Dr. King’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” – 50 Years

Dr. King’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” – 50 Years

April 4, 2017 will be the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. In confronting the deeply rooted racism, militarism and materialism of the United States, Dr. King described the United States as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.

Come listen to an excerpt of the speech and join our distinguished panelists for discussion:
* Rev. Happy Watkins, New Hope Baptist Church
* Sandy Williams, Black Lens News
* Pastor Walter Kendricks, Morning Star Baptist Church, Ministerial Fellowship

6:30 Light Snacks and Beverages
7:00 Program: Speech Excerpt & Panel Presentations
7:45 Discussion

You can listen to the whole speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qf6x9_MLD0

Co-Sponsored by Black Lens News, NAACP Spokane, and Veterans For Peace Spokane.

Delivered to an overflow crowd at the Riverside Church in New York City on April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his assassination, Dr. King’s challenge to engage in a radical revolution of values encountered ferocious opposition. Fifty years later, however, it is clear that his analysis and his call to action is as relevant now as it was then.

* Today the United States has a multi-trillion dollar permanent war economy, the costliest deployment of weapons and military personnel in the world and at home a vast system of mass incarceration, a hideous homicide rate and endemic violence against women and LGBTQ people.
* Today as a result of our society’s virulent racism, people of color are subjected to unrelenting state violence through police brutality, police murder and massive incarceration rates, while suffering gross disparities in income, education, employment, military service, housing and health care.
* Today materialism and economic exploitation dominate our culture and our economy to the peril of all life on earth, polluting our values, our souls and the natural world.
* Today we know that the struggle against sexism and patriarchy is intrinsically linked to overcoming racism, militarism, materialism and environmental catastrophe.