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the fact that there was a certain kind of fire that We need all of you. And you know what’s 5
no water could put out. And we went before the beautiful to me is to see all of these ministers of
fire hoses; we had known water. If we were the Gospel. It’s a marvelous picture. Who is it
Baptist or some other denominations, we had that is supposed to articulate the longings and section three
been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some aspirations of the people more than the
others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew preacher? Somehow the preacher must have a
water. That couldn’t stop us. kind of fire shut up in his bones. And whenever /
And we just went on before the dogs and we injustice is around he tell it. Somehow the
would look at them; and we’d go on before the preacher must be an Amos, and saith, “When
water hoses and we would look at it, and we’d just God speaks who can but prophesy?” Again with
go on singing “Over my head I see freedom in the Amos, “Let justice roll down like waters and Martin Luther King Jr.
air.” And then we would be thrown in the paddy righteousness like a mighty stream.” Somehow
wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there the preacher must say with Jesus, “The Spirit of
like sardines in a can. And they would throw us the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
in, and old Bull would say, “Take ’em off,” and me, and he’s anointed me to deal with the
they did; and we would just go in the paddy problems of the poor.”
wagon singing, “We Shall Overcome.” And every And I want to commend the preachers,
now and then we’d get in jail, and we’d see the under the leadership of these noble men: James
jailers looking through the windows being moved Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for
by our prayers, and being moved by our words many years; he’s been to jail for struggling; he’s
and our songs. And there was a power there been kicked out of Vanderbilt University for this
which Bull Connor couldn’t adjust to; and so we struggle, but he’s still going on, fighting for the
ended up transforming Bull into a steer, and we rights of his people. Reverend Ralph Jackson,
won our struggle in Birmingham. Now we’ve got Billy Kiles; I could just go right on down the list,
to go on in Memphis just like that. I call upon you but time will not permit. But I want to thank all
to be with us when we go out Monday. of them. And I want you to thank them, because
Now about injunctions: We have an so often, preachers aren’t concerned about
injunction and we’re going into court tomorrow anything but themselves. And I’m always happy
morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional to see a relevant ministry.
injunction. All we say to America is, “Be true to It’s all right to talk about “long white robes 25
what you said on paper.” If I lived in China or even over yonder,” in all of its symbolism. But ultimately
Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could people want some suits and dresses and shoes to
understand some of these illegal injunctions. wear down here! It’s all right to talk about “streets
Maybe I could understand the denial of certain flowing with milk and honey,” but God has
basic First Amendment privileges, because they commanded us to be concerned about the slums
hadn’t committed themselves to that over there. down here, and his children who can’t eat three
But somewhere I read of the freedom of square meals a day. It’s all right to talk about the
assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of new Jerusalem, but one day, God’s preacher must
speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the
press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new
America is the right to protest for right. And so Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.
just as I say, we aren’t going to let dogs or water Now the other thing we’ll have to do is this:
hoses turn us around, we aren’t going to let any Always anchor our external direct action with
injunction turn us around. We are going on. the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are
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