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When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Dr. Coretta Scott King visited United Nations Headquarters in the 1960s to protest the Vietnam conflict, civil rights leaders sought to transform the anti-war movement into equality for black people in the United States. He likened it to a struggle for. , today proclaimed what has become a rallying cry in the ongoing fight against racism.
On April 15, 1967, a delegation led by Dr. King met with the legendary Ralph Bunch and other United Nations officials. Bunch was the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and Dr. King was the second.
Read a report from the archives about UN legend Bunch here.
During the meeting, Dr. King presented a petition calling for an immediate and peaceful resolution to the Vietnam conflict (1961-1975). Earlier in the day, he marched with 125,000 protesters in the first of many mass marches against the war.
Watch UN Video’s UN Archives episode about the world-famous civil rights activist below.
“There is no justice without peace, and there is no peace without justice.”
In the spring of 1967, Dr. King read a powerful plea for peace in turbulent times outside United Nations Headquarters.
“On April 15, 1967, we marched and rallied in tens of thousands from towns and villages, cities, campuses, and farms to the birthplace of the United Nations in New York and the World Organization in San Francisco,” he said. I did. “We, the participants in today’s unprecedented national peace demonstrations, of all national origins, faiths, and political opinions, are united in our belief that an immediate peaceful solution to this illegal and unjust war is essential. ”
“We are determined to stop the killing and avoid nuclear holocaust,” he said. “We rally to the United Nations to reaffirm our support for the principles of peace, universality, equal rights, and self-determination, embodied in the Charter and celebrated by humanity, but violated by the United States. Masu.”
Regarding the priorities of the peace movement and the civil rights movement, Dr. King said, “From a content standpoint, the issues are inextricably linked.”
“After all, there can be no peace without justice, and there can be no justice without peace,” he said.
Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to the press at United Nations headquarters in New York in 1967. (file)
inspire future generations
The civil rights leader continued to advocate for peace throughout the last year of his life until he was assassinated in 1968, just one year after visiting United Nations headquarters. His anti-war activism reinforced the connection between conflicts abroad and injustice within the United States.
From the Montgomery March to his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on Washington, Dr. King’s lifelong efforts have inspired future generations, including his own granddaughter. Earlier this year, 15-year-old activist Yolanda Renee King addressed an audience in General Assembly Hall during a special commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed on March 25 each year. did.
“Today, I join you as a proud descendant of enslaved people who resisted slavery and racism, like my grandparents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Coretta Scott King. “I’m standing in front of you,” he said from the green marble podium in the Capitol.
“My parents, Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King, also dedicated their lives to ending racism and all forms of bigotry and discrimination.” said the author of the children’s book “We Dream a World.” Celebrated grandparents.
“Like them, I am committed to carrying on the legacy of my grandparents who fought against racial injustice and championed social justice and equality,” King said, urging young people around the world to take action. I called for him to wake up.
“We must connect through the Internet and organize across borders around the world. This opens new possibilities for global campaigns to advance human rights and social justice in all countries. I hope that my family’s tradition of championing social justice will inspire my generation to take action and confront the issues that affect our world.”
Read her full statement below.
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