– NBC Radio – Meet The Press – Guest: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King – April 17, 1960 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday today, I unearthed this 1960 appearance on Meet The Press, where the discussion is about the new tactic in the Civil Rights Movement – the lunch counter sit-in, a tactic even former President Truman bristled at.
But it signified how deeply entrenched the struggle was, and how much of a battle was at hand. How in fact it is still at hand. But then it was over the simple matter of equality and access to a sandwich. It sounds absurd – but the elements and signs of racism were much more overt and broadly apparent than they are now. But they still exist, though less noticeable. Perhaps the sinister nature of blame and finger-pointing don’t easily go away. Further evidence it’s all an inside job.
But in this interview with Dr. King, the subject of where the Civil Rights movement stood in 1960 were discussed – the pros and cons of this new element in non-violent protest.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King’s actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.
King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
Here is Dr. King’s Meet The Press appearance for April 17, 1960
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