Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.- The Christmas Message of Hope

The year was 1967 and Martin Luther King, civil rights leader, Baptist preacher and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, agreed to deliver the prestigious Massey lectures on CBC Radio. His title, was "Conscience for Change." Although these lectures were recorded more than forty years ago, King’s words have lost none of their relevance as we still try to come to terms with many of the same issues.

Yesterday King talked about the race riots that had convulsed Detroit and Newark the previous summer and tried to put some context to that time of unrest. He ended by saying that people matter more than property- and points out that for the most part, the violence of the riots was directed at property rather than people. That’s where he picks it up today.

Part one runs 18:32

Martin Luther King Jr. with the fourth of his five Massey lectures. They were first broadcast on CBC Radio on the program Ideas in 1967.

Now back to Martin Luther King. with his fifth and final Massey lecture. The other four were recorded in a studio in Atlanta. But the fifth was something different. It was not a lecture, but a sermon that Dr. King delivered to his own church- the Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta, Georgia. It was Christmas Eve, 1967 and he took the opportunity to share his message of non-violence with a larger audience.

Part two runs 29:13

The fifth and final Massey lecture by Martin Luther King Jr. It aired on the program Ideas on CBC Radio on December 24th, 1967 at Dr. King’s own church- the Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Just over three months later Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Tomorrow we will hear about that terrible time.