Summary

Martin Luther King (MLK) begins his speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by thanking the audience and Ralph Abernathy for introducing him.

He argues that he is happy to live in this day and age. He imagines living during the flight from Egypt, in Ancient Greece, during the Roman Empire, during the Renaissance, during the Protestant Movement, during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, and in the 1930s.

He claims that he is happy to live in the second half of the 20th century because this is a time of important changes for black people all around the world.

He argues that African Americans need to stay united, avoid violence, and focus on the reason why they are protesting in Memphis — the unfair treatment of sanitation workers.

He encourages people to march for the 1300 workers who suffer unjust treatment. King claims protesters are not going to be scared or stopped by police dogs or fire hoses. He gives the example of the protests in  Birmingham, Alabama, when the authorities tried to prevent them from marching, but the protesters stayed united and believed in their goal.

He calls the audience to protest on Monday in Memphis and claims the injunction...