Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord'' far beyond the boundaries of their hometown, and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Graeco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here.īeyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. So, I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promises. Several months ago, our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates.
We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations all across the South, one being the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. King and the protestors are all “outside agitators” coming in and stirring up trouble in Birmingham. King first addresses the charge from the white leaders that Dr.
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