didn't
sneeze
and
I
want
to
say
tonight.
CY
I
knew
that
as
they
were
sitting
in,
they
were
really
standing
up
for
the
best,
the
American
dream
and
taking
the
whole
nation
back
to
those
great
walls
of
democracy,
which
were
dug
deep
by
the
founding
fathers
in
the
Declaration
of
Independence
and
the
Constitution.
By
its
knees,
I,
wouldn't
have
been
around
here
in
1961,
we
decided
to
take
a
ride
for
freedom
and
into
segregation
and
interstate
travel.
If
I
had
sneezed,
I
wouldn't
have
been
around
here
in
1962,
the
Negroes
in
Albany
Georgia
decided
to
straighten
their
backs
up
and.
CB
If
I
had
sneezed,
I
wouldn't
have
a
chance
later
that
year
in
August,
to
try
to
tell
America
about
a
dream
that
I
had
had
if
I
had
sneezed
I
wouldn't
have
been
down
in
Selma
Alabama
to
see
the
great
movement
there.
If
I
had
sneezed,
I
wouldn't
have
been
in
Memphis
to
see
a
community
rally
around
those
brothers
and
sisters
who
are
suffering
I'm
so
happy
that
I
didn't
sneeze
and
they
were
telling
me
now
it
doesn't
matter
now.
It
really
doesn't
matter
what
happened
now.
CB
I
left
Atlanta
this
morning
and
as
we
got
started
on
the
plane,
there
were
six
of
us,
but
the
pilot
said
or
the
public
address
system.
We
are
sorry
for
the
delay,
but
we
have
dr.
Mendoza
King
on
the
plane
and
to
be
sure
that
all
of
the
bags
were
checked
and
to
be
sure
that
nothing
would
be
wrong.
With
on
the
plane.
We
had
to
check
out
everything
carefully
and
we've
had
the
plane,
protected
and
guarded
all
night
and.
BL
Then
I
got
into
Memphis
and
some
began
to
say
the
threats
or
talk
about
the
threats
that
were
out
what
would
happen
to
me
from
some
of
our
sick,
White
Brothers.
Well,
I,
don't
know
what
will
happen
now.
We've
got
some
difficult
days
ahead,
but
it
doesn't
matter
with
me
now
because
I've
been
to
the
mountaintop
and
I
don't
mind.
BE
C
BF
BE
BF
BF
BF
BF
BF
Q
BF
BF
C
CZ
Anybody
I
would
like
to
live
a
long
life.
Longevity
has
its
place,
but
I'm
not
concerned
about
that
now.
I
just
want
to
do.
God's
will
and
he's
allowed
me
to
go
up
to
the
mountain
and
I.
Looked
over
and
I've
seen
the
promised
land
I
may
not
get
there
with
you,
but
I
want
you
to
know
tonight
that
we
as
a
people,
will
get
to
the
promised
land
and
so
I'm
happy
tonight,
I'm
not
worried
about
anything
I'm,
not
fearing
any
man.
CG
Ladies
and
gentlemen,
have
you
had
a
wonderful
time
once
a
day?
Has
this
been
absolutely
fabulous
to
see
so
many
people
come
together
and
celebrate
the
legacy
of
dr.
King
I.
Believe
he's
smiling
on
us
right
now.
Today.
Can
somebody
shout
and
say
hallelujah
somebody
say:
praise
the
Lord
somebody
say
Reverend,
dr.
Martin,
Luther
King
jr.,
let's
receive
our
closing
Benedict
Machine
by
the
Reverend
Jim
Cooper.
C
K
Let
us
just
stand
together
in
joy
and
the
spirit
of
prayer
as
we
close
and
go
home
and
get
warm
okay
as
we
depart
both
individually
and
collectively,
and
we
are
called
to
be
who
you
are
in
anything
all
the
ways
that
you
can
be
seek.
Justice,
resist,
evil,
stand,
strong
against
death
and
chaos
and
your
voice
move
your
feet.
Extend
your
hands
hold
on
to
the
lower
part
of
history.
Like
your
lives
depend
on
it
and
pull
it.
K
A
little
are
as
good
as
much
strength
that
you
can
muster
so
that
together
we
may
help
to
continue
to
bring
and
pull
that
off
towards
justice
and
peace
and
hope
and
love
for
all.
Having
been
nourished
by
the
words
and
the
deeds
of
Reverend,
dr.
Martin,
Luther
King.
Let
us
go
higher
rather
than
lower.
Let
us
pray
that
God
gives
us
strength
for
compassion
to
carve
out
a
tower
of
Hope,
but
in
what
might
seem
like
a
mountain.
This
fear
in
some
of
the
days
that
we
face
ahead.
K
We
pray
that,
like
Martin,
Luther,
King,
you
and
I
might
be
possessed
with
righteousness.
So
until
that
day,
when
righteousness
rule
supreme
and
now
may
the
Lord
God
bless
and
keep
you,
may
god
light
your
path
there
strengthen
you
this
day
and
always
in
the
name
of
Jesus
and
in
the
name
of
Holy
One
and
may
the
people
of
God
say:
hey
man.