Martin Luther King’s most famous speech was “I Have a Dream.”
But his last speech, “I’ve
Been to the Mountaintop,” which he delivered to a relatively small crowd in
Memphis, Tennessee the night before he was murdered, may have been his
greatest. While “I Have a Dream” laid out an ideal future that may never exist,
“I Have Been to the Mountaintop” gave a history of the idea of freedom and candidly
lays out the struggles that King faced. He talked about the day-to-day challenges
that African-Americans faced in America. He discussed basic economic justice
and gave practical tactics to achieve it. And, knowing that his life was
repeatedly threatened, he gave his own funeral oration. All in one speech.
King began by
stating a thesis: “Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in
our world.” Change was coming.
He then gave a historical-philosophical review:
“As you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time,
with the possibility 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?'- I would take my mental flight by Egypt
through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the
promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there. I would
move on by Greece, and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato,
Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon
as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality.”
Anyone who tells you that a philosophy major is a waste of
time needs to reflect on that passage. (And, yes, Martin Luther King Jr. was a
philosophy major in graduate school.)
Continuing his historical review through the Emancipation
Proclamation and the worldwide struggle for freedom, King concluded that the
best time to live was the moment he lived in: “We have been forced to a point
where we're going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been
trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn't force them to do
it.“ He wanted to live in 1968 because he wanted to be part of the struggle for
freedom.
Like all good philosophers, King then turned to practical
action. He reminded his audience that the individual African-American was often
poor, but that, collectively, they could wield economic power. He encouraged
people to patronize African-American banks and insurance companies. He
encouraged unity: “We've got to stay together and maintain unity.” He focused
on the key values issue: “let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is
injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its
dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers.” He
emphasized nonviolence. He recounted the biblical Parable of the Samaritan and applied
it to the struggle in Memphis.
The speech then turned personal. King narrated an
assassination attempt in which a “demented black woman” stabbed him in the
chest and he almost died. He discussed the death threats that he was receiving.
He recounted that on his plane flight to Memphis, the airplane was guarded
carefully and delayed to prevent a bombing. And, apparently recognizing that
his security detail could not protect him forever, he ended by giving his own funeral
message:
“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. Like 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've
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 I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
“Not fearing any man,” he said Defiance! Standing by principle!
The next morning, a demented, racist, or corrupted white man shot King on his motel balcony. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If he had not been
murdered, King would now be 91 years old. Today, we have a president determined
to overturn much of King’s legacy. That is why all Americans need to look at the “Mountaintop” speech
once again.
I studied many magnificent speeches during my long
career as a speech teacher. I have never studied a greater one than this. The "Mountaintop" speech deals with practical issues, puts them in a philosophical context, and shines a bright light on the struggle for human freedom. Video of the speech shows that King was utterly exhausted as he delivered this presentation, which was evidently extemporaneous, but its power cannot be overlooked.
Considering the speech's importance, it has received relatively little scholarly study. Students of speech may want to read this research article by Thomas Rosteck. Available in large libraries, or you can purchase it for download.
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