The Pursuit of Equity is The Pursuit of a More Perfect Union - MLK, Jr. Stanford 1967
Martin Luther King, Jr. describes two myths standing in the way of social justice. Stanford University, ‘67
Transcript:
“It is failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity. And so on. A real sense our nation. Some of the riots are caused by our nation's winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.
Now, let me go on to say that if we are to deal with all of the problems that I talked about, if we are to bring America to the point that we have one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. There are certain things that we must do. The job ahead must be massive and positive. We must develop massive action programs all over the United States of America in order to deal with the problems that I have mentioned. Now, in order to develop these massive action programs, we've got to get rid of one or two false notions that continue to exist in our society.
One is the notion that only time can solve the problem of racial injustice. I'm sure you've heard this idea. It is the notion almost as bad as something in the very flow of time that will miraculously cure all evils. And I have heard this over and over again. There are those and they are often sincere people who say to Negroes and their allies in the white community that we should slow up and just be nice and patient and continue to pray. And in 100 or 200 years, the problem will work itself out because only time can solve the problem.
And I think that is an answer to that myth. And it is that time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. And I'm absolutely convinced that the forces of ill will in our nation, the extreme right, in our nation, and often use time much more effectively than the forces of good will. And it may well be that we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitriolic words of the bad people and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, Wait on time.
Somewhere we must come to see that social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals. And without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. And so we must have time. And we must realize that the time is always right to do right.
Now there's another notion that gets out. It's around everywhere. It's in the south, it's in the north, it's in California and all over our nation. It's the notion that legislation can't solve the problem. It can't do anything in this area. And those who reject this argument contend that you got to change the heart and that you can't change the heart through legislation.
Now, I would be the first one would say that that is a real need for a lot of heart changing in our country. And I believe in changing the heart. I preach about it. I believe in the need for conversion in many instances in regeneration to use theological terms. And I would be the first to say that if the race problem in America is to be solved, the white person must treat the Negro right, not merely because the law says it, but because it's natural, because it's right, and because the Negro is his brother.
So I realize that if we are to have a truly integrated society, men and women will have to rise to the majestic heights of being obedient to the unenforceable.
But after saying this, let me say another thing which gives the other side, and that is that although it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated, even though it may be true that the law cannot change the heart, it can restrain the hardness. Even though it may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, it can restrain him from lynching me. And I think that's very important also.
So while the law may not change the hearts of men, it can, and it does change the habits of men. And when you begin to change the habits of men, pretty soon the attitudes will be changed. Pretty soon the hearts will be changed.”
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