We take this opportunity to look at a story that explores the roots of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King’s powerful call – “No Justice, No Peace.”
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King visited the United Nations headquarters in 1960 to protest the Vietnam War, the civil rights leader compared the antiwar movement to America’s black struggle for equality.
And his declaration then became a rallying cry in the ongoing struggle against apartheid today.
On April 15, 1967, a delegation led by Dr. Martin Luther King met the great Ralph Bunch and other top officials of the United Nations.
Ralph Bunch was the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and Dr. King was the second African American to receive the award.
Dr. Martin Luther King presented a petition at the meeting calling for an immediate and peaceful resolution to the Vietnam War (1961-1975).
Earlier on the same day, he marched with 1,25,000 demonstrators, followed by several mass marches to protest against the war.
Video from the United Nations Archives on world-renowned civil rights advocate Dr. Martin Luther King can be viewed here:
‘There is no justice without peace, there is no peace without justice’
In the spring of 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King read a powerful plea for peace in a turbulent time outside the United Nations headquarters.
“We came in thousands from towns, cities, campuses and farms to march and rally on April 15, 1967 at the United Nations in New York and at the birthplace of this world organization in San Francisco,” he said.
“We, the participants in today’s unprecedented national peace demonstration, come from diverse national origins, religions and political views, yet are united in our conviction for an immediate peaceful resolution to an illegal and unjustified war.”
“We are determined to stop the killing and avoid a nuclear holocaust,” he said.
“We gather at the United Nations to reaffirm our support for the principles of peace, sovereignty, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and admired by mankind, but violated by the United States.”
Dr. King, citing the priorities of the peace movement and the civil rights movement, said, “Subjectively, these issues are inextricably linked; in the final analysis, there can be no peace without justice, and no justice without peace.”
Inspiration for future generations
Civil rights leader Dr. King continued to advocate for peace throughout his life, until he was assassinated in 1968, a year after visiting UN headquarters.
His anti-war activism reinforced the connection between war and injustice abroad within America.
Dr. King’s lifelong efforts – from the Montgomery March on Washington to his iconic I Have a Dream speech – inspired future generations, including his own granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King.
His video can be seen here…