Remarkable Prophetic Letter in Which King States He Will “follow Christ to death” to Achieve Racial Equality for “the health of Democracy”

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KING, MARTIN LUTHER, JR. (1929-1968). American Baptist minister, civil rights leader, and Nobel Peace Prize winner; the pre-eminent human rights spokesman of his time. TLS. (“Martin Luther King Jr.”). 1p. 4to. Atlanta, November 15, 1962. On Southern Christian Leadership Conference letterhead. To Samuel Brent Oliver III, a North Carolina high school student, who later taught business at the American High School in Belgium operated by the Department of Defense.

“This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of recent date. In reply to your question, ‘Why are you so strongly for integration and to what extent will you fight for it?’, I must say that one seldom thinks in terms of such extremes.

I believe that the integration of the races, that is, the providing of the same opportunities and facilities for citizens regardless of race, is essential to the health of Democracy, the growth of individuals both white and Negro, and the future of the world. The world is too small now for us to think that we can ignore persons who are a little different from ourselves.

I feel this to be part of God’s plan for his world, ‘that the brethren might dwell together in unity.’ I took a vow as a Christian that I would follow Christ to death. One would hope that this is unnecessary, but one must always be prepared to suffer any price which grows out of one’s obedience to God and discipleship with Christ.

Best wishes to you in your academic endeavors…”

Martin Luther King Jr.

It was while studying for his doctorate in theology at Boston University, that King was introduced to Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance, after which he joined the ministry and, simultaneously, began his fight for civil rights. His leadership during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and the subsequent 1956 bombing of his home, brought him into national prominence but put King in constant danger of sacrificing his life for his beliefs. He was the subject of numerous death threats and his home was firebombed multiple times. In 1958, King survived an assassination attempt in New York City and in September 1962, just a few months before writing our letter, a member of the American Nazi Party assaulted him. His prophetic vow to “follow Christ to death” was a heartfelt commitment that reached its apotheosis with his 1968 assassination in Memphis.

Remarkable Prophetic Letter in Which King States He Will “follow Christ to death” to Achieve Racial Equality for “the health of Democracy”

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In 1961, King met with President John F. Kennedy to request a second Emancipation Proclamation to promote racial integration, a concept that King defines in our letter as “providing of the same opportunities and facilities for citizens regardless of race,” and which he declares necessary for a healthy democracy. King also quotes Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” which he alluded to in his November 5, 1962 speech at the University of Michigan where he proclaimed, “We must learn to live together as brothers or we will die together as fools.” It was a mere ten days after delivering this speech that King penned our letter.

Less than two weeks later, on November 27, 1962, King spoke at the Booker T. Washington High School gymnasium in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he again quoted Psalm 133, and closed with, “I have a dream that one day right here in Rocky Mount, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will meet at the table of brotherhood, knowing that one God brought man to the face of the Earth. I have a dream tonight that one day my little daughter and my two sons will grow up in a world not conscious of the color of their skin, but only conscious of the fact that they are members of the human race,” one of the earliest uses of his “I have a dream” phrase that became famous with his “I Have a Dream” speech of August 28, 1963, during the historic March on Washington.

In that same speech, King spoke again about the link between desegregation and democracy: “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

King’s celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech set the stage for his selection as Time magazine’s 1963 “Man of the Year.” In October 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize, making him – at age 35 – its youngest recipient up to that time. Despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the fight for racial equality continued and included the March 1965 march from Montgomery to Selma to bring attention to the ongoing problem of segregation during which voting rights marchers were beaten in an event remembered as “Bloody Sunday.” On April 4, 1968, while in Memphis, King was assassinated – the day after delivering his prophetic speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” in which he again invoked Biblical imagery while reflecting on the possibility of his death declaring, “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop… 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… So 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.”

A remarkably important and prophetic letter never offered for sale and possibly the finest Martin Luther King, Jr. letter ever to appear on the market. Folded, trimmed on all four sides (not affecting any text) and lightly creased with normal wear. The original envelope with the recipient’s notes on the verso is also included. In fine condition.

Remarkable Prophetic Letter in Which King States He Will “follow Christ to death” to Achieve Racial Equality for “the health of Democracy”